The countdown to MotoGP’s 77th season is officially underway as a number of teams launched their rider lineups and colours ahead of what promises to be the longest season in history.  

Of chief interest was Ducati’s factory effort. With its household names sharing eleven world titles and 90 MotoGP race wins between them, Bologna’s best can rightfully call its roster of Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez the ‘dream team’, with the pair fully expected to be the chief championship contenders.

Bagnaia was in no doubt. As the Jorge Martin and Aprilia combination is still unproven, and KTM is submerged in financial dismay, the eight-time World Champion who will occupy the other side of the garage will be his benchmark.

Speaking in Ducati’s official clothing for the first time at a launch in Madonna di Campiglio in northern Italy, Marquez played down expectations, insisting that his aim is “to be in the top three” at the end of the year while getting to know his new surroundings. Yet Bagnaia looked at the eight-time champ’s achievements in 2024 as reason to fear him most this time around.

“From what we saw last year, I think Marc will be the main contender,” said the Italian. “He has one more year of experience with our bike. The new bike will suit him much better. He was already doing an amazing job (in 2024). We’ll have to see during the season how the others are. But now looking at the championship I think it’ll be us two fighting and then someone else. But the main two are us.”

‘Harmony’ was a keyword used at the presentation by Sporting Director Mauro Grassilli, who emphasised both riders will work together for the good of the team. Marquez even opined the most important achievement in 2025 is to ensure the team is successful, no matter the rider – not that anyone watching believed him.

“When you arrive in a factory team, there is no number one and number two,” said the Catalan. “I’m looking forward to understanding what they do inside the garage to be so dominant. I’ll try to understand and learn about it. (Pecco)’s won two world championships here. From one practice to another one he’s nowhere (to) the fastest on the track. I’ll try to learn a lot about him. And trying to be in the top three at the end of the season will be the main target.”

Having ceded his crown to rival Martin despite winning eleven races, Bagnaia has spent recent weeks relentlessly analysing his mistakes and worst races from 2024 in a bid to enjoy a more consistent campaign this time around.

“I spent hours rewatching and analysing my mistakes and worst races from last year,” he said of his winter. “I always need to be as in front as possible. But sometimes it’s better to wait. The championship is very long. Last year it wasn’t always my fault. But in more than one situation if I waited, I wouldn’t have crashed. For sure I’d have taken 13 points, which would’ve been enough to win (the championship). I lost the front many times when I was calm. It wasn’t always easy to understand, but I will try.”

None of the new parts that will be debuted at the Sepang test were on display as the 2025 colours were showed off at the launch. And having won 19 races from 20 in 2024 (as well as 17 Sprints), Ducati knows there is no need to revolutionise its Desmosedici machine for 2025. But new parts will find themselves on the factory bikes in February.

“The objective isn’t to have a completely new bike; it’s to have a better bike than we had,” said General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna of this year’s aims. “The base (from 2024) was very sound and gave us many gratifications. But there will be some new developments.”

Such was the level of Ducati’s GP24, the Italian technical guru underlined the factory’s strict policy for adopting new parts. “(At Sepang) We have to try a new swingarm, chassis, and a completely new fairing. We’ve touched other things as well and we’ll be very strict when selecting the things that work.”

The MotoGP world just as eagerly listened to Martin’s first official words in Aprilia colors at its own launch days earlier in the Italian city of Milan. “Maybe yes. Maybe no,” was the current number 1’s verdict of whether Aprilia can challenge for the ultimate honors in 2025.

But the striking aspect of the launch was how enthusiasm abounded among Aprilia management and engineers as it presented its “strongest ever line up,” according to Brand Ambassador Max Biaggi, of Martin and Marco Bezzecchi.

The sleek black and silver of Aprilia’s ’25 RS-GP was complimented by an increased number of sponsorship stickers – the consequence of having the world’s number one rider in their ranks. And despite having to absorb two new riders, new Technical Director Fabiano Sterlacchini, there was a feeling that Aprilia already made some important improvements on last year’s temperamental machine at November’s test in Barcelona.

Both riders talked up the bike’s front-end stability. “It was unbelievable, the best bike I rode in terms of front end,” said the MotoGP World Champion. And there was a feeling several aerodynamic upgrades including a new fairing had helped move the RS-GP on from what Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales raced in 2024.

More than that, most of the good vibes stemmed from Aprilia counting on a MotoGP Champion for the first time in its history. And compared to one year ago, when Martin was suffering from a crisis of confidence, he stated the hunger to succeed hasn’t been diluted by achieving motorcycle racing’s top prize.

“Exactly one year ago, it was one of the worst moments of my life actually,” Martin said. “So, I’m happy about this because I feel great. For the past two years I was racing and I was training because I’m really disciplined. But now I feel I’m really motivated. I hope it’s the beginning of something big.”

