Factory Ducati riders used updated engine at Thai MotoGP

It has been revealed that the factory Ducati riders raced with an updated engine specification at the Thai MotoGP.

Ducati ended its preseason testing campaign in mid-February having decided to continue using its 2024 engine, chassis, and aerodynamics for the 2025 season.

But, after the opening race of the season in Thailand – which was won by the Ducati Lenovo Team’s Marc Marquez – the Italian factory has revealed that, in fact, there were already some differences in specification between the engine used by its factory riders and that given to satellite riders Franco Morbidelli, Alex Marquez, and Fermin Aldeguer, all of whom have GP24s of the specification used at last year’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Ducati explain 2025 MotoGP engine call

Motorsport.com reports it has been told by a Ducati spokesperson in Thailand that “Indeed, they are two different specifications,” between the standard GP24 engine used by the satellite riders and the riders with factory-spec machinery.

“The one for Marc [Marquez], Pecco [Francesco Bagnaia] and Diggia [Fabio Di Giannantonio] includes some small changes compared to the one for Alex, Franco and Fermin.”

The spokesperson added: “In the more modern specification, we have taken into account Marc and Pecco's comments.”

Motorsport.com’s report comes after Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna said after the Buriram race that there was already a difference between the bikes of Marquez, Bagnaia, and Di Giannantonio and those of the riders with the standard GP24 in Thailand, and that there will be more developmental parts brought to the Spanish Grand Prix in May, where there is a post-race test on the Monday.