Marquez on the pressure of riding a factory Ducati: ‘I have to fight for the title’

mark marquez Admits he will have to fight for the 2025 MotoGP title as soon as he joins the factory team Ducati Team to partner francesco bagniya,

The Spaniard is making a move to MotoGP’s benchmark team in 2025 after ending a 1,000-day barren streak and winning three races. Gresini Racing On a one year old Ducati.

This puts him in a similar position to the one he faced in 2013 when he made his much-anticipated MotoGP debut as a 20-year-old newcomer.

While the six-time champion is cautious about setting targets this time, he admitted that there was a lot of pressure on him to live up to expectations.

“It wasn’t realistic in 2013, I had no idea where I was,” He said during the 2025 bike launch on Monday,

“And now, at almost 32, you are realistic about what MotoGP is, what it means to be in a factory team, and what it means to be in the leading team of the moment.

“You notice it even more, but obviously, in 2013 it was all tremendous, everything was a gift. I still have butterflies in my stomach, but I’m very realistic about what wearing these colors means.”

Asked what it means to be in a factory team, he replied: “It involves fighting for a title. In the end, when you and the leading factory at the time bet on you, the pressure is on you to try to fight for the title.

“I have said this, the main objective is to be in the top three, but why? Because if you are in the top three, it means you have fought for the title, but obviously being in this team brings pressure that you have to manage and logically take home as many points as possible. Have to bring.

Marquez managed to beat Bastianini into third place in the 2024 standings with Gresini despite being on a one-year-old Ducati and having no factory nearby.

He said finishing in the top three in the championship is his main target again this year, even though he has his sights set on a seventh premier class title to add to the six titles he achieved at Honda between 2013-19.

“Try to be in the top three at the end of the championship, that will be the main target,” he said. “Of course we will try to keep focused on the title, but the main target is the top three.”

Bagnaia was asked if he considered himself and Márquez as the main contenders for the 2025 title, in response to Márquez’s comments that a top three finish would be enough.

The two-time champion began by saying “When you’re wearing the red jersey, the leather, he knows…”, before Márquez interjected: “…you need to challenge – if If not, then the other (rider) will take your bike.”