In short, their cushion was so great that they didn\u2019t need to sign an all-time great like Marc Marquez<\/a>. They could have promoted Martin to the factory team instead.<\/p>\n But in the end, they snubbed the world champion, who duly left to join Aprilia. The combination of Marquez and an up-to-date Desmosedici has delivered predictable results \u2013 eight wins from the first 12 races, with the championship a formality.<\/p>\n Ducati were wary of Marc Marquez \u2018sneaking\u2019 a championship with another team<\/p>\n Marquez is regarded as a rider who can take bikes to places where they don\u2019t belong. When he romped to the title in 2019, the next-best Honda (Jorge Lorenzo) finished 19th in the standings.<\/p>\n The year before, teammate Dani Pedrosa was only 11th as Marquez took championship number five. Even last year, he challenged Martin and Francesco Bagnaia on a considerably inferior GP23.<\/p>\n According to The Race\u2019s Simon Patterson, Ducati\u2019s move for Marquez was a defensive measure. If they lost him \u2013 and he said he wouldn\u2019t accept a satellite ride for 2025 \u2013 they were wary that he could beat them on a rival bike.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Ducati bikes have taken 29 of a possible 36 podiums, but there has been progress from their rivals. Aprilia won the British GP with Marco Bezzecchi, who is now up to fourth in the riders\u2019 standings.<\/p>\n \u201cThe only reason to hire Marc this year for Ducati was to make sure he didn\u2019t sneak a championship with someone else,\u201d Patterson explained.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the only reason it happened this year. They don\u2019t need him.\u201d<\/p>\n There has been speculation that Marquez could rejoin Honda one day<\/a>, but HRC\u2019s Alberto Puig has played that down. He says it would be \u2018complicated\u2019 to strike a deal.<\/p>\n One might assume that finances are a barrier to signing a superstar rider. However, Marquez told Ducati they could determine his salary<\/a> because winning was his priority.<\/p>\n The expectation was that he\u2019d go head-to-head with Bagnaia for the title, potentially forming another great rivalry. But the two-time world champion has been unable to keep up, falling a whopping 168 points behind.<\/p>\n![\"Marc](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2225258480-1024x682.jpg\")
Photo by MICHAL CIZEK\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n