Pramac force Ducati’s hand - but Marco Bezzecchi has bigger ideas

Pramac Racing has activated a clause in their contract as a Ducati satellite team to run two GP24 bikes next season.

This ends any hope that the Mooney VR46 team had of running one latest-spec bike in 2024.

Bezzecchi’s choice is now straightforward - the newest bike with Pramac, or a year-old machine with Mooney VR46.

Except his thinking is far more ambitious than that.

He will be offered a new deal by Ducati of one year plus the option of 2025, too, according to GPOne.

Bezzecchi knows that, at the end of 2024, both Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini’s current contracts will expire.

So he is targeting the factory Ducati seat for 2025, and will make his decision for 2024 with that goal in mind.

While Bagnaia is leading the way for a second championship in a row, Bastianini’s season so far has been ruined by injury and he could come under increasing pressure with Bezzecchi breathing down his neck.

It makes it likelier that Bezzecchi will opt for the comfort of Mooney VR46, where he is enjoying a breakthrough season and where he has won two grands prix this year already.

“We know that new bikes always have some problems to solve at first,” the report states.

Bezzecchi could leave those teething problems to Pramac - who would keep Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco - and would instead focus on another outstanding season with Mooney VR46 riding the bike that is currently dominating the 2023 season.

Bezzecchi is third in the MotoGP standings after nine rounds, 47 points behind the leader Bagnaia.