Four big questions after Ducati signs Marc Marquez

Can Ducati maintain harmony in the Bagnaia-Marquez pits?

Francesco Bagnaia has raced alongside Jack Miller and Enea Bastianini since joining the premier-class in 2019.

Both were proven grand prix winners, but being paired with Marquez - who has seen off the challenge of team-mates such as Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo, Pol Espargaro and Joan Mir - is a different prospect.

“From the point of view of the development of the bike, I'm absolutely not worried,” Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna said of the Bagnaia-Marquez line-up.

“We have our philosophy, which involves following more than one rider…

“What worries me instead is the sports management. The climate inside the Ducati garage is wonderful and our goal is to continue to have it next year.”

What does Martin’s departure mean for his 2024 title chances?

"This is a sport and therefore first of all we must be sporting,” said Dall’Igna on the question of whether Martin’s defection to Aprilia will change Ducati’s support for his current title challenge.

“It will be the same with Martin from here to the end year. He will not lack any of our support, both technical and human,” Dall’Igna assured.

Nevertheless, it certainly won’t help Martin’s chance of making history as the first ever satellite MotoGP-era champion, even if only placing an element of doubt in the back of his mind.

Will Pramac go to Yamaha, who rides the GP25s?

By going ‘all in’ on Marquez at the factory team, Ducati has lost both current official rider Enea Bastianini (five MotoGP wins) and title leader Martin.

The Pramac team’s future with Ducati also remains unclear, with Martin departing and proposed superstar replacement Marquez publicly turning them down.

Could that double blow prompt Pramac - the only satellite team with factory-spec Desmosedicis - to reconsider Yamaha’s satellite offer?

Dall’Igna admits “the risk is real” of losing Pramac, something that would be “both a personal and sporting disappointment.”

One of the best ways to help retain Pramac would be for Ducati to secure a high-profile replacement, alongside rookie Fermin Aldeguer (signed but with no confirmed team) for next season.

Martin’s current team-mate Franco Morbidelli is among several race winners still on the market, not to mention a former MotoGP champion in the form of Joan Mir.

But in terms of 2024 results, Maverick Vinales stands out as the only non-Ducati rider to have won a grand prix this year. The Spaniard has highlighted that performance alone will dictate his future team decision.

There is no doubt that the RS-GP is performing well and Vinales is touted as Aprilia’s new captain after the retirement of Aleix Espargaro, but the points table shows Pramac leading the world championship…

Podium dash for final KTM seat?

Although it’s not official, Bagnaia’s current team-mate Enea Bastianini looks set to start a new chapter in his career with a switch to KTM via the Tech3 team.

With the Austrian factory having announced Pedro Acosta as moving to the factory Red Bull team next year, where Brad Binder has an ongoing contract, that leaves just one RC16 seat free for 2025.

Binder’s current team-mate Jack Miller appears open to the prospect of switching to Tech3, which also runs factory-spec bikes. However, like Acosta’s current team-mate Augusto Fernandez, it seems he needs a headline result.

Miller was last on the MotoGP rostrum at Jerez 2023, with Fernandez a career best fourth place at the following French round. The pair are currently just 16th (Miller) and 17th (Fernandez) in the world championship.

Bastianini has taken three podiums so far this year.