The 2025 MotoGP season has expanded with 22 scheduled rounds, increasing global reach but compressing the race calendar, often leading to back-to-back events. Ducati’s factory team faced this reality as they transitioned from title celebrations in Japan directly to the Indonesian Grand Prix in Lombok, enduring a challenging eighteenth race weekend. The struggles experienced at Mandalika cast a shadow early on, especially for Ducati’s leading riders, even as their promising MotoGP rookie offered a glimmer of hope amid the difficulties.
Challenges Surface for Ducati Following Intense Race Schedule
Ducati’s recent victories in Japan now feel distant as the team encountered significant hurdles in Indonesia. Reigning world champion Marc Marquez suffered two crashes during Friday practice, a first occurrence in 2025, pushing him unexpectedly into Q1 qualifying. Similarly, Pecco Bagnaia, who had shown strong form in Motegi after a beneficial GP24 test at Misano organized by VR46, reverted to familiar difficulties, also battling through Q1 for the first time since late 2023. These setbacks underline the ongoing adversity for Ducati’s factory squad, magnified by the challenges of adapting quickly between consecutive race weekends.
The revelation of the GP24 test at Misano caused some PR concerns for Ducati management, with team manager Davide Tardozzi navigating the fallout. Meanwhile, technical director Gigi Dall’Igna experienced personal misfortune during the title celebrations. Despite Mandalika’s history as a favorable track for Ducati, including last year’s dominant performance, the latest outing saw the team struggle, partially linked to the harder rear tyre compound used in Indonesia as well as in Austria and Thailand.
Marquez Faces Difficulties, Affecting Ducati’s Prospects at Mandalika
Facing only Mandalika and Portimao left to conquer on the current schedule, Marc Marquez’s ambitions hit a roadblock early in Indonesia. His two crashes on Friday, including a highside caused by the new slide control failing at Turn 5, contributed to a difficult start. Marquez never found comfort on the GP25 during practice, suffering from poor braking performance and ultimately limited data for long runs. The physical and mental toll of recent injury comebacks appeared to influence his cautious approach, especially at a circuit where he has yet to finish a grand prix.
Marquez narrowly missed direct entry to Q2, inhibited by yellow flags and a desire to avoid a third crash during qualifying. He pointed to the harder rear tyre offering less grip as a key concern, also impacting front-end confidence—a factor likely to improve as track grip increases. Still, Marquez tempered expectations for his weekend, emphasizing an intent to simply get through and focus on upcoming events.
“I started this weekend optimistically, but it’s not my circuit, I just want to pass this weekend and wait until Australia. Of course, I will try.”
— Marc Marquez, World Champion
While Marquez’s trouble is notable, it indirectly benefits teammate Pecco Bagnaia. Bagnaia’s record last year at Mandalika was impressive, rallying from 13th on the grid to win the sprint and secure a podium finish. However, Friday’s practice marked a return to old struggles for the Italian. Despite confirming the bike setup remained unchanged from Motegi and resisting alterations on Friday, his feeling with the machinery declined, mirroring earlier issues seen at the San Marino Grand Prix.
“Tomorrow the grip will increase, maybe the change [you make today] will be useless, and maybe the feeling will be better. So, we will not change anything. We will just try to understand the data tonight.”
— Pecco Bagnaia, Ducati Rider
“Normally during the season I was the only one [struggling], but I’m not happy about the situation clearly. Being in Q1 is never a good thing and tomorrow many riders are in Q1. It will not be easy to move to Q2. It will be important in the morning to work in FP2 to try to do a step because in FP1 I was taking a second in terms of pace.”
— Pecco Bagnaia, Ducati Rider
Franco Morbidelli, another rider facing Q1 qualifying, expects a competitive and unpredictable battle for the final spots in Q2 on Saturday. Both Bagnaia and Marquez are at risk of being eliminated early, intensifying the challenge for Ducati’s top riders.
Rookie Fermin Aldeguer Emerges as a Vital Asset for Ducati
Despite the setbacks of the main factory riders, Ducati’s future potential looks brighter with the performance of rookie Fermin Aldeguer. Pedro Acosta, currently third in the championship standings, expressed confidence in Ducati’s capability to overcome these struggles with time and perseverance, recalling Bagnaia’s progress last season despite initial qualifying difficulties.
