After the news that Marc Márquez will miss both the Australian and Malaysian MotoGP races, Ducati has now confirmed who will replace him at Phillip Island. It is their long-time test rider Michele Pirro.

Pirro is very familiar with Ducati, as he has worked as their test rider for many years. He also has plenty of racing experience and is set to make his 70th MotoGP race start in Australia. For now, Ducati has only confirmed him for the Australian Grand Prix, but it is not yet known if he will race in Malaysia.

The Australian round at Phillip Island takes place from 17–19 October. Pirro will race alongside world champion Francesco Bagnaia. This will be Pirro’s first MotoGP race since last year’s season finale in Barcelona, when he replaced the injured Fabio Di Giannantonio at VR46. It will also be his first time on a factory Ducati since the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix.

Unlike some other manufacturers, Ducati cannot enter its test riders as wildcards because it is the only team listed under Category A in MotoGP’s concessions system.

Márquez has been ruled out of both the Australian and Malaysian rounds after an accident at the Indonesian Grand Prix. The crash happened on the first lap when Marco Bezzecchi, who had made a slow start, tried to recover position with an aggressive move at Turn 7. The two collided and retired from the race.

After the crash, Márquez flew back to Spain for further medical checks. Doctors confirmed he had suffered a fracture at the base of the coracoid process and a ligament injury in his right shoulder. At the moment, he will not need surgery. Instead, he will follow a conservative treatment plan, which means rest and keeping the shoulder still. His return will depend on how well he recovers before the final two races of the season in Portugal and Valencia.

Ducati shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), saying.

Meanwhile, Aprilia has announced that its test rider Lorenzo Savadori will also race at Phillip Island. This will be his 11th start in 2025. He steps in for Jorge Martin, who continues to recover from a broken collarbone which he suffered during the sprint race at Motegi.

In other news, KTM has not yet announced who will replace Tech3 rider Maverick Viñales. He injured his shoulder in June, tried to return in Barcelona and raced again in Misano and Motegi. However, after the sprint race in Indonesia, he decided to take more time off to finish his recovery.