Ducati’s Domination and Marquez’s Mastery: A Glimpse into MotoGP’s Future at the Australian Grand Prix

Marc Marquez demonstrated Ducati's promising outlook in Australia

Phillip Island revealed Ducati's correct direction for 2025

Ducati sustained its impressive streak of achievements during its dominant period in MotoGP at the Australian Grand Prix.

For the first time in contemporary history, a single brand dominated the top six positions in a grand prix, thanks to its racers, Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez, who both took victories in their respective races.

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For the first time since Honda's dominance with the NSR500 in 1997, a manufacturer has replicated such an achievement, showcasing Ducati's impressive performance. A GP23 model took the lead, followed by two GP24 models, another GP23, and then two additional GP24s.

In Australia, the KTM ridden by Brad Binder was the highest-placed non-Ducati, finishing 15.450 seconds behind the grand prix winner.

By 2025, the competition is set to intensify as Ducati's dominance in the top-tier results is expected to face more challenges. This shift comes as Pramac aligns with Yamaha, reducing Ducati's presence with two fewer bikes on the grid, and only three of its team racing on GP25s.

This doesn't mean Ducati won't be capable of securing the top six positions, but achieving this will be more challenging.

A Look Ahead at Ducati's Promising Prospects

However, what seems set to remain constant is Ducati's dominance on the victory stand. They secured the top three spots in both competitions at Phillip Island, standing out distinctly from their competitors.

During a particular moment in the 27-lap grand prix, viewers were offered a preview of the vision Ducati had envisioned for 2025, specifically regarding the selection of Francesco Bagnaia’s partner at the factory team leading into the Italian GP.

In a perfect scenario, Ducati aimed to achieve the best of both worlds. It had successfully secured a contract extension with two-time world champion Bagnaia until the conclusion of 2026 and planned to pair him with Martin as his teammate.

Marquez would be a great fit for a factory GP25 bike at Pramac.

During the 12th lap of the grand prix, Ducati's envisioned future was showcased.

Martin was ahead of Marquez and Bagnaia, with a significant gap of 3.872 seconds separating them from the rest of the competitors at the beginning of the lap. However, Martin went off track at Turn 1, allowing Bagnaia to pass him at Turn 3. Quickly after, the Pramac racer regained his position at Turn 4, which also enabled Marquez to advance into second place.

In a fleeting, magnificent instance, the top three racers in the current lineup, each astride a Ducati, vied for the top position in a thrilling race. This was a highlight for Ducati, showcasing the outstanding work it has put in to dominate the MotoGP competitive scene; three distinct riders, from three distinct teams, riding two of its most exceptional motorcycles.

Yet, it also served as a poignant nudge about the possibilities that remained unexplored.

The idea of having those three competitors on GP25s vying for dominance in the 2025 season was an incredibly enticing thought when initially suggested.

However, this envisioned future will not materialize due to Marquez's strategic move prior to the Italian Grand Prix. He declared that he would only settle for a spot on the factory team or a factory-level motorcycle with Gresini, an alternative Ducati had unequivocally dismissed, or else he would pursue an alternative option beyond their offerings.

Everyone is familiar with how things unfold, but Phillip Island offered a peek into the future that Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali was concerned about potentially missing if they failed to accommodate Marquez's requirements.

Márquez's Remarkable Comeback

An image capturing Marc Márquez's moment 🏍️📷 @marcmarquez93 #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/6xRiztTvt7— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) October 21, 2024

An image capturing Marc Márquez's moment 🏍️📷 @marcmarquez93 #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/6xRiztTvt7

The unusual incident with the visor tear-off at the beginning almost completely ruined Marquez's race, causing him to slip from second to 13th position at the first turn due to the wheelspin it triggered. Alex Marquez has somewhat acknowledged his role in bumping Jack Miller aside, clearing a path for his brother, yet Marc's remarkable recovery to sixth place by Turn 6 was nonetheless noteworthy.

On the initial lap, he fell behind Martin by 1.269 seconds, yet by the sixth lap, he had climbed back into the top three, trailing Bagnaia, who was in second place, by 0.737 seconds. He managed to overtake Bagnaia during lap 12 in the tripartite skirmish that included Martin. His initial attempt to pass the Pramac rider occurred on lap 24, taking advantage of Martin's slightly wide exit from Turn 4.

