The MotoGP world is in turmoil following recent statements from Ducati boss Davide Tardozzi, which have sparked a heated debate among fans and industry experts. It’s March 14, 2025, and the latest bombshell dropped by Tardozzi concerns Marc Márquez, the Spanish rider who recently joined the official Ducati Lenovo team for the current season. In an interview given on March 10 in Madonna di Campiglio, during a promotional event, Tardozzi didn’t mince words: “Márquez will win the title this year and, with our support, he will become the greatest rider of all time.” These words provoked mixed reactions, culminating in a cryptic and scathing response from Valentino Rossi, a motorcycling legend and Márquez’s longtime rival, who posted a single Instagram story captioned: “Still the same old dreams, huh?”

Tardozzi’s statements come at a crucial time for Ducati, which has placed its entire bet on Márquez after a 2024 season in which the Spaniard, despite riding a Desmosedici GP23 for the satellite Gresini team, demonstrated a comeback with three wins and a third place in the overall standings. The decision to promote him alongside two-time world champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia was seen as a bold but risky move, especially considering the rivalry between Márquez and Rossi, which dates back to the epic clashes of 2015 and has never fully subsided. Tardozzi, however, seems oblivious to the criticism, emphasizing that Márquez not only brings talent but also unparalleled media appeal. “Marc is a global phenomenon; the numbers speak for themselves: with him, Ducati reaches an audience that other riders can’t,” he added, citing the Spaniard’s 7.3 million Instagram followers compared to Bagnaia’s 1.7 million.

Rossi’s reaction, however, was swift. His Instagram story, accompanied by a photo of himself wearing a VR46 suit and a sarcastic expression, has once again highlighted the dispute between the two. For fans of the “Doctor,” a nine-time world champion, Tardozzi’s words sound like a direct affront: Márquez, with his six MotoGP titles, could indeed surpass Rossi’s record by winning a seventh with Ducati, but calling him “the greatest of all time” seems premature and provocative. On X, Rossi’s followers expressed their disappointment: “Tardozzi forgets who made the history of this sport,” wrote one user, while another commented: “Márquez can win, but Rossi is an unbeatable icon.”

The context of this controversy is made even more complex by Ducati’s internal dynamics. Bagnaia, who came close to his third consecutive title in 2024, remains the designated team leader, but Márquez’s arrival has already generated tensions. The two clashed several times on track last year, with episodes such as the collision at Portimao and the close contact at Jerez, where Bagnaia triumphed, showing he had no fear of the Spaniard. Rossi, Bagnaia’s mentor and founder of the VR46 Academy, had already expressed doubts about Ducati’s decision to hire Márquez last August, calling it a “betrayal” of young talents like Jorge Martín and Marco Bezzecchi, who had to look for other teams. The Instagram story therefore seems not only a criticism of Márquez, but also a warning to Ducati itself.

Meanwhile, the 2025 season has just begun with official testing at Sepang in February, where Márquez and Bagnaia showed impressive pace on the new GP25. Ducati engineers, led by Gigi Dall’Igna, praised Márquez’s quick adaptation to the factory bike, a sign that could lend credence to Tardozzi’s words. However, the technician’s prediction is not without risk: if Márquez doesn’t win, the pressure on him and the team could become unbearable, especially with Bagnaia determined to prove he’s the number one.

The statement also has commercial implications. Lenovo, Ducati’s main sponsor, has bet on Márquez for his global value, as marketing director Mauro Grassilli confirms: “Marc is a universal ambassador, perfect for a brand like ours.” But this focus on the Spaniard could alienate Italian fans, loyal to Rossi and his protégé Bagnaia, creating a rift in the hearts of the Ducati public. At X, one fan summed up the sentiment: “Márquez can bring sponsors, but Rossi brought an entire nation to dream.”

As MotoGP prepares for the season-opening Thai Grand Prix on February 28, attention is not only on the track, but also on this war of words. Tardozzi’s prophecy will put Márquez in the spotlight, but Rossi’s grimace, encapsulated in that Instagram story, reminds everyone that the Tavullian legend isn’t ready to relinquish the throne, not even symbolically. The rivalry between the two, which seemed to be fading, has reignited, promising a 2025 full of sparks, on and off the track.