Valentino Rossi has offered a prediction about how Marc Marquez will fare this 🐎season.

Marquez is moving into the official Ducati garage with Pecco Bagnaia, the VR46♌ protege.

After winning the championship with Duc༒ati in 2022 and 2023, Bagnaia was dethroned by manufacturer stablemate Jorge Martin - who joins the factory Apri♏lia team this year - last season.

Despite scoring 11 grands prix victories to Martin’ꦗs three across the campaign, eight non-scores led to Bagnaia missing out on the championship by 10 points at the final round.

Bagnaia remains with the factory Ducati sq🌌uad for 2025, but faces his toughest challenge yet as ཧeight-time world champion Marquez joins the team.

At the recent 100Km of Champions event in Tavullia organised by Rossi, he told Sky Sports Italy about his prot🐎ege Bagnaia and his rival Marquez.

“The Ducati factory team riders are the main c🌳andidates for the title,” Rossi said.

“Bagnaia i♛s very excited 🌠because he wants to redeem himself from last year’s defeat. 

"So, we hope he can give that extra 5%.”

Rossi and team-mate Luca Marini came second in 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:last weekend’s 100km of Champions ev🌠ent, with Diogo Moreira and Thomas ಌChareyre beating them.

Elia Bartolini and Lor🌳enzo Baldassarri c♏ompleted the podium.

Bagnaia was partnered with Marco Bezzecchi a🍒nd c🍷ame sixth, while Pedro Acosta and Isle of Man TT star Michael Dunlop were last.

Rossi will continue as a factory BMW driver in 2025, though his car racing programme for the coming season is yet to be de꧂fined.

Last year Rossi raced in the World Endurance Championship for the first time as well as competing in the GT World Challenge Eur♊ope with the BMW-backed WRT squad.

However, he wants to scale back his racing programmes in 2025 and increase his p⛎resence at MotoGP event𝓀s.