“Give them time. Everything is a matter of time. They suffered also last year, because if you check last year Pecco didn’t go to the Q2 and somehow he won the sprint on Saturday. We know Ducati is fast.”
— Pedro Acosta, MotoGP Rider
Alex Marquez barely advanced to Q2 after a late crash in practice, but Aldeguer stood out as Ducati’s strongest and most consistent contender on Friday. Leading the timesheets throughout the afternoon and finishing second in the time attack phase, he demonstrated an impressive ability to maintain strong pace on soft tyres, positioning himself as a potential threat for the sprint race with solid qualifying.
The fact that current Q2 Ducati riders are all using the GP24 model reveals two points: the GP24’s wealth of data and adaptable setup offers a solid foundation, especially on the harder tyres, while GP25 riders might benefit significantly by comparing to the older bike. Bagnaia acknowledged Aldeguer’s impressive traction and believes studying his laps could inform future strategy for his own riding.
“I’ve already seen the lap from Aldeguer and it’s impressive how much traction he was having. So, we just try to understand it and work for tomorrow to have some ideas in case it will be the same situation.”
— Pecco Bagnaia, Ducati Rider
Aldeguer himself highlighted areas of improvement, particularly in sectors two and four, alongside electronic adjustments to enhance his Ducati’s performance. His ability to secure podiums this year and the responsibility he carries with the manufacturer spotlight him as a key figure in Ducati’s efforts to regain competitive form.
“We have to be happy, also because maybe today the track for the conditions for Ducati bikes wasn’t the best, but with our tools we did a good job. I think Ducati, for sure, tomorrow the other riders will arrive.”
— Fermin Aldeguer, Ducati Rookie
April’s Marco Bezzecchi Maintains Aprilia’s Strong Momentum in Indonesia
Aprilia, historically challenged by heat management issues during flyaway races, continues to demonstrate solid performance as the season progresses. Marco Bezzecchi dominated Friday afternoon’s practice session at Mandalika, showing a commanding lead of over four tenths on his RS-GP bike. Despite recovering from an incident with teammate Jorge Martin at Motegi—an accident severe enough to sideline Martin until the Malaysian Grand Prix—Bezzecchi’s form remained resilient.
With Aprilia operating at partial capacity due to injuries sidelining both Martin and Ai Ogura, the team faces a difficult task maintaining pace against Ducati’s sizeable presence and Honda’s competitive trio. Nevertheless, the stiff rear tyre compound, also used in Austria and Thailand, plays to Aprilia’s strengths, with Bezzecchi having led the Austrian race and secured podiums earlier in the year.
Though aware of competitors closing in, Bezzecchi conveyed a focused mindset aimed at continued improvement across Saturday’s sessions.
“As always, tomorrow all the others will improve and they will be closer and closer, so we must keep ourselves focused and we must improve more and more for tomorrow for Sunday.”
— Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Rider
“What I feel on the bike is that we are missing in some areas and we are working on these areas since the beginning. So, we already made many steps forward and we improved a lot.”
— Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Rider
Bezzecchi’s consistent pace and history of podium finishes since Assen solidify his status as Aprilia’s best acquisition for 2025. His ability to capitalize on qualifying and tyre strategy will be vital as the weekend unfolds, particularly given the anticipated importance of tyre management at Mandalika.
Looking Ahead: Ducati’s Strategy and Rising Talent Hold Key to Future Performance
With their premier riders currently facing challenges adapting to conditions and new tyre compounds, Ducati’s outlook for Mandalika appears uncertain. However, the emergence of Fermin Aldeguer as a strong contender provides encouragement for the Italian factory. His technical grasp and fast laps may offer critical data and confidence to improve the overall team performance.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez’s cautious approach following recent physical and mechanical setbacks suggests a focus on recovery and performance stabilization rather than aggressive weekend results. Pecco Bagnaia’s predicament underlines the ongoing search for consistency amid a demanding schedule and evolving bike dynamics.
Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi remains a formidable competitor, pushing the boundaries for his team despite injury setbacks within the lineup. As the season progresses, the interaction of tyre compounds, rider adaptation, and emerging talents like Aldeguer will likely determine Ducati’s capacity to remain competitive in a tightly contested championship.
