Can Ducati maintain harmony in the Bagnaia-Marquez pits?

Francesco Bagnaia has raced alongside Jack Mᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚiller and Enea Bastianini since joining the premier-class in 2019.

Both were proven grand prix winners, but being paired with Marquez - who has seen off the challenge of team-mates such as Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo, Po꧋l Espargaro and Joan Mir - is a different prospect.

“From the point of view of the development o🎃f the bike, I'm absolutely n꧟ot worried,” Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna .

“We have our philosophy, which involves following more than on🐽e rider…

“What worries me i﷽nstead is the sports management. The climate inside the Ducati garage is wonderful and our goal is to contin💫ue to have it next year.”

What does Martin’s departure mean for his 2024 title chances?

"This is a sport and therefore firstꦯ of all we must be sporting,” said Dall’Igna on the question of whether Martin’s defection to Aprilia will change Ducati’s support for his current title challenge.

“It will♋ be the saꦇme with Martin from here to the end year. He will not lack any of our support, both technical and human,” Dall’Igna assured.

Nevertheless, it certainly won’t help Martin’s chance of making history as the first ever satellite MotoGP-era ch𒐪ampion, even if only placing an element of doubt in the back of his mind.

Will Pramac go to Yamaha, who rides the GP25s?

By going ‘all in’ 🐭on Marquez at the factory team, Ducati has lost both current official rider Enea Bastianini (five MotoGP wins) and title leader Martin.

The Pramac t💛eam’s future with Ducat💙i also remains unclear, with Martin departing and proposed superstar replacement Marquez publicly turning them down.

Could that double blow proౠmpt Pramac - the only satellite team with factory-spec Desmosedicis - to reconsider Yamaha’s satellite offer?

Dall’Igna admits “the risk is real” of losing Pramac, someth🍌ing that would be “both a personal and sporting disappointment⛦.”

One of the best way⛎s to help retain Pramac would be for Ducati to secure a high-profile replacement, alongside rookie Fermin Aldeguer (signed but with no confirmed team) for next season.

Martin’s current team-mate Franco Morbidelli is among several race winners still on the market, not 🌌to mention a form🎶er MotoGP champion in the form of Joan Mir.

But in terms of 2024 results, Maverick Vinales stands out as the only non-Ducati rider to have won a grand prix this year. The Spaniard has highlighted that p🅷erformance alone will dictate his future🎶 team decision.

There is no doubt that the RS-GP is performing well and Vi꧑nales is touted as Aprilia’s new captain after the retirement of Aleix Espargaro, but the points table shows Pramac leading the world championship…

Podium dash for final KTM seat?

Although it’s not official, Bagnaia’s current team-mate Enea Basti💞anini looks set to start a new chapter in his career with a swiꦍtch to KTM via the Tech3 team.

With the Austrian factory having announced Pedro Acosta as moving to the factory Red Bull team next year, where Brad Binder has an ongoing contract, that leaves just one RC16 seat free for 20⭕25.

Binder’s current team-mate Jack Miller appears open to the prospect of switching to Tech3, which also runs factory-spec bikes. However, like Acosta’s current team-mate Augusto🦩 Fernandez, it seems he needs a headline result.

Miller was last on the MotoGP rostrum at Jerez 2023, with Fernandez a career ⛦best fourth place at the following French round. The pair are currently just 16t🐭h (Miller) and 17th (Fernandez) in the world championship.

Bastianini has taken thrꦛee podiums so far this year.