Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi says the marque is leaning towards homologating the GP24 engine for its 2025 MotoGP bike, but a final decision is yet to be taken.

The GP24 proved to be one of the most dominant bik💛es in Mo🙈toGP history, as it won 16 of the 20 grand prix held last year.

With a two-year engine ꦚfreeze coming into force at the start of 2025, both Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia spent a lot of time during the Sepang test comparing the GP24 and GP25 engine.

With th♏e GP24 engine at such a good level already, both riders said they had to be absolutely sure the GP25 was a significant enough step to homologate it for the next two years.

On day one of this week’s Buriram test in Thailanℱd, both factory 🍷Ducati riders appeared to be favouring the GP24 engine - with Tardozzi confirming that this is now the most likely direction it will go in.

“So far the d🅺ecision hasn’t bee𝔍n taken yet, but it looks like we are going towards the 2024,” Tardozzi told MotoGP’s After the Flag.

“But finally tonight Gigi and the engineers will take the final decision. My𝓰 feeling is that [that we will use the GP24], but it’s not been decided so far.”

Ducati engine for Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia?

This isn’t the first time Ducati has elected to run an older engine in its n꧅ew bike, a♎fter the factory team made an eleventh-hour change to a hybrid 2021/2022 engine for its GP22.

This proved to be a smart move, as Bagnaia went on to win the championship while the Pramac duo runni𒈔ng the full 2022-spec engine scored just eight podiums between them.

Tardozzi confirmed that the decision to likely go for the GP24 is down to the two-ye🧸ar engine freeze coming into force.

“Yeah, because as we already said we will take this decision bec🍰ause we have to freeze [the engine] for two years an𝓡d we don’t want to take risks in the next two years,” he said.

“So, the 2024 engine gave us good feedback♉ in the past and reliability. So, my feeling is this wi🌳ll be the decision.”

Marquez also raised eyebrows on Wednesday in Thailand as he d💧idn’t run Ducati’s 2025 aero package.

However, Tardoz﷽zi confirmed this was simply down to both riders running different programmes, while has also played down both riders struggling during a practice start session.

“They have different w🤡ork to do today, different programmes,” he explained.

“Marc is do𓄧ing s🦹omething else. He’s also investigating different positions on the bike because he doesn’t seem so comfortable.

“So, he’s tried different ergonomics, handlebar🎀s and other things to be sat better o𒆙n the bike.

“I think that one of the problems was they make ಌthe start with the hard tyre, but I see also other brands haꦐving the same problem.

“So it seems there the b🌳ike, the clutch was not set in the proper way. But I think as usual Marc and Pecco✤ will start well in the next race.”