Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi expressed that it’s “no problem” if Jorge Martin wins the 2024 MotoGP title and takes the number one plate to Aprilia next season.
After the Italian Grand Prix, Ducati made a surprising choice regarding Martin’s future by deciding against promoting the Pramac rider to the factory team for 2025, instead favoring Marc Marquez.
With Aprilia securing Martin’s signature for next year, Ducati now faces the possibility of the Spanish rider winning the world championship and carrying the number one plate over to his new team. This led some to speculate that Ducati might reduce support for Martin in his title race against Francesco Bagnaia, but Ducati has continued to back him.
Tardozzi acknowledges that Martin could win the championship and then depart, but he remains calm knowing that Ducati will always be credited as the manufacturer of his title-winning bike.
“It’s obvious that if Jorge will win the title he will probably run number one, because it’s something that not every day you can have,” he told TNT Sport before the Malaysian GP, after which Martin held a 24-point lead.
“So, he must want it on his bike. But in the big book [of results] will be written ‘Jorge Martin – Ducati’.
“So, the number one is for the rider but the machine is Ducati.
“So, for us it’s not a problem. We will try hard to bring back [the number one] for 2026. If he wins the championship, he can bring himself the number one – but he won with the Ducati.
“So, for us, it’s no problem.”
Tardozzi added that even if Ducati loses the 2024 world champion, Martin’s success would validate Ducati’s decision to sign him from Moto2 back in 2021.
“Obviously, Jorge Martin is a rider that is under our contract,” Tardozzi said.
“So, we are happy in some ways. But honestly, regarding myself, I have written Ducati Lenovo [next to my name] and we will try hard to let Pecco perform in the proper way, trying to win, and we’ll see what Jorge will do.
“But in the end, again, it’s a rider that grows up with Ducati, that it’s possible he will win the championship with Ducati.
“So, in the end, we did a good job anyway choosing him from Moto2 to MotoGP.”
