Insinuations About Ducati and Marquez: Tardozzi Responds

Ducati has put the Mandalika hurdle behind it and is heading straight for the MotoGP title with Marc Marquez. The reigning champion has maintained his gap to Jorge Martin in the standings and can now leave behind “the worst circuit” on the calendar. Gigi Dall'Igna and Davide Tardozzi can sleep soundly ahead of the next round at Phillip Island...

Once again, Marc Marquez showed what he could do on the Desmosedici. He put pressure on his direct rival, Jorge Martin, just as he had in qualifying. He disrupted the Aprilia rider's rhythm by tailing him during his second flying lap. Marc watches the lap times and knows who can't afford to miss out on a fast lap during their second attempt. Then he targets them, using their slipstream and throwing them off their game. Jorge tried to slow down to let him through, but Marc refused and stayed right on his tail.

Marquez's “brilliance” helped the reigning champion claim a surprising Sprint victory after the Aprilias got in each other's way. Raul Fernandez and Marco Bezzecchi collided at Turn 1, before 'Martinator' encountered tyre pressure problems. On Sunday, Aprilia went on to deliver the predicted dominant performance with a historic one-two-three, but Marc limited the damage, taking sixth place and finishing as the top Ducati rider.

Perhaps he could not have hoped for a better result. He gritted his teeth and scored valuable points, even while riding defensively. Gigi Dall'Igna summed up the MotoGP weekend in Mandalika clearly the following day: "We limited the damage through sheer skill and experience, on a track we knew would be difficult, perhaps the worst, and certainly one that favoured our rivals".

Marc Marquez's class once again stood out, reaffirming Borgo Panigale's determination to hold on to its champion. "This Grand Prix showcased all of Marc's brilliance. He was ready when it mattered most and claimed an unexpected first place. He also demonstrated the tactical intelligence to manage critical moments when the bike isn't the strongest in the field, getting the most out of every situation, even the most challenging ones".

Ducati has overcome a major hurdle in the MotoGP World Championship, and Marc Marquez has impressed once again. Some credit the Desmosedici GP26, supposedly tailored to the Cervera phenomenon. None of his fellow Ducati riders can do the same... Davide Tardozzi dismisses that theory. "It is absolutely not true that Marquez had the bike built to his specifications; that's just paddock talk. Anyone involved in developing the bike knows perfectly well what was done for him and what was done for the others".

In any case, the Ducatis differ from rider to rider, depending on each individual's requests. "Pecco has a different fairing from Marc's, and for a long time he used different aerodynamics on the swingarm from Marquez. Each of the factory riders, including Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez, can choose different solutions. We don't build the bike for Marc Marquez; that's not how it works", Ducati team manager concluded.

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