Francesco Bagnaia (#63, Ducati Lenovo Team)

“It will be the fifth season with the Ducati Lenovo Team, we have shown that we are a close-knit working group. I will return to the track with the number 63 after a 2024 that did not give me the greatest joy, the title I mean, but was very hard-fought and I have achieved several records. I have learned a lot, I tried to make the most of each situation and the sensations on the bike, in Barcelona in the first testing session after the GP, were immediately positive. I have a new teammate, a strong and competitive rider and, together, we can take the development of the bike to an even higher level. It will be demanding, I will try not to leave anything to chance and to face the season with the same spirit as always”.

Marc Márquez (#93, Ducati Lenovo Team)

“I am really happy to be here wearing the official colours of the Ducati Lenovo Team. It is exciting to be here today in Madonna di Campiglio, opening a new MotoGP season that marks the start of what I consider to be the most important challenge of my career. During this winter I have been able to disconnect a little but I also had time for training hard and now I’m feeling ready for facing a new year that will be challenging and exciting. I am really looking forward to continuing with the work that we started at the Montmeló testing session last November and getting back on the bike in Sepang and then in Buriram. My first short-term goal is to enjoy riding because I kwon that if I manage to do that everything else will follow. As I have said many times, when you are in an official team, the goal cannot be other than to be competitive in every race, fighting for podiums and victories and to try to be protagonist in the World Championship. During the days I have been able to share with the Team so far I have seen that the working atmosphere is fantastic and I can’t wait to ride the Desmosedici GP again. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Claudio Domenicali, Gigi Dall’Igna, Mauro Grassilli and Davide Tardozzi for their trust and the wonderful and warm welcome they gave me. We can have a lot of fun this season”.

Claudio Domenicali (CEO Ducati Motor Holding)

“The presentation of the 2025 Ducati Lenovo Team is an important moment for the whole company. Our goal of continuous improvement has guided the choices for this season and we are confident that a Team with two champions like Pecco and Marc will be an inspiration for the entire crew. The mutual contribution that Pecco, a great interpreter and expert of the Ducati package with which he has won more than anyone else in recent past years, and Marc, a rider of unquestionable talent and experience, means for sure an extra value. In these years we have always believed in our abilities, and being able to invest in a system, we built our best moment ever: from a sporting point of view, creating the fastest bike on the grid and attracting the strongest riders of this generation and from a business point of view, applying this winning method also in planning, design and in the development of the series products. 2025 promises to be full of challenges and we are preparing to face them with the strength of a product range made of light and technological bikes and an extraordinary Team that promises an unprecedented show”.

Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)

“As usual, Madonna di Campiglio welcomes us in its truly evocative setting for the Ducati Lenovo Team Launch. After a record-breaking year in terms of performance and results, our goal remains the same. We want to continue improving, even if every year, looking at the numbers and statistics, it is increasingly difficult. We are very proud of the entire working group and we are ready to face a new challenge in MotoGP, which has always been the maximum expression of motorcycle racing. Expectations are high, is normal, because we have an excellent technical package and a pair of riders that need no introduction with 11 World Championship titles across the various categories. They are probably among the strongest guys on the entire MotoGP grid: Pecco (Bagnaia) remains a point of reference for Ducati and I am sure Marc (Márquez) will be able to settle into the Team and show all his talent. We know that the other manufacturers are making a strong effort and I expect even higher competition where Ducati Corse can be competitive”.

Aprilia team launch quotes can be found here.

 

Ducati Desmosedici GP 2025 Specifications

Engine: Liquid-cooled, 90° V4, four-stroke, Desmodromic DOHC, four valves per cylinder.

 Capacity: 1,000cc.

 Maximum power: Over 250 hp.

 Maximum speed: Over 350 km/h (218 mph).

 Transmission: Ducati Seamless Transmission. Chain final drive.

 Carburation: Indirect electronic injection, four throttle bodies with injectors above and below the butterfly valves. Throttles operated by double Ride by Wire systems.

 Fuel: Shell Racing V-Power.

 Lubricant: Shell Advance Ultra 4.

 Exhaust: Akrapovič.

 Final Drive: D.I.D Chain.

 Frame: Aluminium alloy twin-spar.

 Suspension: Öhlins inverted front fork with carbon outer tubes and Öhlins rear shock absorber, adjustable for preload and damping.

 Electronics: Marelli ECU programmed with Dorna Unified Software.

 Tyres: Michelin 17″ front and rear.

 Wheel Rims: Front and rear – Marchesini forged magnesium alloy – 5 spoke Y design.

 Brakes: Front – monobloc finned aluminum GP4 Brembo calipers entirely machined from solid, with a radial attachment of 4 titanium pistons. Double Brembo carbon brake disc. Rear – Brembo aluminum caliper, with axial attachment of 2 pistons. Brembo steel brake disc.

 Dry weight: 157 kg (346.1 lbs.).