Finger pointed at Ducati's biggest threat as new season looms

Ducati are MotoGP's dominant team and have assembled a rider duo in 2025 which is the envy of the opposition.

But Crash.net writers have picked out the manufacturer and rider who will be a constant threat to Ducati's supremacy...

Jordan Moreland: The obvious answer would be Jorge Martin and Aprilia, but that isn't my answer.

Despite the uncertainty of their future, KTM has a generational talent on their books with Pedro Acosta.

With him moving into the factory team for 2025, I truly believe he will be the person to take the fight to Ducati.

He is a special talent and he is so hungry to get that first win in MotoGP after coming close on a few occasions in 2024. 

KTM also have their strongest lineup in MotoGP, with Brad Binder alongside Acosta and the addition of Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini to the Tech3 KTM roster, the Austrian brand needs results fast and it could go a long way to help save the team for the future with potential investors watching.

Lewis Duncan: Ducati really was an untouchable force in 2024, as it swept 19 of the 20 grands prix wins on offer and totally dominated its rivals to ensure a third successive riders’ title.

Given the struggles of the Japanese manufacturers and the uncertainty of what KTM can actually do in 2025 under its current financial crisis, it really leaves the only marque other than Ducati who won a race in 2024 as its most obvious rival.

Aprilia slipped to third in the constructors’ standings last season, but there are several key factors that could see it boosted up the order again to become a Ducati botherer.

It gains the reigning world champion Jorge Martin, who was often a cut above the rest in 2024 on the Ducati. His knowledge of the Desmosedici - likewise Marco Bezzecchi’s - will be valuable to Aprilia, while Fabiano Sterlacchini coming in as technical director after stints with KTM and Ducati should inject fresh ideas into Noale’s race department.

Peter McLaren: Jorge Martin revelled as the ‘underdog’, as Independent rider at Pramac, during his title battle with factory star Bagnaia.

The move to Aprilia means Martin stays in a similar underdog position, a situation he seems to thrive in, but now with the added confidence of being a world champion and with the full backing of a factory.

The RS-GP was also the only bike to defeat Ducati last year, with four wins including Sprints.

It’d be a tall order for Martin to fight for the title in 2025 but having made history as the first Independent ‘MotoGP’ champion, can he hand Aprilia its first premier-class crown?

I’d be surprised if he doesn’t win races and, if the Ducati Lenovo riders become fixated on each other and throw points away, Martin’s strong qualifying skills and consistency could cause a major upset. For a rider who doesn’t like to change bike set-up too much, it all depends on how well he gels with the RS-GP25.

Otherwise, I’d say Pedro Acosta and KTM have the potential to be a thorn in Ducati’s side.

Derry Munikartono: I will pick the usual suspects; KTM and Aprilia, as rival factories who would give threats to the Italian superpower.

Aprilia would be bolstered with the arrival of the defending MotoGP champion, Jorge Martin, alongside another ex-Ducati Marco Bezzecchi to their factory team.

Meanwhile, KTM has one of the most interesting rider line-up on paper. They have Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder in the Factory Squad, while having a duo of Grand Prix Winner – Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini – in Tech3 KTM.

Both factories have great potential, no doubt about it. But they have something to overcome before putting themselves as a legit threat to Ducati.

As we know, the financial crisis in the parent company - Pierer Mobility Group - takes a toll on KTM, including their MotoGP project.

Their plan for the 2025 season remains intact, since they already put the bill on it before the financial saga looms. But, their future after this season it’s a big question mark, as well as the development for RC16.

Aprilia is in better shape financially, but they have their own problems.

The Noale squad is in a bit of a ‘rebuilding’ phase, after losing three of four riders they had last year, while having new technical boss also, Fabiano Sterlacchini from KTM.

After a sad ending to their promising 2024 season, Aprilia have a lot of work to do on the RS-GP before putting a fight to Ducati.

As for the Japanese brand, they have a mountain to climb to fight Ducati.

I suggest Yamaha would have another productive season developing the M1, as Honda would do the same with their RCV.

For the result, I think Yamaha will back into the MotoGP podium while Honda will compete inside the top-10 consistently.

Alex Whitworth: KTM were second in the 2024 constructor standings, but this should be Aprilia’s domain in 2025.

The Austrian company’s financial struggles are well documented by now and surely they will have an impact on on-track performance, although that remains to be seen for certain.

On the other hand, Aprilia have acquired fresh technical leadership in Fabiano Sterlacchini and, perhaps more importantly for 2025, have improved their rider line-up, with Marco Bezzecchi and new MotoGP World Champion Jorge Martin joining the project.

Martin should be beating Bezzecchi, but both should be capable of finishing on the podium regularly. It’s unlikely they’ll be able to really test the mettle of the factory Ducati riders too often, although not impossible, but they should be able to keep themselves consistently ahead of KTM, especially, you would think, as the season draws on.