EXCLUSIVE: Ducati “forced to make hard decision” with Jorge Martin

Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi says the marque was “forced to make some hard decisions for the heart” about its 2025 MotoGP line-up that has now lost it the new world champion.

Pramac rider Jorge Martin wrapped up the 2024 title in the final round of the season at the Solidarity Grand Prix, after he finished third while rival Francesco Bagnaia won.

But Martin now leaves Ducati to join Aprilia for 2025, making his on-track debut in Tuesday’s post-season test.

Martin had been picked to join the factory Ducati team alongside Bagnaia in 2025, but it made a U-turn to promote Marc Marquez instead after the eight-time world champion rejected an offer to race a works GP25 at Pramac.

The aftereffects had led Ducati to lose Pramac to Yamaha, Enea Bastianini to KTM, and Martin and Marco Bezzecchi to Aprilia.

Asked by Crash.net if there was now regrets about what happened in the summer following Martin’s title win, Tardozzi said:  “You know what, Ducati this year had the ‘Fabulous Four’ because the four guys who are first, second, third and fourth in the championship are for us.

“And unluckily we were forced to take some decisions, make some really hard decisions on the heart side.

“And in the end we took it and unfortunately Martin and Enea have to leave Ducati because they prefer to have another factory bike.

“This is a shame but it’s was something that was impossible to recover. We wish the best for them for the future.

“Again, there was a decision to take and unfortunately this decision sent Pramac to Yamaha and Jorge to Aprilia.

“But I think that Ducati will be strong anyway next year too, and I think that this is something we need to prove to the fans that we took the right decision.”

While Ducati now faces the real prospect of the number one plate - which Martin is yet to decide on - appearing on a factory Aprilia in 2025, Tardozzi still considers the Bologina factory as “the real winner” of this year’s world title.

“In the end, ok I really want to be honest, it’s obvious that we wanted Pecco to win the championship,” he added.

“We are Ducati Lenovo team, but in the end Ducati is the real winner of 2024 because first, second, third and fourth in the championship are Ducati riders.

“Martin is a Ducati rider. Pramac has the full support of Ducati with factory bikes and seven people of Ducati working there.

“So, I think in the end, the real winner of this championship is Ducati Factory.”

On Bagnaia missing out on the championship by 10 points despite winning 11 grands prix, Tardozzi noted: “Unfortunately he made some mistakes.

“Eight zeroes [DNFs], it’s the reason why he didn’t win the championship.

“Eight zeroes versus three for Martin. But in the end, I think that he carried for two years the number one because he deserved it, because he’s a champion.

“And I’m sure that he will fight for the championship next year too.”