Over the last few weeks, Ducati management has suggested that it wants to make a decision on who partners Bagnaia in 2025 by the Mugello race.
Coming into this weekend’s seventh round of the year, it appears the decision is between championship leader Jorge Martin and eight-time grand prix world champion Marc Marquez.
While a decision is expected soon, Ducati has told Motorsport.com's Spanish edition that an announcement will have to wait.
“We have never said that we are going to announce it at Mugello,” said a Ducati representative.
“What we have always said is that, from Mugello onwards, we will begin to outline what the decision is.”
Ducati’s general manager Gigi Dall’Igna noted: “The decision will come soon, but then contracts are always complicated and negotiations can take longer than expected.
“We will need time to apply the idea, make it a reality and then communicate it to the public.”
Ducati’s sporting director Mauro Grassilli, when speaking to Italian TV, added: “The decision is as difficult as at the beginning of the championship.
“We are already beginning to lay some important foundations and we are on the right path. But there will be no announcement in Mugello.”
In an ideal world, Ducati will promote Martin to the factory team while Marquez – who has softened to the idea in recent weeks – would take his place at Pramac with full factory support.
However, this situation is not as easy as it seems. With Martin being passed over for a factory team seat in favour of Enea Bastianini for last year, he sees no other option to remain at Ducati other than replacing Bastianini in 2025.
But there are other factors at play, such as the financial packages Ducati would have to stump up to afford both Martin and Marquez, who sits third in the standings just six rounds into his first season on the 2023-spec Gresini-run Desmosedici.
Then there is the marketing factor, with Marquez surely holding much more weight in this regard than Martin.
Though an announcement won’t come at Mugello, a decision being made at the Italian GP – as far as Pramac team boss Gino Borsoi is concerned – would be the ideal time for all parties.
This is because Pramac needs to communicate with Yamaha in Italy if it wants to press ahead with a satellite deal for 2025, or continue with a two-year renewal as Ducati’s only factory-supported customer squad.
What happens here will also have ramifications for VR46 Racing and Gresini, which are also Ducati satellite squads but don’t have factory bikes.
