Tech3 rookie Pedro Acosta described the situation as a “soap opera”. Motorsport.com's revelation on Monday 3 June that Ducati had made a U-turn on its decision to promote Jorge Martin to its factory team in favour of Marc Marquez wasn’t followed by an Eastenders-style cliffhanger outro. But it was the bombshell the 2025 MotoGP rider market was waiting for, the fallout of which being fast-moving and far-reaching.
There’s a Rossi/Lorenzo dynamic brewing that Ducati will have to manage eventually Throw in the marketing value of Marquez – something Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali was all too aware of – and it makes the decision to promote Marquez a no-brainer. A study published in 2023 by Epsilon Technologies and Far Consulting showed Marquez was five times more popular on social media than any other rider.