As the season approaches, Ducati’s new rider Marc Marquez has sent a clear message: assuming that Ducati’s dominance will continue unchallenged is a dangerous mindset. Marquez has joined the factory Ducati team to partner with Francesco Bagnaia, the reigning champion, in what many have expected to be an unstoppable Ducati dream team at the top of MotoGP. However, Marquez believes the competition is evolving quickly, and the Italian manufacturer cannot afford to rest.

Since the latter part of the 2010s, Ducati has made major strides in MotoGP, but it was the arrival of Francesco Bagnaia in 2021 that truly moved the brand to the top. Bagnaia’s back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023, alongside a decline in fortunes for Honda and Yamaha, helped solidify Ducati’s position as the dominant manufacturer. In 2024, Jorge Martin added another title to Ducati’s profile, claiming the championship with the satellite Pramac team.

Despite these impressive results, Marquez, now part of Ducati’s factory team, is reflecting on Ducati's rapid rise in the late 2010s, while he was competing with Honda, and emphasizing caution.

“It can be a dangerous atmosphere thinking that Ducati will win the championship every year,” Marquez said at Ducati’s 2025 bike launch. “We have to remember that all development factors in MotoGP are on the same level. Yamaha, for example, made a big step last year. They’ll bring a new bike to the Malaysia test, and they have Fabio Quartararo, who’s an outstanding rider. KTM is also very strong, and let’s not forget about Aprilia and Honda."

Drawing from his experience in the sport, Marquez added, “What I learned from battling against riders like Andrea Dovizioso in 2017 is that you need to respect every team. At any moment, the situation can change, and you can find yourself on the back foot.”

Ducati had a record-breaking 2024 season, winning 19 out of 20 races and even taking the top eight positions in the sprint race at Buriram. But despite Marquez’s arrival, Ducati faces a more complex scenario in 2025. The team will compete with a smaller number of bikes and has lost riders like Jorge Martin, Enea Bastianini, and Marco Bezzecchi, who have all moved to rival teams. The departure of Pramac Racing after a two-decade partnership has left Ducati with just six bikes on the grid.

Additionally, Ducati has scaled back its supply of factory-spec bikes for 2025, with VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio being the only rider outside the factory team to have access to the latest GP25.

Given these changes, Bagnaia himself has acknowledged that repeating Ducati’s dominant 2024 season will be much harder this year. The double world champion expects tough competition from Aprilia and KTM, with riders like Pedro Acosta showing significant promise.

“I think it will be more difficult for Ducati to dominate the championship this year," Bagnaia said. "With one less team, it won’t be as easy as locking out podiums and race wins like last season.”

Bagnaia pointed to the competitiveness of KTM, especially with young talent like Pedro Acosta, and Aprilia, who now have Jorge Martin alongside Bezzecchi. “Aprilia is going to be very strong,” Bagnaia continued. “They have a lot to prove and want to keep improving, especially with two new riders, Martin and Bezzecchi.”

He also noted that Yamaha, which showed signs of improvement towards the end of 2024, and Honda, which is expected to make some improvements as well, cannot be overlooked.

With the competition intensifying, the 2025 season promises to be an unpredictable one. The main contenders for the championship seem to be Ducati, Aprilia, and KTM, with all eyes on how the season unfolds. As Marquez once said, “In MotoGP, things can change very quickly, and no one can be sure of victory until the final race.”