Martin's resilience was on full display as he navigated the delicate balance between competing fiercely and protecting his standing in the championship. His adept handling of Marquez's bold move at Turn 4 during the 25th lap, which ultimately led to Marquez winning the race, is equally commendable as the overtaking maneuver itself.

"Marquez radiated joy post-race, stating, "This one had a classic vibe. On circuits like these, filled with abrupt stops and starts, the current aerodynamics don't typically allow for this race style.

"In Phillip Island, where there are no challenging braking points, it's easier to keep up with the competition, which plays to my strengths in riding technique."

"Actually, while trailing Martin, I felt incredibly at ease, maintaining a smooth pace… not effortless, but I was consistently controlling the gap and biding my time until the final laps."

Marquez crossed the finish line 0.997 seconds ahead of Martin, marking his first season with three Grand Prix victories since 2021. Before the race weekend, Martin had expressed a desire to return to the MotoGP days of 2014 and 2015 to fully evaluate his capabilities as a racer. The race at Phillip Island provided him with the response he was looking for.

Analysis of Marquez's Speed on Track

Marc Marquez displayed phenomenal speed during the race 🚀, clocking a lap that was a tenth of a second quicker than his fastest qualifying time 🤯#MotoGP #AustralianGP pic.twitter.com/mQhsQTxtXN— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) October 20, 2024

Marc Marquez showcased remarkable pace on the circuit 🚀, achieving a lap time during the race that bested his quickest qualifying lap by a tenth of a second 🤯#MotoGP #AustralianGP pic.twitter.com/mQhsQTxtXN

It's possible to view the 2024 Australian Grand Prix as Marquez's most impressive victory in MotoGP. His comeback from an unfavorable beginning is noteworthy, yet examining his speed reveals the true extent of his exceptional performance in that race.

On average, Marquez managed to be 0.117 seconds faster per lap than Martin during the grand prix, despite Martin being in the lead for a significant portion. Meanwhile, the Gresini racer had to execute multiple overtaking maneuvers.

Marquez completed seven laps (among these, he established a new race lap record of 1m27.765s) in the 1m27s range, compared to Martin, who did so four times.

Remarkably, Marquez demonstrated exceptional speed by completing three laps quicker than the Q2 time that secured him a second-place start. Additionally, six of his laps during the race were fast enough to have placed him on the front row if they had been achieved during qualifying.

Except for four laps, his racing speeds would have qualified him for the second row. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions during Q2, he managed to maintain those speeds with a heavier fuel load and on soft tires that lasted for 27 laps.

He completed his last two laps in exactly 1 minute and 28 seconds each, in contrast to Martin, who finished his with times of 1 minute, 28.464 seconds and 1 minute, 28.576 seconds respectively. Adding to the significance of this achievement, he accomplished it on a bike that was a year old. Despite claims from Ducati and its riders that there are not significant differences between the GP24 and GP23 models.

At Phillip Island, Marquez, who was leading the GP23, finished a significant 12.997 seconds ahead of the closest competitor in the same category, Fabio Di Giannantonio, who came in fourth. Throughout the 17 races held in 2024 to date, Marquez has accumulated a substantial lead of 195 points over the closest GP23 rival, once again Di Giannantonio.

Currently, Marquez has an average of 20.29 points per round across 17 events, in comparison to Di Giannantonio's 8.82, marking a significant gap of 11.4 points per round.

The GP23, which has appeared to regress compared to the GP24s in the latest races, faces more challenges. Following an engine breakdown during the Indonesian Grand Prix, numerous sources indicated that Ducati decided to switch back to a previous version of the flywheel configuration on the GP23's engine. This change was identified as the root of the issue.

Overall, the 2024 Australian Grand Prix prompts us to wonder: exactly what is Marquez capable of achieving with a factory Ducati?

The query that has preoccupied the minds of Ducati's leadership since the beginning of the 2024 season, particularly due to Marquez's immediate success and podium appearances on his Gresini-operated GP23, is what prompted Ducati to rethink its rider strategy for 2025. This decision resulted in Ducati losing Martin and Pramac, and as a consequence, Marco Bezzecchi as well.

Phillip Island has once again brought up a familiar query, yet now, it seems we're starting to see hints of a solution. This question revolves around whether, in today's era of advanced motorcycles, the skill of the rider can still be a determining factor, a point highlighted by Marquez.

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