The Sepang running this week marks the first test of the 2024 MotoGP season. However, Ducati’s development direction raises questions about its compatibility with Jorge Martin, the runner-up of the 2023 season. Instead, it suggests a potential focus on current world champion Pecco Bagnaia and his teammate Enea Bastianini.
It is too early to assume that Ducati is willing to let Martin go for next season. However, the MotoGP rider market moves quickly, and it wouldn’t be surprising if both Ducati and Martin seek clarity for the 2025 season.
In fact, clarity might come even before the season-opener. Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi admitted to MotoGP.com that he hopes to sign Bagnaia’s contract extension before the Qatar Grand Prix next month.
Bagnaia had previously expressed his preference for Bastianini as his teammate for the 2024 season. This preference emerged when there were talks of a potential swap between Bastianini and Martin, who was struggling with injuries at the time.
Initial feedback from Sepang suggests that Martin might find this year’s Desmosedici evolution to be different from the one he excelled on last year. The new aerodynamics package, featuring a striking cascading lower-fairing design, seems to cater more to Bagnaia and Bastianini’s preferences than Martin’s.
Martin expressed his dissatisfaction with the new fairing after the second day of running, mentioning that the bike feels heavy and he struggles on the rest of the circuit. He hopes to find a solution soon.
Due to MotoGP’s aero homologation rules, Martin needs to make a decision on the new aero configuration quickly as it will be frozen for the season. There is a possibility that he will stick with the 2023 aero instead.
On the other hand, both Bastianini and Bagnaia seem committed to the 2024 design. Bastianini stated that the new aero is a good step for him and Bagnaia, although Martin doesn’t like it as much due to his different riding style.
Despite Martin’s impressive performance during the test, it is worth noting that Bastianini’s fastest lap came with the new aero configuration. This is significant considering Bastianini is not known for his one-lap prowess like Martin.
Another noteworthy point is that all Ducati full-timers, except Martin, participated in an outing on road bikes at Portimao before the Sepang test. Martin’s absence raises questions, but he explained that it was a misunderstanding and hopes to be there next season.
Overall, there is more reason to doubt Martin’s long-term future with Ducati than to believe in it, considering the current development direction and preferences of the team.