Ducati fury in Brazil, Davide Tardozzi: "It was a shock

The MotoGP '26 season has started uphill for Ducati. After dominating the last four years, they now find themselves chasing Aprilia after the first two Grands Prix. In Brazil, their rivals from Noale sealed a one-two that rings a bit like a wake-up call in the Red team’s garage.

There is anger and bitterness among the Borgo Panigale crew after the weekend in Goiania. The weekend was marred by several downright shocking incidents, such as flooding in parts of the circuit and a pothole forming on the track before the Sprint. Then Sunday’s race was shortened from 31 to 23 laps due to tire degradation on track. A last-minute decision that infuriated Davide Tardozzi, Ducati Corse team manager, and the top brass of the Emilia-based squad. So much so that MotoGP cameras caught a heated exchange between Tardozzi and Carlos Ezpeleta about the organization’s lack of foresight.

The Italian manager was anything but pleased, as the late communication meant they couldn’t change tires or adopt a different strategy during the race. "It was a shock, because we didn’t know until the last five or six minutes," he told TNT Sports2. "If the organizers made this decision, there must be a reason. We trust them, so we’ll talk about it in Austin, but I’m sure they’ll explain why."

A decision that upended teams’ and riders’ plans for the race, but the ‘extraordinary’ rule applied to everyone. At the end of the Brazilian GP, Marc Marquez, 4th at the finish, didn’t hide his displeasure. Not so much for the last-minute choice to shorten the race, but for Aprilia’s step forward. For a team used to dominating, this result feels like a real crisis. But Davide Tardozzi isn’t discouraged and is trying to rally around his team. "First of all, congratulations to Aprilia, they have worked very well since last year... Gigi (Dall’Igna) has been working since the winter on the areas where we’re losing ground to help us catch up. It’s clear that Aprilia has done an excellent job and it won’t be easy."

The team manager is counting on turning the situation around at the next MotoGP round in Texas, a track historically favorable to the nine-time champion. "I think Aprilia will still be competitive in Austin, but I’m sure Ducati will be closer. They’ll be very strong at Jerez too, but we can get nearer. We know the problem and we’re looking for the way to solve it."

One of the biggest unknowns at the start of this season is Marc Marquez’s physical condition, as he deals with an injury sustained last year at Mandalika. Tardozzi didn’t look for excuses, but acknowledged reality. "Right now we also have a Marc who isn’t at 100% physically, even if that’s not an excuse, since the other Ducatis are behind us. We can’t expect Marc’s talent to always solve our problems."