Ducati–Marc Marquez: Tardozzi reveals a previously undisclosed backstory about their first contact

Marc Marquez and the factory Ducati team celebrated their first year in MotoGP together by winning the world title. The arrival of the Catalan superstar in red had been in the air for some time, but it was necessary to wait for the right moment. Davide Tardozzi, Lenovo Ducati team manager, reveals an untold behind-the-scenes story.

When in Borgo Panigale they announced Marc Marquez’s arrival on the Desmosedici, many fans turned up their noses. That seat seemed destined for Jorge Martin, the 2024 MotoGP world champion. Instead, Gigi Dall’Igna and Ducati’s top brass had no hesitation in betting on #93. The numbers proved them right. "Marc has often done things that left us speechless, and we said ‘Wow.’ I think the first time I realized it was in Sepang. He managed not to crash in a situation where 99% of riders would have gone down. And I said, ‘He’s a phenomenon.’"

Winning seven MotoGP titles is certainly no accident and cannot depend solely on the bike. Marc Marquez has shown he transcends speed and technical skill, possessing an instinct and control that few riders have displayed in the history of motorcycling. Where others don’t win, Marc has. See his years at Honda and now at Ducati. The Italian manufacturer had been tracking him for a long time, and Tardozzi makes no secret of it. "We were at the Sachsenring two years ago. During testing, I was on a scooter watching the riders. After the fourth crash, Marc got up and leaned against the guardrail. There’s a photo of that moment. I passed by a few minutes later and said to him, ‘Marc, maybe it’s time to change.’"

2020 could have marked the end of his career. Those were difficult years for the former Honda rider, but they underscore his determination to return to the top of MotoGP. "I saw Marc in a truly devastating situation," continued Davide Tardozzi on Dazn. "Only a champion like him could come out of it, because it could have been the end of his career... Someone like him doesn’t give up, because champions don’t give up. These words reached him, and fortunately, for him and for us, that’s how it went."