Critical Decisions Ahead: Should Ducati Intervene After Bagnaia-Marquez Clash?

Should Ducati take action regarding the Bagnaia-Alex Marquez clash?

Podcast discussion: "Is there some uncertainty since it's still early in the season to tell other Ducati riders; 'you're no longer in the running, so back off in such scenarios'."

A disputed incident between Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez during the final laps of Sunday’s Aragon MotoGP resulted in both Ducati riders losing their chances at a podium finish.

This also implied that the defending champion Bagnaia, who came to Spain with a five-point advantage for the title, departed the country injured and 23 points behind Jorge Martin.

In the most recent episode of the Crash.net MotoGP podcast, Jordan Moreland, the host, posed the question:

The main highlight of the race was the intense competition between Pecco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez for a spot on the podium. Bagnaia seemed poised to overtake Marquez, with the outcome appearing inevitable. But then, an unexpected incident occurred.

“What are your thoughts on the situation? It seems to have happened not too long ago. Clearly, each cyclist is pointing fingers at the other…”

"A disastrous weekend for Bagnaia. This is his poorest performance since the introduction of the Sprint format last year," commented Pete McLaren, editor of Crash.net MotoGP.

"Almost everything went awry for him, from the two tire problems to qualifying on the less favorable side of the track. To top it all off, he was involved in a collision just when it seemed like securing 3rd place from Alex Marquez was only a matter of time."

Clearly, Alex was competing in front of his local supporters and was eager to possibly join Marc on the podium during Marc's notable return. You can understand that he didn't want to concede his position, and ultimately, there simply wasn't enough space for both riders.

"The issue now is, who noticed whom first? And who was responsible for making more space? The Stewards decided no additional measures were necessary. They mentioned reviewing certain technical data, but the specifics remain unclear."

"The data aspect was intriguing because, following the decision, Pecco mentioned that the data suggested Alex didn't slow down as much as one might anticipate from a rider involved in a crash."

"When two riders experience an incident and are using the same brand of motorcycles, the manufacturer can access the data for both bikes. This is precisely what Ducati would have examined. It's known that they conducted a similar review after the Portimao event, where Marc Marquez and Bagnaia had a collision. To address the debate about who was responsible, Marc Marquez made a casual remark, stating, 'Ducati can see all the data…'"

"Pecco now claims that the data indicates he wasn't at fault. Did the Stewards review this information too? If they had, would it have altered their decision? It's uncertain."

"Another helpful feature would have been the 'visor cam' perspective we saw from Alex Rins during the private test at Misano, to see where each rider was focusing their attention."

"A significant incident on the track had major consequences. Pecco was fortunate that Marc prevented Martin from earning full points this weekend, and the greatest relief is that both Pecco and Alex Marquez escaped without serious injuries."

“What do you think about it, Lewis?” Moreland asked.

MotoGP journalist Lewis Duncan remarked, "I'll challenge the notion of relying on data by mentioning Honda in 2015. They were certain their data proved Valentino had kicked Marc and were ready to present it to everyone!"

"If blame were to be assigned, I would place a greater share on Pecco. This behavior isn't new; we've witnessed it previously in Portugal and to a lesser extent during the Sprint race in Jerez. Pecco appears to struggle with choosing the right moments to engage in battles."

"We witnessed it with Marc in Portugal. Even if he wasn't visible from the outside, it was obvious he would re-enter, so why position your bike there? It's clear that would result in a collision; approach the corner more strategically."

"At Jerez, when he found himself squeezed between Bezzecchi and Brad Binder, he should have pulled back since he was faster than both. There was no need to engage in a fight. The same principle applied here."

It was clear that Alex hadn’t checked his surroundings. He was trailing Alex when Alex veered off course at Turn 12. It’s evident that he’s unaware of your presence. You are aware that Turn 13 is a tight spot when you make a right turn. It’s highly probable that Alex will be in that position.

When you're competing for a championship, you need to strategize more effectively. In my opinion, Alex should have been more aware of his surroundings and thought, "This is going to be close; I'll pull back and look for another opportunity to overtake." Similarly, Pecco should have realized, "There's still plenty of time; I can make my move later."

"In each of those instances I referred to, Pecco ended up in the worst position and lost points. I believe Ducati should have a discussion with Pecco and advise him to be more strategic in his interactions with other riders. They should tell him, ‘Finishing in 4th place is preferable to ending up with no points at all’."

"Pecco seems to occasionally find it challenging to accept the best available position. In contrast, Martin has consistently accepted second place when that's what was achievable in recent weeks. As a result, he now leads the championship by 23 points."

Moreland responded: "Pete, this situation is similar to what happened last season with Bagnaia and Vinales at Le Mans. It's particularly unfortunate timing since Martin has been consistent and scoring points without any errors."

"And that brings us to the topic we all dislike: team orders," McLaren mentioned. "It's hard not to contrast Sunday with previous seasons when other Ducati riders understood they needed to allow the title contenders some extra space."

"There's some uncertainty right now because the season hasn't progressed enough to tell the other Ducati riders that they're no longer in contention, so they should just back off in that scenario."

"Perhaps Pecco and Martin, being leaders in the championship race, assume that fellow Ducati riders will give them more space. However, those teammates are still racing intensely for every spot, as they haven't received any instructions to act otherwise."

The issue arises as to what advice should be given to Marc Marquez and Bastianini, who are trailing the leading duo but still possess a feasible opportunity.

Duncan commented, “In my opinion, Ducati should examine this situation for its own benefit. The last thing they want is for Alex Marquez to collide with Pecco Bagnaia again, which could lead to Martin gaining more points while Marc leads the race."

"We've observed how toxic the fan base can become in those scenarios, believing things like ‘this was sabotage’ and other such accusations."

“Ducati should take charge and declare: ‘These are our contenders for the title. These are the riders who can win the championship. If you are not among them, do not compete aggressively against them’.”

"It's a scenario Ducati dreads: Martin at the top of the championship standings. Allowing Martin to join Aprilia while holding the number one spot is something they simply can't permit."

"I found it fascinating to observe Gigi Dall’Igna's reaction after Marc finished the race. He appeared quite… distressed. It seemed like he was burdened by something."

"He did not seem pleased at all. It was as if he saw the situation and thought: Pecco has fallen, Marc is winning races—which they were initially concerned might disrupt the balance before they let him join Gresini—and now Martin is leading the championship."

"They must consider that, if the circumstances had been handled better and if Marc was willing to join Pramac, we could have had both of those riders in our team."

“There are numerous issues that Ducati must address in the upcoming weeks. One of the key concerns is their need to handle the situation more effectively, or they risk facing significant embarrassment by the end of the season.”

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