Former MotoGP star Casey Stoner believes Ducati will play a major role in determining the outcome of Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez's rivalry next year.
Marquez, the most successful rider on the current MotoGP grid, will join two-time champion Bagnaia at Ducati's factory squad after Sunday's Barcelona finale, creating an all-star line-up.
There are concerns about the impact Marquez's signing will have on the harmony within Ducati, and how the Italian manufacturer manages having two alpha personalities in the same garage is set to be a true test of its strength.
Bagnaia has spent his entire career on Ducati machinery and is now its most successful rider in MotoGP history, thus making him an extremely important asset to the team. But Ducati also went to great lengths to secure Marquez's signature for 2025, showing how much he is valued by its bosses.
According to Stoner, both Bagnaia and Marquez will try to exert this position within Ducati next year, leading to potential conflict within the crew.
This, he believes, could lead to some level of favouritism, and the Italian manufacturer will have to decide who it "wants to protect more".
"It will depend on how Ducati behaves. I think Pecco is mentally strong enough to deal with the situation, it will be a question of who Ducati wants to protect more," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"They will probably both try to create chaos in the team to make things go in one direction or the other. We will see how Ducati will deal with the situation and who they will choose. They will have to be as balanced as possible or it will be a problem."
Although Bagnaia is on the verge of losing the 2024 MotoGP title to Pramac's Jorge Martin, who holds a 24-point lead going into the final round of the season, the Italian's ultimate pace this year has been nothing short of exceptional.
His victory in the Malaysian GP a fortnight ago was his 10th triumph of 2024, putting him in an exclusive club of riders including Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan, Valentino Rossi, Marquez and Stoner to have won 10 or more grands prix in a single season.
Stoner, who delivered Ducati its first title in 2007, praised Bagnaia for establishing himself as one of the best riders of the current generation.
"He deserves it. We have seen what he has done in the last few seasons, Pecco's growth is constant," he said. "Ducati's results are always better, but compared to others, he is the one who wins more than anyone else.
"He cannot be underestimated, these are real victories, not sprints. What he has done this year is impressive."
Ducati's decision to sign Marquez for the factory team came at the cost of its original preference Martin, who has since decided to depart the manufacturer in favour of a move to Aprilia.
Public opinion has been split on the matter, with some criticising Ducati for not rewarding Martin after what he has achieved with Pramac, and others admitting that Marquez wields too much star power for the Italian marque to look anywhere else.
Asked for his views on what was the biggest rider market news of 2024: Stoner said: "In many ways, I understand the decision, but that doesn't mean it's right.
"When you have riders who give their all and stand out from the 22 riders on the track, and one comes along to take your place, I don't think it's right. I think Marc could have had a factory bike with another team, I don't think it's right that they chose him over Martin."
