Ducati’s Tangled Triumph: Management Dilemmas Intensify Amidst Bastianini’s Victory and Marquez’s Selection

Ducati grapples with significant leadership challenges following the Silverstone showdown

Enea Bastianini's victory complicates matters for Ducati as they deliberate over selecting Marc Marquez

Heading into the final 10 races of the 2024 MotoGP season, Ducati dominates the leaderboard with Jorge Martin, Francesco Bagnaia, Enea Bastianini, and Marc Marquez securing the first four spots.

Maverick Vinales stands as the closest competitor riding a non-Ducati machine, positioned fifth. However, the Aprilia racer is trailing the leader by 111 points and is 49 points behind Marquez.

Currently, in the racing season, following a British Grand Prix where Ducati secured all three top spots for an unprecedented seventh round in a row, it seems impossible that someone not riding a Desmosedici could become the world champion at this point.

Heading into the British Grand Prix, it seemed like the current two-time world champion, Bagnaia, had the upper hand. He had secured victories in four consecutive races before the summer hiatus and had propelled himself to a 10-point advantage in the championship rankings after Martin failed to finish the German Grand Prix on the second-to-last lap, which would have interrupted Bagnaia's winning sequence.

In 2024, both competitors faced significant setbacks, notably when Bagnaia fell during the final lap of the Barcelona sprint while leading, granting Martin a considerable lead in the championship standings by 41 points.

At this point in the competition, Bagnaia, known for his errors in his previous two championship attempts, seemed to be faltering. However, his comeback during the races in Catalonia, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany happened as Martin exited the Mugello race due to a crash and his earlier mishap at the Sachsenring.

Significantly, Martin appeared to be in the dark about the source of his crashes. During the Silverstone race, he proposed switching to a different, unspecified component that other Ducati riders were utilizing to improve braking performance as a potential fix. Given that he managed to stay upright throughout the entire weekend, it seems this adjustment might have indeed resolved the issue, at least superficially.

Bagnaia's emergence as the frontrunner for the championship within Ducati's ranks seemed to be just what the Italian brand required as it strategizes for the remainder of the season.

Martin's departure to Aprilia follows a reversal of decision by Ducati's leadership, which opted to elevate Marquez to its premier team. Given this context, it's highly implausible that the company would permit him to carry the #1 plate to his new team.

At the World Ducati Week event the previous month, Martin shared with GPOne, saying, "The upcoming adjustments have strengthened our bond [between me and Pramac] as a unit. It's not that we're isolated, but we definitely feel more solitary than in previous years. Earlier, our confidence in sticking with Ducati meant we could effortlessly overcome numerous challenges. Currently, as a team, we need to come together even stronger to deliver our utmost effort.”

Ducati has committed to maintain its support for Martin at Pramac for the remainder of the year, according to sporting director Mauro Grassilli, who informed Motorsprint of the company's intention to "honor agreements." While this is the official stance, it's difficult to believe that these are the exact discussions happening in private.

Currently, Ducati faces a challenge as Martin and Pramac continue to show strength. However, Ducati's ability to affect the competitive situation on the track is limited. Additionally, Ducati's choice to distance itself from Martin also resulted in severing its relationship with Pramac, which is set to join forces with Yamaha starting next year. Ducati has consistently opposed team orders, maintaining for the past two years that its riders are allowed to compete against each other in races, provided the competition remains fair.

Throughout 2024, Martin and Pramac are under no obligation to follow any specific directives, even if they choose to. Bagnaia has consistently expressed a desire to secure championships on his own terms, and it appears that in 2024, he will truly need to stand by this belief.

Martin exits the British Grand Prix with a three-point lead in the championship standings, after securing second place in both the sprint race and the main event. Bagnaia lost his lead due to a self-inflicted crash in the sprint race and encountered difficulties finishing third in the grand prix, as the medium front tyre failed to provide the necessary support, causing excessive wear on his rear tyre.

Following the impressive effort to close the gap of almost 50 points between Barcelona and Germany, Bagnaia finds himself essentially starting over. As a result, Ducati faces renewed challenges in managing their championship aspirations internally.

