Ducati's satellite GP24 machines closer than ever to factory bikes

Alex Marquez impresses with two second-place finishes at the Thai Grand Prix, showcasing the strength of Ducati's satellite GP24 package.

Alex Marquez of Spain and Gresini Racing MotoGP celebrates with his team after finishing second in the MotoGP race during the MotoGP of Thailand at Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, on March 2, 2025. Photo by Mirco Lazzari/Getty Images

By Randy Ahmad and Adila Ghina

Alex Marquez delivered a standout performance in the Thai Grand Prix, securing second place in both the sprint and main race behind his brother Marc Marquez. The Gresini Ducati rider led for over half of Sunday’s grand prix, proving the competitiveness of the satellite GP24 package.

Fellow satellite Ducati rider Franco Morbidelli (VR46) also impressed with a fourth-place finish, further emphasizing the strong performance of Ducati’s non-factory entries.

The factory Ducati Lenovo team, featuring Marc Marquez and reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, ultimately claimed first and third in the grand prix. However, Ducati’s decision to maintain continuity between the GP24 and GP25 machines has significantly reduced the performance gap between the factory and satellite teams.

For the 2025 season, Ducati has retained the GP24 engine design for its new GP25 machines while starting the campaign with last year’s chassis and aerodynamic package. This approach ensures that satellite riders like Alex Marquez and Morbidelli are riding bikes much closer in specification to the factory team than in previous years.

While components such as the chassis and aero can be updated throughout the season, subtle differences between the factory GP25 and the satellite GP24 already exist. One example is the swingarm, which has undergone refinements for the factory riders.

“They are official riders, so they have some new versions,” Alex Marquez explained at Buriram. “Our version is the one they had until Austria. That is our version of the 24 bike.”

Austria was round 11 of 20 last year, meaning the GP24 satellite machines are not end-of-season spec but are significantly newer than the GP23 bikes used by Gresini and VR46 in 2024. Those previous-generation bikes were already a year old by the time last season began.

Managing race distance remains a challenge for satellite teams

While the performance gap has been reduced, Alex Marquez acknowledged that factory Ducati riders still hold a slight advantage, particularly over a full race distance.

“Maybe for one lap, the differences [between the factory and satellite Ducatis] are not really big,” he noted. “To manage the long race, they have a small advantage, but it’s not really a big one.”

One of the biggest advantages for the GP24 over the GP23 is its compatibility with Michelin’s latest rear tyre construction. The GP23 was designed around the previous tyre technology, making the newer GP24 much better suited to the current grip characteristics.

Ducati grid reshuffle and future upgrades

With Pramac Racing’s departure to Yamaha, Ducati’s MotoGP presence has been reduced from eight to six bikes this season. VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio joins Marc Marquez and Bagnaia in riding the factory-spec GP25, while Fermin Aldeguer, Alex Marquez, and Morbidelli continue with the satellite GP24 package.

It remains unclear how many technical updates the satellite GP24s will receive during the season. Meanwhile, Ducati’s factory team is set to test new components at Jerez.

"There is obviously a difference in some details between the factory bikes and the satellite ones," Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna told Sky Italia. "We certainly have other developments planned, which we will try at the Jerez test. So we will do the next four races more or less with this configuration."

As the season progresses, all eyes will be on whether the satellite GP24 riders can maintain their strong early form and challenge the factory Ducati squad on a regular basis.