Neil Morrison | June 3, 2024
The MotoGP world was turned on its head on the Monday following the Italian Grand Prix when Aprilia confirmed it had sensationally signed Jorge Martin for the 2025 season to replace the retiring Aleix Espargaro.
This move all but confirms Marc Marquez will step up to the factory Ducati team next year to partner Pecco Bagnaia, after a tense weekend, when he insisted there was a chance of him leaving for a rival factory.
Monday’s news cycle was a stunning turn of events, not least because it appeared Martin was primed for the factory seat on the eve of the Italian GP. National newspaper Gazetta Dello Sport broke a story, claiming the current World Championship leader had been told by Ducati bosses the factory seat was his next year after his second place in Barcelona.
Jorge Martin (left, with Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola) will take over from Aleix Espargaro next year at Aprilia Racing. Marc Marquez now looks set to join the factory Ducati squad alongside Pecco Bagnaia.
It appears those same bosses had assumed Marquez would gladly accept Martin’s seat in Pramac next year on full factory GP25s. This was also a sweet carrot to dangle in front of the satellite squad, who has been in talks to switch to Yamaha machinery next year.
Yet Ducati bosses were rocked when Marquez almost said, “Pramac is not an option,” on Thursday. Faced with potentially losing the eight-time World Champion, the Ducati personnel charged with making the decision – believed to be CEO Claudio Domenicali and General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna – made a stunning U-turn toward the end of the weekend, as first reported by Motorsport.com on Monday.
That left Martin with little option other than leaving. Espargaro had been pushing for his protégé to sign for the Noale factory for weeks and an agreement was reached with remarkable speed. He joins Aprilia on a “multi-year contract.”
“A path of unstoppable growth, Jorge is a building block to reach the goal we are all looking for with great hunger at Aprilia Racing,” said Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola. “Thanks to Dr. Michele Colaninno (President of the Piaggio Group) for this opportunity, we spoke last night and without wasting any time we made the decision.”
That leaves the wait before Ducati announces Marquez as Enea Bastianini’s replacement for next year. The Catalan has got his way after stating it was his desire to regain a factory seat after a year in Gresini colors. And in a deft maneuver, he’s also displaced rival Martin from the Ducati fold. Reigning champion Bagnaia is believed to be against the promotion of Marquez to the factory squad.
And the repercussions run further. The fact Pramac will have neither Marquez nor Martin on their roster means it switching from Ducati to Yamaha machinery for 2025 now appears more likely than ever.
