Ducati’s true reason for signing Marc Marquez revealed in new footage – ‘These guys will tear you apart’

New footage from inside the Ducati team has shown a frustrated David Tardozzi challenging double world champion Bagnaia after this year’s Malaysian GP.

Ducati’s decision to sign Marc Marquez for their factory MotoGP team alongside Pecco Bagnaia raised plenty of eyebrows.

But new footage from the Malaysian round of the championship points to the reason for the decision to select the former Honda ace, as double world champion Bagnaia is warned by Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi to ‘stop being such a gentleman’ during a heated clash after the race – in which the Italian finished third, behind title rival Jorge Martin. Ducati decided not to appeal claims from Bagnaia that Martin had exceeded track limits four times to secure the win, with Tardozzi left frustrated with his rider in the newly released footage.

The clip is part of Ducati’s Dream On Youtube series, giving fans access to previously unseen clips from behind the scenes as the squad battle their satellite Pramac team to secure a third straight championship crown. Speaking in Bagnaia’s office, Tardozzi slams his rider for not taking a more aggressive approach – saying: “Pecco, today Martin had the guts. The guts to knock you out because he was already positioned like this [facing Bagnaia] on the grid. He had already decided that he was going to bother you. He did what he had to do, that’s what you’ve got to do tomorrow. You can’t always be the gentleman, you just can’t, because these guys are kicking your ass.

“He targeted you at the first corner. He had already decided that he was going to run into you, there’s no doubt about that. So you need to stop being such a gentleman, because these guys will tear you apart.”

And fans reacting to the clip say that it explains why Ducati took the decision to pair Bagnaia with the super-aggressive Marc Marquez for 2025 as they aim to regain their crown. One posted: “I hadn’t understood why they hired MM, it seemed unnecessary, after all they had the best bike and the best rider. I didn’t understand…until now. There is a lot of reasons, but the main one is they (Ducati) don’t believe in Pecco as an aggressive rider ready to win whatever it takes, so they hired MM.”

Speaking about the decision to hire eight-time champion Marquez – who overcame career threatening injuries to finish third in the standings on a year old Gresini Ducati – when the move was announced, Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna said: “In the end, our choice fell on an unquestionable talent like Marc Marquez. In just a few races, he has managed to adapt perfectly to our Desmosedici GP, and his innate ambition pushes him to grow continuously. In the box, we will have two riders who together hold 11 World Titles, and being able to count on their experience and maturity will be invaluable for our growth as well.”