Adding further complexity to the situation is Bastianini. Holding the #23, he was never truly considered a contender to retain his factory Ducati seat after this year. There was almost a shift for him to Pramac this season, contingent on Martin securing the 2023 title. Unfortunately, even a significant improvement in performance at the beginning of this season was unlikely to change his circumstances.

Consecutive top finishes in Portugal and the United States clearly demonstrated that the GP24 was a better fit for him, indicating that his performance the previous year was indeed situational. However, when Ducati announced its team for 2025, it wasn't unexpected to find Bastianini left without a spot.

From that moment forward, he elevated his performance. In a dramatic final lap at the Italian Grand Prix, he secured the second spot, overtaking Martin; he finished third in the Dutch Grand Prix, fourth in Germany, and achieved a remarkable victory at both races in Silverstone the previous weekend, marking his first win since the inception of the sprint race format.

Following the initial six rounds, Bastianini had accumulated 94 points, averaging 15.6 points per round. Over the subsequent four rounds, he added 98 points to his total, elevating his average points per round to 19.2, with his overall points reaching 192.

In the same period spanning from Italy to Britain, Martin, who leads the championship, has accrued 86 points. In contrast, Bagnaia has gathered 122 points and Marquez 65. With 370 points still available for the taking in the rest of 2024, Bastianini has closed the gap to just 49 points behind Martin in the overall rankings.

In the latter part of the season, several circuits where Bastianini has excelled are on the schedule, and the inclusion of two races at Misano due to the calling off of the Kazakhstan race is expected to benefit the 26-year-old more than many others.

"At present, I wouldn't consider myself in the running for the championship," Bastianini remarked following the British Grand Prix. "Pecco and Jorge have shown greater steadiness across all races and consistently perform at the top."

"At times, I've experienced lagging despite my efforts. To truly compete for the championship, I need to enhance my skills in that area."

Before the British Grand Prix, Bastianini mentioned his focus was on improving his qualifying performance. With an average starting position of seventh in 2024 after ten races, his third-place start at Silverstone was a clear sign of progress in addressing this issue. Should this improvement continue, his performance in the race at Silverstone suggests that his own evaluation of his championship potential may indeed be considered understated.

Ducati was visibly thrilled when Bastianini crossed the finish line first. However, his recent surge in performance has complicated the situation for the manufacturer. They now find themselves in the awkward position of potentially honoring a world champion whom they considered not suitable to continue racing under their banner after this year.

Ducati is equally keen on preventing Martin from moving to Aprilia with the #1 plate as they are concerned about Bastianini switching to a KTM adorned with the same numeral.

Bagnaia has previously overcome challenges in his two championship-winning years, and Marquez's record is self-explanatory: Without a doubt, Ducati's factory team roster for 2025 stands out as the premier lineup in the competition. Their choice is entirely defensible.

However, the perception will still be negative if Martin or Bastianini secure a victory in 2024. There's little that can be done to prevent this situation. Should Martin choose to ignore any directives from the manufacturer, Bastianini will likely see no obligation to follow them either.

Additionally, Ducati should have signaled to Bagnaia at the British GP to allow Bastianini to pass earlier, given his faster speed. When Martin overtook Bagnaia, the former recorded a lap time of 1 minute and 59.9 seconds, compared to Bastianini's 1 minute and 59.1 seconds. In the next lap, Bastianini's pace was nearly half a second faster than before.

Currently, it's more advantageous for Ducati if Bastianini outperforms Martin, especially looking ahead to 2025, rather than surpassing Bagnaia. Indeed, it was Bastianini who prevented Martin from extending his championship lead over Bagnaia to 11 points, reducing it to a mere three instead.

Bastianini's resurgence is a boon for Ducati, yet if it persists, especially at the expense of Bagnaia's quest for the championship, it will prompt a deep reflection within the team's leadership. They will face a dilemma: should they exert all their efforts to resolve the situation to benefit Bagnaia, or should they embrace winning a third consecutive riders' title, albeit with the discomfort of knowing it was achieved by a rider they rejected?

In Sunday's post-race press conference, Bastianini acknowledged the public relations debacle stemming from the recent decision, expressing confusion over Ducati's move: "I can't grasp Ducati's decision since they've parted ways with two riders, myself and Jorge."

The competition for the title has been thrilling on the race circuit, yet this captivating side story will play a crucial role…

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