Ducati has introduced that check rider Michele Pirro will exchange the injured Marc Marquez for the MotoGP Australian Grand Prix, however is but to verify who will experience in his place in Malaysia.
The seven-time world champion suffered a collarbone harm following a collision with Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi on the opening lap of final weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix.
The 32-year-old instantly flew house to Madrid for analysis, the place he was identified with a fracture on the base of the coracoid course of and a ligament harm to his proper shoulder.
Whereas no surgical procedure is required, Marc Marquez will sit out the upcoming Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix.
Ducati has now introduced that check rider Michele Pirro will make his race debut in 2025 as Marquez’s alternative subsequent weekend on the Australian Grand Prix.
A quick assertion learn: “Following the harm that has pressured Marc Marquez to overlook the subsequent two spherical of the 2025 MotoGP season, Ducati Lenovo Group confirms that Michele Pirro will exchange him on the Aussie appointment.
“At Phillip Island, the Italian, official Ducati check rider since 2013, will race his seventieth GP within the premier class aboard the Desmosedici GP.
“As introduced earlier than, Marc is in Madrid recovering.”
With the introduction of recent concession guidelines final season, Pirro can now solely race as a alternative resulting from Ducati not being permitted to discipline any wildcards.
Ducati’s announcement leaves the door open for a attainable MotoGP debut for World Superbike frontrunner Nicolo Bulega on the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The Italian, previously on Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Academy, has Ducati check rides as a part of his World Superbike contract subsequent 12 months forward of a possible race seat at one in every of its groups in 2027.
With the World Superbike marketing campaign ending subsequent weekend, Bulega would don’t have any scheduling conflicts stopping him from competing at Sepang with Ducati.
Ducati may additionally name on the likes of Alvaro Bautista, Andrea Iannone and Danilo Petrucci from World Superbikes, as riders with latest data of contemporary MotoGP equipment.
