FIRST LOOK: Marc Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia present 2025 Ducati MotoGP livery

Ducati’s ‘dream team’ of Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez have unveiled their 2025 MotoGP livery during a Monday launch in the mountains of Madonna di Campiglio, Italy.

Remaining with title sponsorship from Lenovo, the 2025 version of Ducati's traditional red contains only minor tweaks from the previous year.

But the big news is that the number 93 of Marquez, the biggest star on the current grid, is now present.

"I hope 2025 will be a year of fun, fighting for victories," said Marquez.

"I can't wait to get started again," added Bagnaia.

Ducati has won the MotoGP manufacturers' title for the past five years while Marquez (6) and Bagnaia (2) are the only riders on the grid to have won more than a single premier-class title. 

Counting the smaller classes, they have won a combined eleven world championships.

"We have two champions, the best riders on the grid in my opinion," said Gigi Dall’Igna at today's launch.

Bagnaia narrowly missed out on a third MotoGP crown in a row to Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin last season, when he won eleven races. 

Marquez meanwhile was ‘reborn’ with three wins and third in the world championship during his debut Ducati season on a year-old Gresini bike.

Before he had even won on a Desmosedici, Ducati had seen enough to pick Marquez over Martin for the 2025 and 2026 factory seat.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali acknowledged: “The choice of Marquez is divisive. Much more so in Italy due to his way of riding and what happened in the past [with Valentino Rossi]. But no one questions his talent.”

By signing for the official team Marquez, 31, clearly has his sights set on winning a seventh premier-class crown, which would also put him equal with great rival Valentino Rossi, Bagnaia’s mentor.

Although the factory Ducati duo are the clear pre-season favourites, regardless of the title outcome Bagnaia has the chance to write his name in history as the first team-mate to outshine (a fully fit) Marquez.

After confirmation of Marquez as his future team-mate, Bagnaia delivered one of the quotes of last season by saying: “It could be super good, or a disaster!”

Their 2024 on-track battles turned physical on more than one occasion, both crashing after a messy collision at Portimao, before Bagnaia rubbed his front wheel on Marquez’s shoulder on his way to a thrilling victory in Jerez.

“Bagnaia responded immediately to his overtakes, this is very important,” a proud Rossi said afterwards. “Because if Marc sees you bleeding, he devours you.”

But Marquez seemed to be holding something back from his usual levels of aggression when racing Bagnaia, perhaps already having one eye on the factory contract…

However hard moves by Marquez on Joan Mir and Miguel Oliveira, while carving through the field after falling in the Jerez Sprint, showed the #93 can still be ruthless if he needs to be.

“He kicked me out of the track!” Mir said of his former Honda team-mate’s harsh pass.

The big challenge for Marquez is how he settles in to ‘Bagnaia’s team’ and gels with his new crew chief, having inherited ex-Enea Bastianini right-hand-man Marco Rigamonti.

“I’m in a situation I have never experienced before, which is to arrive in a pit box and, although there is no number one and number two, logically there is a status and the one who calls the shots is Pecco,” Marquez, forced to end his long-standing personal Red Bull sponsorship due to the team’s Monster deal, said earlier this winter.

“Why? Because Pecco is the one who has given two world titles to Ducati, the one who won eleven races last year and logically, he has to be the one who calls the shots this pre-season and in the first few races.

“I will try to get closer to him because he is the reference, the rider who has made Ducati win the championship again, and who is going very fast.”

Bagnaia and Marquez were third and fourth quickest at November’s Barcelona test, as they worked on the prototype GP25. Marquez’s younger brother and former team-mate Alex was fastest on his GP24 debut.

"Still we need more time to understand because, with Pecco, we had similar comments: It's true that [the GP25 is] super good in some aspects, but a little bit more difficult in other aspects," Marquez said.

"So now we need to evaluate, because you need to have a 'stable' bike on all 22 rounds. Not very fast in one kind of track."

A two-year development freeze before the 850cc era also means it will be crucial to select the optimum engine design.

Marquez will make his track debut in full Ducati livery, alongside Bagnaia, at the Official Sepang test from February 5-7. The Buriram test will be held on February 12-13 before the Thai season opener starts on February 28.