Ducati's all-round strength continues to dominate MotoGP 2025

Ducati’s balance gives it an edge as rivals struggle with specific weaknesses.

Gigi Dall'Igna of Italy and Ducati Lenovo Team celebrates and smiles during the MotoGP race at Buriram International Circuit in Buriram on March 2, 2025. Photo by Mirco Lazzari/Getty Images

By Randy Ahmad and Yuni Utomo

Ducati has dominated MotoGP in recent seasons, yet its riders often find it difficult to pinpoint a single defining strength of the bike. Instead, they describe it as an all-rounder with no clear weaknesses, making it the most consistent machine on the grid.

While rival manufacturers may have bikes that outperform Ducati in specific areas, the Desmosedici’s balance ensures that if front or rear grip is lacking at certain circuits, other aspects compensate, allowing it to remain highly competitive.

In contrast, motorcycles that rely heavily on one performance area can suffer from inconsistency, performing exceptionally well at some tracks but struggling at others. A prime example is Honda’s past reliance on braking and corner entry to fuel Marc Marquez’s title success, which became a liability when track conditions did not favor that strength.

This issue is evident on the 2025 MotoGP grid, where Aprilia and Yamaha riders have praised the front-end performance of their machines. However, as the season-opening Thai Grand Prix showed, when that front-end advantage diminishes, their performance can drop significantly.

Aprilia’s mixed fortunes at Buriram

Trackhouse Aprilia had an extreme example of this issue with teammates Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez.

MotoGP rookie Ogura adapted well to his RS-GP and secured an impressive fifth-place finish as the top non-Ducati rider. In contrast, Fernandez, who was running seventh, lost front grip due to overheating in dirty air and was forced to retire.

“I was in a really good position and fighting very well,” Fernandez said. “But after 15 laps, when I was in seventh, I tried to catch Jack [Miller] and for some reason, we had overheating in the front tire. From that moment, the front tire didn’t work, and I had to retire because I was 1.5 seconds slower.”

Yamaha struggles with braking limitations

Yamaha faced similar difficulties, with Fabio Quartararo struggling with tire performance at Buriram. Pramac Yamaha’s Miguel Oliveira, who finished 16th in the Sprint and 14th in the Grand Prix, explained how Yamaha's front-end reliance became a disadvantage.

“As we all know, we ride a lot with the front end of the bike,” Oliveira said. “As soon as you don't get the maximum from the front, you're in trouble. Especially on tracks where braking is crucial.”

Speaking after the Sprint, Oliveira elaborated on how Yamaha’s greatest strength can also be a weakness.

“The bike turns well and is very stable on the front. But if you’re slightly out of the optimal setting, it becomes difficult to maximize that advantage,” he said.

In the main race, Oliveira continued to struggle.

“I got in trouble with front grip, couldn't turn the bike, and was running wide in every corner, even when I had the most rear grip,” Oliveira said. “Then the rear dropped lap by lap. The tire came back a little at the end, and I managed to get into the points.”

Ducati leads as rivals scramble for solutions

Sunday’s Thai Grand Prix ended with an all-Ducati top four, with Ogura finishing 7.5 seconds behind race winner Marc Marquez. The best Honda was 15 seconds adrift, and the leading KTM finished 20 seconds behind. Oliveira’s Yamaha teammate Jack Miller placed 11th, over 22 seconds from Marquez, after battling a loose fairing.

Asked about Ducati’s continued dominance, Oliveira acknowledged reality.

“In the pre-season, everyone starts to dream and make plans. But then, when the first race comes, reality sets in, and people become more cautious with their expectations,” he said.

“I knew from the beginning that Ducati was the leader. Our job is to focus on reducing the gap. We have testing days, four bikes, shared data, and the same spec. We have everything we need to close the gap, and that should be our only focus.”

MotoGP’s next race takes place at Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina from March 14-16.