Marc Marquez's Alarming "Disaster" Feeling on 2025 Ducati GP25 Raises Red Flags for MotoGP Dominance

Marc Marquez

Marc Marquez's Alarming Assessment: "Disaster" Feeling with the 2025 Ducati GP25 Raises Concerns.

Silverstone, UK – Six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez delivered his most concerning assessment yet of the 2025 Ducati GP25 motorcycle following a challenging British Grand Prix. Despite securing a podium finish, Marquez candidly described his feeling with the bike as a "disaster," shedding light on potential underlying issues that could impact Ducati's dominant reign in the premier class. This frank evaluation comes after two consecutive Grand Prix victories where a Ducati did not emerge as the winner, a significant deviation from the manufacturer's near-unchallenged supremacy over the past three seasons.

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone saw Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi capitalize on Fabio Quartararo's (Yamaha) technical misfortune to claim a decisive victory. While Marquez managed to salvage an otherwise difficult weekend with a commendable podium finish, his struggles were evident. A stark contrast in performance was observed when comparing his feeling on the 2025-specification Ducati to that of Franco Morbidelli and Alex Marquez, both riding 2024-spec Ducatis, who finished impressively in fourth and fifth place respectively. This disparity highlights a potential performance gap between the current and previous iterations of the Desmosedici.

Marquez minced no words when describing his discomfort with the GP25 at Silverstone, particularly concerning the front tire. "The front tire felt very bad. I say 'tire' but I don't want to blame Michelin," Marquez clarified, emphasizing that his concern was more about the bike's interaction with the tire rather than the tire itself being at fault. His subsequent statement was even more striking: "With the front, the feeling was like a disaster."

This alarming sentiment from a rider renowned for his exceptional front-end feel and ability to push the limits of his machine speaks volumes. It suggests a fundamental lack of confidence or predictability from the front of the GP25, which is a critical aspect for a rider to perform at the highest level. Marquez explained the strategic implications of this issue, particularly regarding tire choice. "[On Saturday] we used the Soft tire, as did most of the grid. [On Sunday] most used the Medium tire. We knew the Medium tire didn't work well [for us], but for some riders and some manufacturers, it was the only way to finish the race. The feeling was not the best, but we saved the day." This reveals a compromise in tire strategy, where the team was forced to choose a less-than-ideal compound simply to manage the bike's behavior over a race distance.

Marquez further elaborated on the consequences of this challenging feeling during the race. "When I went wide at Turn 9, I came back, and pushed the front and rear tires too hard. On the last lap, they were finished." This indicates a struggle to maintain consistent tire performance throughout the race, forcing him to overwork the tires to compensate for the bike's inherent lack of feel. Despite these difficulties, his fighting spirit shone through. "I tried to catch Johann Zarco but saw too much risk. I know, for Franco, the podium was important, but we held on well." This comment refers to the late-race battle for third with his brother Alex Marquez and Franco Morbidelli, where Marquez's experience and grit allowed him to maintain his podium position despite the bike's limitations.

Beyond the specific issues with the bike's feeling in the second race, Marquez also expressed his personal frustration over his early crash in the initial race start. "I also stressed that I was angry with myself for that early crash – even though I got a second chance due to the chaotic restart." This self-critical assessment underscores his relentless pursuit of perfection, even when external factors play a role. He also noted that his feeling on the bike during the initial race start was significantly better than after the restart, when he had to switch bikes and tires. This suggests that the issues with the GP25 might be exacerbated by specific configurations or tire combinations, or perhaps that his primary bike had a more optimized setup.

Baca Juga

The problems with the 2025-spec Ducati GP25 appear to be a growing concern within the factory team. Factory Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia, who has been the dominant force for the past two seasons, has also struggled to truly master the latest version of the Desmosedici this season. Gigi Dall'Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager, has publicly demanded that "everyone" at Ducati play their part in helping Bagnaia regain his top form. Marquez's recent struggles, particularly in the cold and windy conditions at Silverstone, add another layer to this developing narrative.

Despite these challenges, Marquez's inherent talent and remarkable consistency have allowed him to maintain a significant lead in the championship standings. After Silverstone, he extended his lead to 24 points over his brother, Alex Marquez, at the top of the MotoGP standings. This ability to extract strong results even when not completely comfortable with the machine highlights his incredible skill and championship pedigree.

Looking ahead, the MotoGP circus moves to Aragon next weekend, a circuit that holds special significance for Marquez. It was at Aragon last year that he secured his first victory with Ducati, a pivotal moment in his transition to the Italian manufacturer. The return to a familiar and successful hunting ground might provide the impetus needed to overcome the reported issues with the GP25 and potentially see Marquez return to his dominant ways. However, the comments from Silverstone certainly raise a red flag for Ducati, indicating that while their 2025 machine is still competitive, it might not be as universally adaptable or user-friendly as its predecessor.

The "disaster" feeling described by Marc Marquez is a stark warning for Ducati. While his talent can often compensate for bike deficiencies, a championship challenge requires a machine that instills absolute confidence. The collective struggles of both factory riders, Marquez and Bagnaia, with the 2025 bike suggest that Ducati's engineers have critical work to do in addressing these feedback points. The relentless pursuit of performance in MotoGP means that even the slightest compromise in rider feel can have significant ramifications for race results and championship aspirations. The upcoming races will be crucial in determining whether Ducati can quickly resolve these issues and re-establish the overwhelming dominance they enjoyed in previous seasons, or if the competitive landscape of MotoGP will become even more unpredictable.