Never the protagonists": Assen shock, Ducati no longer in command. And now, how do you beat this Aprilia?
MotoGPThursday, 02 July 2026 at 18:32
The Ducati boys didn’t shine at Assen either; only Di Giannantonio and the banged-up Alex Marquez salvaged the balance sheet. Dall’Igna’s comment.
The final year of the 1000 era is certainly not going as expected. Ducati is no longer the driving force in this 2026 MotoGP World Championship, finding itself chasing the surging Aprilia squad, which, between factory and satellite riders, is increasingly laying down the law in the premier class. The Red no longer leads either on track or technically; the Noale manufacturer is playing ahead of the curve on multiple occasions, as we’ve already reported. Sure, Borgo Panigale tried an innovative tail unit, but it’s not enough to curb the dominance of the Noale quartet, now winning with all its riders. Gigi Dall’Igna summed up the situation after the Dutch GP, which has just been archived: there’s no shortage of compliments for the ‘rivals’, but at the same time he admitted Ducati’s current position of inferiority.
Dall’Igna’s comment on the Assen GP
“For the factory team, it turned out to be a basically anonymous GP, yet carried out with determination even if off the podium. We were never truly protagonists, as we’re used to and as is expected of us. But our sport has enough for everyone, and after Assen we found ourselves with a very open overall standings and some new contenders. A lively race that produced extraordinary results, my sincere compliments to Davide Brivio’s team” wrote Dall’Igna on his LinkedIn profile, where he analyzed the just-concluded MotoGP round.
“Ducati was well represented by a fantastic Di Giannantonio and an extraordinary Alex Marquez, not just for the finish but also for the heart and character shown with their performances. The same goes for Marc: he finished 7th in a race run with pride, at one point he was even 3rd. But this is what champions are made of: men who fight for every position, against all odds, and who always put on a show. Everything went well, so to speak, because in the end the gap in the standings remains unchanged. Not to mention Pecco, forced to retire while he was 4th: he also fought as long as he could, and he certainly deserved to continue his streak of positive results, thanks to his renewed fighting spirit.”
‘Diggia’ and Alex Marquez lift Ducati at Assen
“Diggia always proves to be fast, and by now that’s a foregone conclusion. Third in the Sprint and fourth on Sunday, he’s the best Ducati rider at the finish and, let’s not forget, also in the overall standings. After a hesitant start, he responded with patience and showed what it means to believe, fighting with all his might to reclaim the position he had before the penalty. Simply spectacular. Alex Marquez, a true warrior. An extraordinary performance from him: after everything he’s been through, finishing right behind Diggia is something from another era. A brilliant 5th place that was actually 4th until the last lap.”
Things didn’t go very well in the Ducati factory team, however, as mentioned earlier: the balance sheet therefore can’t be positive, even if Dall’Igna tries to spur the squad. “So for us it’s just an ordinary weekend, something we’re not used to and that shouldn’t leave a significant mark, or at least no more than necessary. We need to face these days with the right level of awareness, never give up, draw the right conclusions, and simply look with a positive attitude to the next challenge. Come on, Ducati!”
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