A close ally of Jorge Martin has conceded that Ducati’s decisio🐲n t𓆏o pick Marc Marquez is “understandable”.

The💛 factory Ducati team opted to overlook Martin, who eventually became MotoGP champion, last year.

It means the champion will instead ride rival machinery f🌄or Aprilia, while Marquez steps into the factory Ducati squad.

"It was a difficult moment 🧔for him,” Pramac sporting director Fonsi Nieto told  about Martin’s snub.

“I always say that Jorge has had three difficult moments in his MotoGP career: the crash in Portugal, which completely broke him and he even𒁏 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 𝕴how to overcome this and take it as motivꦦation, 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 taꦜlking about Marc Marquez, eight times world champion, with a big pull. It may even be understandable tꦫhat they chose Marquez.

“With Marc you a😼lways have to count becausﷺe he is one of the best riders in history.

“Since he s🌄tepped on a circuit in the championship, you can count on him for ꧟the title, always.

“It will be a good fight🔴 between Pecco Bagnaia a✅nd him, with the Ducati.

“I hope Jorge is also fighting with them.”

Pramac’s Nieto saw Martin topple Bagnaia, th𒊎e factory Ducati’s star man and reigning champion, as an independent team rider.

“To beat a monster like Ducati on a one-to-one basis in thisඣ way has been something spectacular,” Nieto ﷽said.

“It has more merit to have achieved it as a sa♑tel♊lite team.

“At Ducati, they are the factory, there are many more pe♊ople working.

“But we were better, more unit💧ed, believing that we could win the championship from winter training.”