Pramac boss admits “we felt let down” by Ducati choosing Marquez over Martin

Pramac struck a huge seven-year deal with Yamaha over the Dutch MotoGP weekend but Paolo Campnoti has since revealed why they chose to leave the best bike on the grid in Ducati.

Campinoti has seen many of his team’s young riders be awarded a factory Ducati seat in the past, but Jorge Martin being overlooked was a decision he couldn’t accept.

Martin has twice been snubbed by the factory Ducati team, first in 2022 when Enea Bastianini overtook him in the race to join Bagnaia, before Marquez did the same at Mugello a few weeks ago.

And Campinoti admits Martin losing out made him and the team feel “let down” by Ducati management.

Speaking to MotoGP.com, Campinoti said: “We strongly believe in the Yamaha project. We strongly believe in the capacity and the ability of Yamaha to be back. We think that our time in Ducati was finished and we have some choices that we didn’t share, we didn’t agree and to be the junior team of Ducati was our dream.

“Also, to bring young riders to the red team was our mission. We have accomplished that many times but this year we have been a little bit; not disappointed because that’s not the right term but we felt that we have been let down.

“We thought that Martin was the better candidate to join. We have seen some change of strategy which was not fitting us anymore.

“We then had this other great opportunity so we decided to do it.” 

Pramac, who are losing star rider Jorge Martin to Aprilia next season, have two open spots to fill with Yamaha for 2025.

But when speaking about Martin, Campinoti went one step further and blamed Ducati for not recognising their achievement.

Martin was a title contender against Bagnaia until the season-finale last season, while he led Pramac to the teams’ title along with Johann Zarco.

“For sure it was the trigger because if you don’t make your job with passion, the objective and our objective was to take young riders and to bring them to the next level,” added Campinoti.

“And when you fail or what you do is not recognised or awarded then you think you are probably not doing the right things.

“There is this other great opportunity and they share the same ambition that we have so it was the moment to change.”