MotoGP: Ducati Manager Compares Powerful 2025 Rider Lineup To Valentino Rossi-Jorge Lorenzo Era

Saajan Jogia | Dec 13, 2024

Apr 14, 2024; Austin, TX, USA; Marc Marquez (93) of Spain and Gresini Racing MotoGP rides in warmups before the start of the MotoGP Grand Prix of The Americas at Circuit of The Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Lenovo Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi compared the formidable pairing of Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia to the iconic duo of Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi during their peak years between 2013 and 2016. Ducati’s powerhouse lineup was solidified with Marquez’s arrival to the factory team for the 2025 season after an eventful stint with Gresini Ducati.

Marquez’s journey since his devastating right arm injury at the 2020 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix has been nothing short of a battle for survival. Following three surgeries, he made a determined comeback for the 2021 season, facing doubts about his career’s future. However, the challenges with his uncompetitive Honda RC213V, which only worsened over time, ultimately paved the way for his move to Ducati, marking a new chapter in his illustrious career.

Formerly one of Ducati's fiercest competitors, Marquez found his path back to the top through Gresini, ultimately landing on the turf of the manufacturer now dominating MotoGP. The six-time world champion’s unwavering determination and exceptional racing talent secured him a spot on Ducati’s factory team for next year. Tardozzi attributes this achievement not only to Marquez’s skill on the track but also to his character, highlighting that he is a great person as well as a phenomenal racer. He told Spanish publication AS, as quoted by Crash.net:

“I think Marquez is a great rider because he is also a great person and, for me, he has the intelligence to listen, reason and know what you are going to say to him and prepare the next answer.

“It has an overview that gives you the possibility to have everything ready. The person is in perfect communion with the rider.

“To be a great rider, you also have to be a great person. If not, there is weakness.

“He is not Einstein, he is not the president of the government, but he is one step ahead.”

Bagnaia’s rise to prominence in MotoGP gained momentum after a standout performance at the 2020 Andalusian Grand Prix, setting the stage for his first championship title in 2021. With Marquez joining Ducati’s factory team next season, their pairing promises to be an intense and highly competitive lineup.

Unlike in 2024, when Marquez raced on the year-old Ducati Desmosedici GP23, both riders will now compete on identical machinery next year, heightening the stakes. Tardozzi has drawn comparisons between this formidable duo and Yamaha’s legendary pairing of Rossi and Lorenzo, underscoring the potential impact of this collaboration. The Ducati team manager added:

“A team like the one we have, with [Francesco] Bagnaia and Marquez, I think can only withstand the comparison with that of Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

“I don't think there is another team in recent history that is at this level.”