Double crash for Marc Marquez: Tardozzi heads to Race Direction

In Thailand, the final pre-season MotoGP test has kicked off. Two intense days of trials in the Ducati camp, grappling with the choice of which aerodynamic package to homologate in a week’s time, ahead of the first Grand Prix. Marc Marquez suffered two crashes in quick succession on day one, first at the final corner and then at Turn 5. Team manager Davide Tardozzi takes stock of the situation at midday.

The Desmosedici GP26 is already a sure thing, as shown by the data from the previous MotoGP test in Sepang. In Thailand as well, proceedings begin with the best lap set by a Ducati, currently by Pecco Bagnaia. But right now the stopwatch results are relatively important; they don’t award points, they serve to provide certainties. And in the Ducati garage the focus is on the aero-pack already tested in Malaysia a few weeks ago. Gigi Dall’Igna’s technical creations continue to set the standard and deliver results. They are so refined that there’s still a small doubt in Borgo Panigale about which fairing to homologate.

After the MotoGP test in Sepang, Pecco Bagnaia seemed like the only one with a clear idea of the direction to take and would opt for the new package. "The idea is quite clear, but it needs to be confirmed. I have to say I liked it (the new package), but some changes need to be made; we’ll see if they can be done." Marc Marquez had been clear in recent days regarding this outing in Thailand. "The important thing is the aerodynamics, and we have to think about which one can provide the greatest benefit over the course of 22 races. There are several aerodynamic options and it’s impossible to have them all... The positive thing is that there’s no fear in choosing between the new and the old."

In Buriram, the focus remains on the new fairings, given that the engines will be frozen before the switch to 850cc power units. "This morning we compared two tires, one medium and the other soft," explains Davide Tardozzi to Sky Sport MotoGP. "But above all we worked on aerodynamics to choose the fairing (to homologate). We just need to confirm what was decided in Sepang and verify whether the decision is right by testing on a different track like here in Buriram."

The excellent time set by Pecco Bagnaia stands out, as he works with two different fairings, while Marc Marquez has only the new one. In total, Ducati has brought three aerodynamic packages (two from last year and one from 2026), and it must homologate two of them before the GP. "Pecco is in great shape. Unfortunately, Marc’s first crash was due to the very slippery white line, and Pecco also complained about this. I’ve just been to Race Direction, and we’ll see about fixing it for next week."

The final MotoGP preseason test may not provide definitive answers, but there’s no other way, and in a few days the World Championship will begin. "This is certainly not the grippiest track on the calendar, but conditions are quite good," Tardozzi concluded. "However, rain could ruin this level of grip."