Ducati ultimatum to Bezzecchi - choose Valentino Rossi, or a ‘24 Desmosedici

The Mooney VR46 rider wants a factory bike next season, which Ducati admit he deserves after a breakthrough season where he has already won two MotoGP grands prix and emerged as a title contender.

But he can’t have a 2024 Desmosedici if he remains with Valentino Rossi’s squad.

“Honestly, there's a possibility he'll join Pramac, but it's not certain,” Ducati sporting director Paolo Ciabatti told Speedweek.

“On the one hand, Pramac has the contractual option of getting current factory machines for both riders. And if they exercise that option, we have to respect that. 

“And for internal reasons we can only equip four riders with current factory machines. Building more bikes like this is too complicated.

“We did that for 2022, it didn't work. At that time, Luca Marini got a fifth factory Ducati.”

This season, Pramac duo Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco have the latest-spec Ducati machinery, along with factory pair Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini.

Bezzecchi’s wish for a better bike would therefore mean switching teams, probably at the cost of Zarco.

This difficult choice may mean Bezzecchi prefers to stay with Rossi’s squad.

“The VR46 crew is doing a great job,” Ciabatti said. 

“And in Bezzecchi they have a rider that they have built up from the Moto2 World Championship. The team works very well, they are happy about strong races, two grands prix have already been won in 2023. 

“The technical team with Matteo Flamigni and all the guys is very powerful.

“Now the rider has to consider changing teams to get the latest bike. 

“But he is also considering staying with VR46 because he knows the team and finds a perfect situation there.

“How he decides remains a question mark.

“And we don't want to force him to make a decision.

“We know he very much deserves a VR46 factory bike. 

“But we only have four - and we have to honour the contract with Pramac.”

An extra subplot is the potential for Rossi to take his Mooney VR46 team from Ducati to Yamaha, the team synonymous with his own glory, in 2025.

This would complicate Bezzecchi’s situation beyond 2024 if he remained with Mooney VR46.

Bezzecchi came second in the sprint race at the British MotoGP, but then crashed out of the grand prix from second-place, conceding ground in the title fight with Bagnaia and Martin.