Ducati Dilemma: Assessing the Fallout of the Bagnaia-Alex Marquez Clash and the Need for Team Orders Amidst Championship Battle

Should Ducati intervene following the incident between Bagnaia and Alex Marquez?

Podcast discussion: “Is there some uncertainty since we haven't progressed enough into the season to tell other Ducati riders that they are no longer in contention, and therefore should hold back in such situations?”

On Sunday, a heated incident in the closing stages of the Aragon MotoGP between Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez resulted in both Ducati riders losing their spots on the final podium.

This also signified that the defending champion Bagnaia, who came to Spain with a five-point lead in the title race, departed the country injured and trailing Jorge Martin by 23 points.

In the most recent episode of the Crash.net MotoGP podcast, presenter Jordan Moreland inquired:

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; it felt inevitable. However, an unexpected incident occurred.

"What did you think about the situation? It seems like it happened not too long ago. Clearly, both riders are pointing fingers at each other…"

“A dreadful weekend for Bagnaia, marking his worst performance since the introduction of the Sprint format last year,” stated Pete McLaren, editor at Crash.net MotoGP.

"Nearly everything fell apart for him: he dealt with two tire problems, started from the less favorable side of the track during qualifying, and to top it all off, he got into a collision when it seemed inevitable that he would overtake Alex Marquez for 3rd place."

"Clearly, Alex was competing in front of his home crowd and aimed to possibly stand beside Marc on the podium during his remarkable return. Therefore, it’s understandable that he didn’t want to yield, and ultimately, there simply wasn't enough space for both of them."

“The issue now is, who noticed whom first? And who was responsible for giving more space? The Stewards concluded that no additional measures were necessary. They mentioned reviewing some technical data, but the specifics remain unclear.

“The data aspect was intriguing because when Pecco later discussed the decision, he asserted that the data indicated Alex possibly didn't slow down as much as one might anticipate from a rider involved in a crash.

When an incident occurs involving two riders on identical bikes, the manufacturer has access to the data for both. This is precisely what Ducati would have reviewed. It’s known that they conducted a similar analysis following the Portimao incident, where Marc Marquez and Bagnaia collided. Marc Marquez made a brief comment to resolve the issue of fault, stating, ‘Ducati can see all the data…’

"Pecco is now claiming that the data indicates he wasn't at fault. But did the Stewards review this data too? If they had, would their decision have been different based on what Pecco asserts the data reveals? It's uncertain."

"It would have also been helpful to have the 'visor cam' perspective we saw from Alex Rins during the private Misano test, so we could see where each rider was focusing their attention!"

"A mishap during the race had significant consequences. Fortunately for Pecco, Marc's actions prevented Martin from earning the highest points possible this weekend. The most reassuring update is that both Pecco and Alex Marquez escaped without serious injuries."

“What are your thoughts on the matter, Lewis?” Moreland asked.

"I'm going to challenge the data perspective a bit, because every time data is mentioned, I immediately recall Honda in 2015. They were confident they had data proving that Valentino had kicked Marc and were eager to present it to the public!" stated MotoGP journalist Lewis Duncan.

If I were to assign responsibility, I would attribute a bit more to Pecco. This isn't a new occurrence; we witnessed it in Portugal and somewhat during the Sprint race at Jerez. Pecco appears to struggle with choosing the right moments to engage in battles.

"We observed a similar situation with Marc in Portugal. Even if you couldn't see him from the outside, it was clear he would re-enter. So, why place your bike there? It was predictable that this would lead to a collision; you should navigate the corner more wisely."

“In Jerez, when he ended up squeezed between Bezzecchi and Brad Binder – you were faster than both of them, so just pull back. Don’t engage. The situation was similar this time as well."

“You observed that Alex didn’t check his surroundings. He was trailing Alex when Alex veered off course at Turn 12. You noticed that he’s unaware of your presence. You’re aware that Turn 13 is a tight spot when you make a right turn. And it’s very probable that Alex will be there.”

"You need to be more strategic in your approach, particularly if you're competing for a championship. One could say that Alex should have checked his rear and thought, 'This is going to be close, I'll ease off and try to regain position later.' Similarly, Pecco should have considered that there was still plenty of time to make a move."

"In each instance I've highlighted, Pecco has ended up in the worst position and lost points as a result. I believe Ducati should have a discussion with Pecco about choosing his battles carefully when interacting with other riders. They should emphasize that securing a 4th place finish is more advantageous than finishing without any points."

"Pecco occasionally seems to have difficulty accepting the best possible outcome available. In contrast, Martin has recently been content with finishing in second place when that was the best he could achieve. As a result, Martin 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 also unfortunate timing since Martin is performing flawlessly and accumulating points.”

“And that brings us to the topic we all dislike: team orders,” McLaren commented. “It's hard not to draw comparisons between Sunday and previous years when other Ducati riders were aware they needed to allow the title contenders some extra space.

"Currently, there's some uncertainty as we're not deep enough into the season to tell the other Ducati riders that they're mathematically out of contention and should therefore step aside in such scenarios."

"Pecco and Martin might believe that their lead in the championship will earn them some leniency from other Ducati riders. However, those riders are operating under the assumption that, since no instructions have been given, they should continue to compete fiercely for every spot."

"Additionally, what advice would you offer Marc Marquez and Bastianini, who are just slightly behind the leading pair but still have a fair shot at success?"

Duncan commented that Ducati should seriously consider this issue for its own benefit. He noted that it's undesirable for Alex Marquez to have another clash with Pecco Bagnaia, which could result in Martin gaining more points while Marc leads the race.

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

"Ducati should take charge and declare: ‘These are our title contenders. These are the riders who can clinch the championship. If you're not among them, don't compete aggressively against them’."

"We hate to imagine it, but it's a disastrous scenario for Ducati if Martin is ahead in the championship. They absolutely can't allow Martin to join Aprilia while holding the top spot."

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

"He didn't seem pleased at all. It was as if he saw the situation and thought: Pecco is off-track, Marc is securing victories – which initially caused some concern about disturbing the balance before permitting him to join Gresini – and Martin is at the top of the championship standings."

"They must consider that they could have had both of those riders on their team if things had been handled differently and if Marc had been willing to join Pramac."

In my opinion, Ducati has a great deal to address in the upcoming weeks. One crucial aspect is that they must handle the current circumstances more effectively, or they might face significant embarrassment by the end of the season.

Explore Further

Recent Updates

Recent Updates

Site Map

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

Reproducing the text, photos, or drawings in whole or in part is prohibited in any manner.