**”Ducati’s Dilemma: Management Struggles Amid Bastianini’s Triumph and Marquez’s Addition”**

Ducati is dealing with significant management challenges following the Silverstone race. Enea Bastianini's victory complicates the situation as Ducati considers choosing Marc Marquez.

As the 2024 MotoGP season enters its final 10 rounds, Ducati riders dominate the top four spots in the rankings, with Jorge Martin, Francesco Bagnaia, Enea Bastianini, and Marc Marquez leading the pack.

Maverick Vinales, riding for Aprilia, is the closest competitor not on a Ducati, currently holding fifth place. However, he trails by 111 points from the leader and is 49 points behind Marquez.

At this point in the racing season, following a British Grand Prix where Ducati riders secured all podium positions for the seventh event in a row, it's hard to imagine any competitor on a non-Ducati bike winning the world championship.

Heading into the British Grand Prix, it seemed that the reigning two-time world champion Bagnaia had the upper hand. He had secured victories in four consecutive races before the summer break and held a 10-point advantage in the championship standings. This lead came after Martin, who was poised to end Bagnaia's winning run, crashed out on the second-to-last lap of the German Grand Prix.

In 2024, both individuals have committed significant mistakes, notably when Bagnaia crashed while leading the sprint race in Barcelona on the final lap. This incident provided Martin with a substantial 41-point lead in the championship.

At this point in the competition, Bagnaia, known for being prone to errors throughout his two championship runs, seemed to be struggling. However, he made a strong comeback during the Catalan, Italian, Dutch, and German Grand Prix events, just as Martin crashed during the Mugello sprint and experienced a mishap at the Sachsenring.

Importantly, Martin appeared to be unaware of the reason for his falls. At Silverstone, he proposed that switching a mysterious component, which the other Ducati riders had been utilizing to aid with braking, might be the answer. He didn’t experience any crashes throughout the weekend, so it seems this adjustment was effective, at least on the surface.

Bagnaia gaining the upper hand in the championship race is exactly what Ducati needed as it strategizes for the remainder of the season.

As Martin heads to Aprilia following Ducati's surprising decision to elevate Marquez to their factory team, it is unthinkable that the company would permit him to carry the #1 plate with him.

At last month's World Ducati Week, Martin shared with GPOne that the upcoming adjustments have strengthened the bond between him and the Pramac team. He mentioned that while they aren't isolated, they do feel somewhat more solitary compared to previous seasons. In the past, their continued partnership with Ducati was assured, allowing them to overlook various issues. Currently, however, the team needs to come together even more to perform at their best.

Ducati has committed to backing Martin's efforts with Pramac throughout the remainder of the year. Sporting director Mauro Grassilli assured Motorsprint that the company intends to "honor contracts." Officially, that's their stance, though it's likely that private discussions tell a different story.

Currently, Ducati faces a challenge because Martin and the Pramac team continue to perform well. Ducati has limited options to alter the situation on the track. By choosing to distance itself from Martin, Ducati has also severed its relationship with Pramac, which will collaborate with Yamaha starting next year. Historically, Ducati has opposed issuing team orders, maintaining over the past two years that its riders are allowed to compete freely in races, provided they do so fairly.

At any moment in 2024, there is no obligation for Martin and Pramac to follow any formal directives. Bagnaia has consistently aimed to secure championships on his own merits, but it looks like he'll truly need to commit to this approach in 2024.

Martin leads the championship by three points after the British Grand Prix, where he secured second place in both the sprint race and the main event. Bagnaia forfeited his lead due to a crash caused by his own mistake in the sprint race and managed only third place in the grand prix. His performance was hindered by issues with the medium front tyre, which did not provide the necessary support and caused excessive wear on his rear tyre.

Following a significant shift of almost 50 points between Barcelona and Germany, Bagnaia finds himself essentially starting over. As a result, Ducati faces renewed challenges in managing their title aspirations internally.

