Ducati has decided to pause their development of the 2024 MotoGP bike as the championship battle between Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia intensifies.

With only four races left and just 10 points separating Martin and Bagnaia in the championship, Ducati has chosen to postpone updates to the GP24, allowing both riders to focus on the title fight with the bikes they are familiar with.

Bagnaia secured his eighth win of the season in Japan, marking his fourth perfect weekend. The Italian, who arrived in Japan with a 21-point gap, managed to close the gap to 10 points in a single race.

The last update Ducati made was two months ago at Silverstone, involving new side fairings. Despite Martin’s upcoming move to Aprilia in 2025, Ducati insists that the Spaniard will continue to have access to the same equipment as Bagnaia to compete for his potential first MotoGP title.

Ducati has identical contracts for Bagnaia and Martin, regardless of their salary, a principle that also applies to Enea Bastianini and Franco Morbidelli. Any improvements one rider receives must be shared with the others.

As a result, key developments tested during last month’s Misano test, including a new chassis, won’t be added to the GP24 but will debut on the GP25. Bagnaia confirmed this, saying: "I tested a new chassis at Misano, but neither Jorge nor I will be able to use it this year because Ducati, by contract, must offer it to all GP24 riders, and there aren’t enough parts. Our bikes will remain unchanged until the end of the season."

While Ducati strives for fairness between the two riders in their battle, this equal treatment is limited to the current season. For example, Martin didn’t test the new chassis at Misano, and his current team, Pramac—soon to switch to Yamaha—was not allowed access to Ducati’s garage during testing.

When asked if he trusts Ducati to keep its promise until the end of the season, Martin responded: "Ducati is supporting me 100%. My bike is perfect, and I’m sure it will stay that way until the championship ends."