Unexpected name crops up as MotoGP bust-ups debated

Experts wonder which tempers might flare in 2025

Brad Binder
Brad Binder

Crash.net writers debate which MotoGP teammates might fall out this season...

Peter McLaren: Team-mates get on best if they are not evenly matched, not competing against each other for wins and podiums, or not fighting over the same seat for the following year.

With that in mind, the most evenly matched rider line-up likely to be fighting for the 2025 MotoGP title is clearly Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.

Ducati Lenovo knows this of course, it’s the downside to having a ‘dream team’ line-up, so let’s see how well they can handle it.

As Bagnaia said last year: “It could be super good or a disaster!”

Lewis Duncan: The easiest answer to this is the factory Ducati duo, but there is an interesting dynamic brewing at the factory KTM team in 2025.

With Pedro Acosta stepping into the works squad, Brad Binder finally has a team-mate to truly test him. Acosta made waves in his rookie season with Tech3 GASGAS, scoring nine total podiums, while Binder managed just two - and both of those came in the opening round of the campaign.

Once the darling of KTM, Binder has slowly being overshadowed by Acosta and that will surely continue in 2025 if he doesn’t step up.

Without a win since 2021, the pressure is starting to mount on Binder to perform to the level he is expected. His consistency has always been a major benefit for KTM, and helped to lift him past Acosta in the standings last year.

But that will only go so far if Acosta regularly starts to beat him. And if that happens, tensions will start to build.

Alex Whitworth: There’s potential for a fall out between Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta, because Binder is supposed to be KTM’s guy but now this young Spanish kid is there getting all the attention; and there is certainly a possibility of Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi reigniting their 2018 Moto3 rivalry.

However, since it’s fairly likely that the two factory Ducati teammates will be fighting for the title, it’ll most likely be Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez who have a bit of a tiff. 

The respect between them seems to be there, but over the course of 20 races there is, obviously, space for that to be eroded.

Derry Munikartono: Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, and I will make a comparison of it to Mclaren-Honda in F1 when they had Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in 1988.

Marquez came to the Ducati factory team, who already had Bagnaia as their main man. It reminds me of how Ayrton Senna came to McLaren - which was already built around Prost as their main focus back in 1988.

Despite being the outsider, the win-at-all-cost attitude from Marc Marquez - just like Senna - will put pressure on Bagnaia, which is known for their meticulous and tactical approach that Prost is known for.

We will see fantastic but respectful battles on the track at the beginning, but as the season goes the rivalry would heat up to new levels whenever someone decided to bring this outside.

As we know, Marc has a bit of history with Valentino Rossi, Pecco’s mentor in the VR46 Academy. The Doctor himself admits that he wants to be more present in the MotoGP paddock in 2025. Interestingly enough, it coincided with his nemesis sharing the best garage in MotoGP with his protege.

So far, we see a respectful relationship between those two riders off the track and fantastic battle on it. But, once the biggest prize of motorcycle racing is at stake? I wonder what might happen.

Jordan Moreland: Fairly easy this one, I wonder if you can guess?

3...2...1.... Pecco Bagnaia & Marc Marquez. 

After some heated clashes in 2024, being under the same roof in 2025 and 2026 will turn the heat up even more. I wouldn't want to be in Ducati management, that's for sure!

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