Sunday's British Grand Prix gave Ducati plenty of reasons to rejoice as Enea Bastianini led an incredible 1-2-3-4-5 result for the Italian manufacturer. All its eight bikes finished inside the top 10 for only the second time in history, with the highest-non-Desmosedici rider ending up almost 10 seconds off the pace.
But while there was a mood of celebration inside the Ducati camp, its bosses would have been all too aware that they now have a big problem to deal with in the second half of the season. While the outcome of manufacturers' and teams' championships is already a given, the fight for the riders' fight is wide open - and only one contender will continue with Ducati next year.
Bastianini's double success at Silverstone propelled him to third in the standings, 49 points behind new championship leader Jorge Martin after the Pramac rider finished second on Sunday. While 26-year-old Bastianini has been playing down his prospects of a title challenge, it will only take a few more performances like last weekend for the outgoing Ducati factory rider to have an impact on the championship's destiny - and that's where things could get complicated for the Italian manufacturer.
The 2024 championship is currently finely poised between Bastianini's team-mate Francesco Bagnaia and Martin, with only three points separating them at the top of the table. After Martin's Sachsenring crash from the lead, many were quick to write him off from the fight, citing his fall as an example of him cracking under pressure.
But the events of Silverstone proved all that talk of Martin playing second fiddle to his Ducati stablemate was premature, and even Bagnaia is not immune to making unforced errors. After all, we have seen him give away big results multiple times in his career, including in the first part of 2024.
The odds are still against Martin with half the season still to go, but he has definitely got what it takes to mount a serious title challenge. Equally, while Bagnaia may have been off-colour at Silverstone, he will be back next time out in Austria, a track where he scored a double win from pole last year.
Martin and Bagnaia's close battle, and Bastianini's onslaught from third, put Ducati in a predicament now that the championship is back after the summer break. There is no denying that the Borgo Panigale marque is beginning to place all its weight behind its protege Bagnaia; the possibility of Martin winning the title and taking the #1 plate to Aprilia would simply be unacceptable to Ducati.
Bastianini actually did Bagnaia a favour at Silverstone by preventing Martin from dealing an even bigger blow to him in the points table. But at any other race, Bastianini may end up taking points off Bagnaia and allowing Martin to extend his advantage.
Consider a situation where Martin is leading the race and Bagnaia is sitting third, with Bastianini separating him. In the first part of the season, Martin and Bagnaia were usually left to squabble among themselves as they remained in a class of their own, but Bastianini's improved form has now added another dimension to their championship fight.
In the absence of team orders, it seems fanciful that he would voluntarily give up a potential win just to please an employer that didn't consider him for a third term at the factory team
Ducati will be hoping that there is no third person at play during the title run-in, but what would happen if Bastianini is standing in the way of Bagnaia winning a third straight crown in Valencia? Until now, Ducati has maintained that it won't impose any team or manufacturer orders in MotoGP. Instead, it has opted for a softer route by simply asking its riders to behave sensibly on track.
It's definitely the right approach to employ and keeps things fair on track, but it's also true that Ducati doesn't exactly have any other option. With Bastianini leaving for Tech3 after four seasons within its fold, Ducati cannot possibly expect him to comply with any order to move aside and cede to Bagnaia.
Even if Bastianini's title challenge never materialises due to a lack of consistency, he would like to go for individual race wins in the final 10 races and end his Ducati career on a high. After all, he is currently on the fastest bike in MotoGP and the KTM project he is joining next year is in the midst of a major overhaul.
While his relationship with Ducati didn't break down in the same manner as Martin's over its U-turn to sign Marc Marquez, Bastianini is well aware that his bosses didn't give him enough time to show what he is capable of after injuries blighted his 2023 campaign. In the absence of team orders, it seems fanciful that he would voluntarily give up a potential win just to please an employer that didn't consider him for a third term at the factory team.
So how does Ducati manage this situation? In signing Marquez, it has given up on two top riders in Martin and Bastianini, as well as its long-standing satellite team Pramac. This means it is effectively left with just one horse in this year's title fight, while still having a responsibility towards Bastianini and Martin, who have spent their entire premier-class careers with the marque.
It's a tricky situation to be in and Ducati needs to figure out how to manage its riders in the final 10 rounds of the season. While it can't take a step that would directly impact the fortunes of Martin, or Bastianini for that matter, it must be aware that it now needs to put Bagnaia's interests at its centre.
Ducati can only hope that Bagnaia will be able to repeat the form that allowed him to overturn a 39-point deficit in a matter of weeks before the summer break, while also cutting down on the kind of errors that made his life tough in each of his title-winning campaigns so far.
After all, there is a lot more at stake than the biggest prize in motorcycle racing. Having produced a bike as dominant as the GP24, it would be a travesty for Ducati to watch Aprilia carry the prestigious number one plate next year.
