Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez reveal the story behind THIS picture

Francesco Bagnaia has revealed the story behind a viral picture of him and Ducati MotoGP team-mate Marc Marquez from 2010 when they met for the first time.

Double MotoGP champion Bagnaia will be joined at the factory Ducati squad in 2025 by Marquez, with the pair unveiling the brand’s colours for the new season this week in Italy.

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While the pair have already clashed on track in 2024 in a controversial clash at the Portuguese Grand Prix, and again at the Spanish GP in a head-to-head for victory, they were cordial in their first official interview together.

Taking place on the Madonna di Campiglio, chaired by TNT Sport commentator Gavin Emmett, Marquez and Bagnaia were asked about a range of topics.

One of them was about a viral picture of the pair taken in 2010, when Marquez was still in the 125cc class and Bagnaia had yet to make it into grand prix racing.

“I remember that day,” Bagnaia said.

“It was the season he won the first title. I remember perfectly that day. We were there for maybe the second or third test of the season with the Monlau Competicion team [in Barcelona] and Marc was there because he was training with the supermoto.

“He just came to say high. I was sharing the garage with [Lorenzo] Baldassarri that season.

“And I just asked for a picture because he was a young Spanish rider doing a fantastic job with KTM the year before, and my crew chief was saying to me ‘we have to look close to him this season’ because I think we will do it. And he did it.”

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Marquez won the 125cc crown on a Derbi in his third season in the class, doing so with 10 race victories, before stepping up to Moto2 in 2011.

When asked about the same picture, Marquez said: “I didn’t remember exactly that day, but I know he was riding for Monlau, and I had a very tight relationship with Monlau Competicion.

“But I didn’t remember exactly the day.”

Marquez was there supporting his younger brother Alex Marquez, who was also testing with the Monlau Competicion team.

Bagnaia would get to grand prix racing in 2013, the year Marquez made his debut in the MotoGP class and became premier class champion for the first time.

It wouldn’t be until 2016 that Bagnaia would win a grand prix, scoring two victories on a Mahindra before stepping up to Moto2, where he was champion in 2018.

He made his MotoGP debut in 2019 with Pramac Ducati and moved to the factory Ducati squad in 2021, going on to win the title in 2022 and 2023.