The 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, played in Jerez de la Frontera from 25 to 27 April, opened with a declaration that captured the attention of the Paddock MotoGP. During the Pre-Gara press conference, Marc Marquez, leader of the World Cup and Funta Pilot of Team Ducati Lenovo, responded with a bold metaphor for the team manager Davide lateozzi, who had called him “king” and Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia “Prince” of the MotoGP. “We are in the MotoGP castle, that is Ducati,” said Marquez, smiling next to Bagnaia, who replied with irony: “For age, it is normal for Marc to be the king.” Marquez’s phrase, reported by Motorsport.com, underlined Ducati’s technical supremacy and the climate of internal competition between the two champions, feeding a weekend already full of expectations.
Marquez arrives in Jerez as a dominator of the 2025 season. With four pole positions and victories in Thailand, Argentina, Qatar and in Austin’s sprint, the Spanish driver leads the ranking with 123 points, 17 more than his brother Alex and 26 on Bagnaia. His Desmosedici GP25, evolution of the GP24, allowed him to make the most of his aggressive style, as demonstrated by the “Rodeo” on the first lap of Austin, where he saved a spectacular fall, frightening Bagnaia. “I don’t know how you did to save her,” said Pecco at the end of Sprint, according to FormulaPassion.it. However, the fall of Marquez in Austin’s main race, caused by a wet curbing, gave Bagnaia the first seasonal victory, reducing the detachment in the standings.
Bagnaia, three times winner in Jerez, is under pressure. After a 2024 in which he lost the title for errors, as admitted in an interview with TNT Sports, the Piedmontese struggles to find the feeling with the GP25. “I can’t drive as usual,” he said after Argentina, even assuming to use the GP24 in Austin, according to Gazzetta.it. Ducati’s decision to hire Marquez, as revealed by Bagnaia, was an answer to his mistakes: “We lost the world championship for my mistakes, and Ducati wants to win with motorcycles, team and pilots.” This created a complex dynamic in the box, where the two pilots, while collaborating, openly challenge each other.
The metaphor of Marquez’s “castle” reflects not only the strength of Ducati, who monopolized the podiums in Qatar and Austin, but also his trust. “The jump from the GP23 to the GP25 was remarkable,” said Marquez, explaining how the new motorcycle allows him a more stable input, reducing the falls that afflicted him in 2024. Bagnaia, on the other hand, relies on his constancy and familiarity with Jerez, where he signed the track record (1: 36.170 in 2022). “Pecco has changed mentality, he believes that everything is possible,” commented Tardozzi to Dazn, underlining the “psychological click” after Austin.
The comparison between Marquez and Bagnaia is enriched with personal anecdotes. A photo of 2010, taken when Marquez, 17 years old, and Bagnaia, 13 years old, met, became viral. “My leader said to me: ‘Look at him well, we will talk about him’,” Bagnaia recalled to Gazzetta.it. Today, that omen has come true, but Pecco is not willing to yield the throne. “Marc is a stimulus, I want to learn from him and beat him,” he said, praising the braking and management of fast curves to the right of the rival. Marquez, in turn, admires Bagnaia’s precision in the curves on the left.
The rivalry, however, does not obscure the team atmosphere. A video of Ducati, shot in Austin, showed Bagnaia’s wife, Domizia Castagnini, testing the Italian of Marquez’s girlfriend, Gemma Pinto, in a moment of lightness that denies the voices of tension. However, the fans on X, such as @wetfroggie, have fun with the provocations: “Pecco called Marc ‘Re’ only for age, but on the track it will be seen.” With Sunday’s race broadcast on Sky Sport and Tv8, Jerez will be the next chapter of a duel destined to score 2025.
