Ducati Dominance with Marc Marquez in MotoGP 2025
In the 2025 MotoGP season, the premise is straightforward: what results when the top rider is paired with the best motorcycle? After two events, the answer appears to be a clear dominance by Marc Marquez, riding a Ducati-powered machine.
Since Marquez first took the Desmosedici GP25 for its final homologation ride during the Thai Grand Prix practice at the end of February, he has showcased his full dominance. He has secured victory in both Sprints and Grands Prix, claiming pole positions in each race and leading every session, aside from Q1 at the first two rounds, which he skipped after finishing first in practice.
Assessing the GP24 vs. GP25 Debate
However, Marquez has previously excelled on bikes that were not as competitive. This raises the question of whether the year-old GP24, a minor evolution from the GP25, is currently the superior option. This assumption relies on a few factors: that two-time champion Francesco Bagnaia is better than winless Alex Marquez, that Fabio Di Giannantonio isn’t significantly weaker than Franco Morbidelli, and that Marquez’s victory doesn’t necessarily imply a superior machine when he’s on the bike.
Throughout their careers, it’s challenging to argue that Alex Marquez ranks above Francesco Bagnaia. Alex is indeed a World Champion but Bagnaia has two premier class titles under his belt and is the most successful rider on the current grid, barring the championship leader. Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez, however, is showing the best form of his MotoGP career. If Bagnaia loses to the legendary Marquez, Alex could contend he would be leading the 2025 Riders’ Championship had he remained on his profitable Honda contract.
Performance Insights and Implications
If Alex Marquez outshining Bagnaia in the standings, along with other riders like Fabio Quartararo and Jorge Martin, indicates a performance disparity between the motorcycles, it indicates nothing concrete. What it does suggest is either that Alex has markedly improved over the winter, or that while he has indeed progressed, he is on a bike benefiting from a minor technical advantage compared to the GP25 riders.
Performance comparisons become tricky when assessing Di Giannantonio and Morbidelli. The early results show Morbidelli, who rides the GP24, outperforming Di Giannantonio on the GP25, though both were affected by various factors. For instance, Morbidelli finished higher in both races in Thailand and Argentina, despite Di Giannantonio showing a strong performance in the Argentina Sprint.
The Marquez Brothers’ Dynamic Performance
A key takeaway from the early races is that Alex Marquez is currently racing much closer to Marc Marquez than he did last year. Last year, Marc consistently outperformed Alex when both were on the GP23, with an average difference of about 9.9 seconds in races where they both finished without incidents. This year, Alex’s performance gap has significantly diminished, indicating he is performing at a higher level against his brother, possibly suggesting that the GP24 may be a better bike than the GP25 right now.
In conclusion, while the Marquez brothers are indeed influencing their respective performances significantly, the upcoming test at Jerez could shed light on whether the GP25 has the potential to close the gap with the GP24. For now, the evidence suggests that the 2025 season could close the gap significantly among teams, with the Marquez brothers currently leading the charge.
