on the premier team for the
premier manufacturer, there's a
strong chance the rest will also
be playing as also-rans. Fighting
to be best of the rest.
Is this a blinkered view?
Does it fail to acknowledge the
strengths of the other 20 best
riders and bikes in the world? In
-
sulting to Jorge Martin? (Among
others.)
Time and circumstances
will
tell. Bike racing being what it is,
blow-ups, accidents and inju-
ries are always possible. But it
would
be a sad outcome if this
classic mano-e-mano gunfight
were to be decided in the medi-
cal center.
Ducati caused some
head-
scratching when they elected
to put Marc into their factory
squad—in the process, losing
the services of eventual '24
champion Martin and his num
-
ber one plate, of the luckless but
well-worthwhile
Enea Bastianini,
as well as their long-serving
satellite team Pramac.
T
here are 22 riders lining
up for the forthcoming
season—coincidentally
equal to the number of races on
the provisional calendar (cancel-
lations are always possible). Yet
only
two of them really matter.
With Marc Marquez and Pec
-
co Bagnaia playing teammates
P120
CN II IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
The word teammates
takes on a whole
new meaning when it
comes to Ducati and
MotoGP in 2025.
DEADLY FRIENDS,
PERFECT ENEMIES
