Pramac sporting director Fonsi Nieto, who worked with Jorge Martin during the 2024 MotoGP season, admitted that he understood Ducati's logic behind choosing Marc Marquez over Martin for the factory team alongside Francesco Bagnaia, which was a tough pill for the former Pramac rider to swallow.
Martin stated that he would prove Ducati's decision was wrong since he eagerly looked forward to being promoted from Ducati's satellite team to its factory racing team.
However, the Italian marque changed its decision and signed Marquez instead, leaving Martin to look for other options.
While Ducati came under fire from several personalities for its decision, including Valentino Rossi, Nieto has come to terms with the reason behind the move.
Speaking to Europa Press on how it affected Martin, he said:
"It was a difficult moment for him.
“I always say that Jorge has had three difficult moments in his MotoGP career: the crash in Portugal, which completely broke him and he even thought about retiring; the election of Enea Bastianini; and the election of Marquez.
“I think those have been the most difficult points and he has known how to overcome this and take it as motivation, and it is not always that easy.
"Ducati is right now in a moment of glory and they will continue to fight to win. But, of course, it has not been easy for them to decide to lose a rider like Jorge, world champion.
“But we are talking about Marc Marquez, eight times world champion, with a big pull. It may even be understandable that they chose Marquez.
“With Marc you always have to count because he is one of the best riders in history.
“Since he stepped on a circuit in the championship, you can count on him for the title, always.
“It will be a good fight between Pecco Bagnaia and him, with the Ducati.
“I hope Jorge is also fighting with them.”
Martin, who moved to Aprilia this season, is MotoGP's first independent rider to win a championship title last season as he outperformed Bagnaia in the final race at Barcelona, which Nieto thinks is "something spectacular." He added:
“To beat a monster like Ducati on a one-to-one basis in this way has been something spectacular.
“It has more merit to have achieved it as a satellite team.
“At Ducati, they are the factory, there are many more people working.
“But we were better, more united, believing that we could win the championship from winter training.”
