Bold claim: the GP24 vs GP25 debate has been let loose with more drama than the track ever needed. VR46 Ducati rider Franco Morbidelli argues that the conversation around whether GP24 was better than GP25 has spiraled out of proportion, overshadowing the real performance details.
In 2024, Ducati’s GP24 swept 19 of 20 races, showing a dominant package. Yet, during winter testing for 2025, Ducati felt compelled to abandon the full 2025 engine spec and revert to an updated 2024 engine, signaling that the evolution wasn’t a straightforward upgrade. By contrast, the GP25 dominated the season, with Marc Marquez clinching 11 grand prix victories and 14 sprint wins en route to a seventh MotoGP title. Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio, however, faced inconsistency on the GP25, collecting just two race wins between them.
Meanwhile, satellite riders and teams using the 2024-spec package contended about whether remaining with GP24 would have been a smarter move for the 2026 campaign. Morbidelli’s take is that it’s all part of the same overarching package: Ducati offers a consistently strong platform. He notes that riders on either spec have faced struggles at times, regardless of year, and that there isn’t a clear-cut winner between the two generations.
“Riding a Ducati, the distinction between GP24 and GP25 isn’t the decisive factor,” Morbidelli remarked after the 2025 season. “Ducati’s package has proven itself as a solid, versatile platform across years—2024, 2025, even earlier years like 2020. Of course, depending on conditions and setup, some riders perform better than others, and there have been moments when both generations stumbled.” He adds that Marquez’s continued success on the GP25 demonstrates the presence of time when the newer package can outperform expectations, but cautions against sweeping judgments.
Morbidelli’s assessment underscores a nuanced reality: both GP generations offer high performance when tuned to their strengths, and neither is guaranteed to dominate in every scenario. If anything, the year highlighted that constant adaptation and team strategy often matter more than sticking rigidly to one model.
This discussion—whether GP24 or GP25 is the superior package—remains a topic of debate in the paddock. With riders and teams weighing reliability, adaptability, and race-by-race performance, the question invites ongoing discussion: which package would you choose for a full season, and why? Do you favor consistency and long-term development, or the potential gains of a newer spec that might not always deliver?
