Ducati has presented a difficult decision for Marco Bezzecchi to make as he desires a factory spec bike next season.
Mooney VR46 rider Marco Bezzecchi wants a factory bike for the coming season, which Ducati concedes he merits following a breakout campaign in which he has already claimed two MotoGP grand prix victories and established himself as a 2023 championship contender.
However, if he stays with Valentino Rossi’s team, he won’t be able to get his hands on a 2024 Desmosedici.
Jorge Martin and Johann Zarco at Pramac, along with Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini at the factory Ducati squad, have the most recent manufacturer machinery this season. Therefore, Bezzecchi’s desire for a more powerful bike would require him to change teams, perhaps at Zarco’s expense.
“Honestly, there’s a possibility he’ll join Pramac, but it’s not certain,” Ducati sporting director Paolo Ciabatti said in an interview with Speedweek. “On the one hand, Pramac has the contractual option of getting current factory machines for both riders. And if they exercise that option, we have to respect that.
“And for internal reasons we can only equip four riders with current factory machines. Building more bikes like this is too complicated.
“We did that for 2022, it didn’t work. At that time, Luca Marini got a fifth factory Ducati.”
Bezzecchi might prefer to stick with Rossi’s team as a result of this tough decision.
“The VR46 crew is doing a great job,” Ciabatti said. “And in Bezzecchi they have a rider that they have built up from the Moto2 World Championship.
“The team works very well, they are happy about strong races, two grands prix have already been won in 2023. The technical team with Matteo Flamigni and all the guys is very powerful.
“Now the rider has to consider changing teams to get the latest bike. But he is also considering staying with VR46 because he knows the team and finds a perfect situation there.
“How he decides remains a question mark. And we don’t want to force him to make a decision.
“We know he very much deserves a VR46 factory bike.
“But we only have four – and we have to honour the contract with Pramac.”
The possibility that Rossi may move his Mooney VR46 team from Ducati to Yamaha in 2025—the team that has become synonymous with his own glory—adds another storyline.
If he stayed with Mooney VR46, this would make Bezzecchi’s situation even tougher beyond 2024.
Bezzecchi finished second in the sprint race at the British MotoGP, however he fell out of the race after placing second during the race and lost the running to Martin and Bagnaia in the championship race.