Adding to the complexity is Bastianini. Realistically, the #23 was not in contention to retain his factory Ducati position after this year. He was nearly transferred to Pramac for this season if Martin had clinched the 2023 championship, and any improvement in his performance at the beginning of the current season was unlikely to make a significant impact.

Consecutive podium finishes in Portugal and the United States demonstrated that the GP24 bike was a better fit for him and that his performance last year was influenced by specific conditions. However, it was no shock when Ducati announced its 2025 lineup, leaving Bastianini without a spot.

From that moment on, his performance has improved significantly. He overtook Martin on the final lap of the Italian Grand Prix to secure second place; finished third in the Dutch Grand Prix; came in fourth in Germany; and achieved a double victory at Silverstone last weekend, marking his first time doing so since the sprint format was implemented.

Following the initial six races, Bastianini accumulated 94 points, averaging 15.6 points per race. In the subsequent four races, he earned an additional 98 points, boosting his average to 19.2 points per race and bringing his total to 192 points.

In contrast, during the same four-race period from Italy to Britain, championship leader Martin has accumulated 86 points, while Bagnaia has earned 122 points and Marquez 65 points. Bastianini is currently trailing Martin by 49 points in the standings, with 370 points still available for the rest of the 2024 season.

The latter portion of the season includes several locations where Bastianini has excelled in the past. Additionally, the two races now scheduled at Misano, due to the cancellation in Kazakhstan, are expected to benefit the 26-year-old significantly.

"As of now, I don't consider myself a contender for the title," Bastianini remarked following the British Grand Prix. "Pecco and Jorge have shown greater consistency than I have in every race, and these two competitors are consistently leading."

"At times, I've sensed something but lagged behind. To compete for a title, I need to get better in that area."

Before the British Grand Prix, Bastianini mentioned that he needed to improve his performance in qualifying sessions. With an average starting position of about seventh place after ten races in the 2024 season, securing third place at Silverstone indicated that he has made significant progress in this area. If he can maintain this improvement, his race pace at Silverstone demonstrated that his current evaluation of his chances for the title may eventually appear to be understated.

Ducati was visibly thrilled when Bastianini crossed the finish line first. However, his recent improvement has only deepened the company's dilemma. Ducati now confronts the distinct possibility of having to commend a world champion whom it previously decided was not fit to continue racing for the team after this season.

While Ducati is determined to prevent Martin from bringing the #1 plate to Aprilia, they also want to avoid the embarrassment of Bastianini riding a KTM with that number.

Bagnaia has overcome challenges in his past two championship seasons, and Marquez's track record is undeniably impressive. Without a doubt, Ducati's 2025 factory team roster stands out as the top in the field. Their choice is completely reasonable.

However, the optics will still be negative if Martin or Bastianini win in 2024, and there's little that can be done to change that. If Martin ignores manufacturer instructions, Bastianini is unlikely to follow them either.

Moreover, Ducati should have instructed Bagnaia to let Bastianini pass earlier in the British Grand Prix due to Bastianini's superior speed. When Martin overtook Bagnaia, Bagnaia recorded a lap time of 1 minute 59.9 seconds, while Bastianini managed a faster 1 minute 59.1 seconds. On the next lap, Bastianini was nearly half a second faster.

Currently, it benefits Ducati more for Bastianini to surpass Martin rather than Bagnaia in terms of the 2025 season. This is because Bastianini prevented Martin from extending his championship lead over Bagnaia to 11 points, keeping it down to a mere three points.

Bastianini’s resurgence is beneficial for Ducati, but if it hampers Bagnaia’s title pursuit, it will prompt significant introspection among the team’s leadership. They will need to decide whether to do everything possible to support Bagnaia or to accept a third consecutive riders’ championship with the disappointment that it was won by a rider they previously let go.

During Sunday's post-race press conference, Bastianini acknowledged the public relations debacle of the latter decision, stating, "I don't understand Ducati's choice because they have lost two riders like me and Jorge.”

While the title race has been thrilling on the track, this captivating side story could play a crucial role…

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