With 148 points available from the remaining four rounds, Ducati has almost sealed the 2023 MotoGP riders’ title, with KTM’s Brad Binder just about mathematically in play – albeit 142 points adrift of Francesco Bagnaia.
Ducati has already wrapped up the constructors’ title, doing so courtesy of Jorge Martin’s sprint win in Indonesia, and one of its squads will win the teams’ title.
The fact Ducati is going through its best season ever is significantly highlighted by the decision of Marc Marquez to join the Gresini squad to ride a year-old Ducati in 2024, breaking a Honda contract at a cost of more than €15 million to do so.
Analysing the statistics of the season, it’s easy to see why Marquez made that decision.
The Italian marque has never in its history had three of its riders leading the world championship, with factory team runner Bagnaia 27 points clear of Pramac’s Martin – also on a 2023-spec Desmosedici – and 73 ahead of VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi on a year-old bike.
Whatever happens there, history will go the way of Ducati. Never has it won back-to-back riders’ titles, with its first and second championships split by 15 years.
Should Martin or Bezzecchi go on to win, they will become the first rider in the MotoGP era to win the title for a satellite squad and first since Valentino Rossi in 2001 in the 500cc class (though his entry was heavily factory-supported).
With Zarco’s breakout win in Australia last weekend, Ducati has now matched its all-time victory tally for a single season at 13, which it also achieved last season.
With four rounds to go, Ducati is on course to match and possibly surpass Honda’s all-time win record for a campaign at 15, which it did in 1997 and 2003 during periods of domination for the Japanese marque with Mick Doohan and Rossi.
Source: Autosport