Ducati’s Deliberation: Team Strategy in Question After Bagnaia-Marquez Clash at Aragon MotoGP

Should Ducati Intervene Following the Bagnaia-Alex Marquez Clash?

Podcast: "Does the uncertainty stem from being too early in the season to definitively tell other Ducati competitors that they're out of the championship race, thereby advising them to hold back in such scenarios?"

The contentious incident towards the end of Sunday's race at the Aragon MotoGP, involving Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez, resulted in both Ducati competitors being eliminated from contention for the last podium spot.

This also resulted in the reigning champion Bagnaia, who had come to Spain with a five-point lead in the championship, leaving the country injured and 23 points behind Jorge Martin.

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

The major highlight of the race centered around Pecco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez vying for a podium spot. Bagnaia seemed poised to overtake Alex, with it appearing to be only a question of when. However, that's when the unexpected incident occurred.

"What was your perspective on the matter? I believe it was a recent event. Clearly, each participant is pointing fingers at the other…"

"A disastrous weekend for Bagnaia, marking his poorest performance at a race since the inception of the Sprint format last year," stated Pete McLaren, the MotoGP editor for Crash.net.

Nearly everything that could have gone awry did for him, including two tire problems, starting the race from the less advantageous side of the track, and to top it all, an accident occurred at a moment when it seemed inevitable he would overtake Alex Marquez for the third position.

Clearly, Alex was competing in front of his local supporters, aiming to possibly share the podium with Marc during his remarkable return. As you might expect, he was not eager to relinquish his position, and ultimately, it boiled down to there simply being insufficient space for both of them.

The inquiry shifts to identifying who observed whom, and who was supposed to yield additional space? The Officials determined that no further measures were necessary. They mentioned reviewing specific equipment data, the details of which remain unclear to us.

"However, what caught attention was the analytical aspect, as when Pecco later commented on the incident, he suggested that according to the data, Alex possibly didn't reduce his speed as much as one might anticipate from a rider involved in a crash."

"In cases where both participants in an accident are using the same brand of motorcycle, the manufacturer has access to the performance data from both vehicles. This is precisely the approach Ducati would have taken. It's known that they undertook this process following the Portimao incident, involving Marc Marquez and Bagnaia. After the collision, Marquez made a casual remark hinting at the resolution of the blame debate by stating, ‘Ducati can access all the data…’"

Pecco claims that the data exonerates him from fault. It raises the question of whether the Stewards had access to this information too. Could their decision have been different if they had viewed the data Pecco is referring to? It's uncertain.

"Another helpful feature would have been the 'helmet cam' perspective we saw from Alex Rins during the private Misano trials, to understand the focus points of each rider!"

"A mishap on the track with significant consequences. Pecco was fortunate that Marc intervened, preventing Martin from scoring the highest points this weekend. Importantly, both Pecco and Alex Marquez escaped without serious injuries."

"Moreland inquired, "Lewis, what's your opinion on this matter?"

"MotoGP reporter Lewis Duncan expressed his skepticism about relying solely on data by referencing a specific instance. He mentioned, “When the topic of data comes up, my mind immediately goes to 2015 with Honda. They were so convinced they had evidence that Valentino had intentionally kicked Marc and even promised to reveal this to everyone!”

"If I had to assign fault, I'd say Pecco bears slightly more responsibility, given past incidents. This pattern emerged in Portugal and was noticeable again during the Sprint race at Jerez. Pecco appears to struggle with recognizing the right moments to engage in battles.

In Portugal, we witnessed it with Marc. Regardless of his visibility from the outside, it was evident he would re-enter, so why position your motorcycle there? It was clear this would result in a collision; better judgment could have been used in navigating the turn.

In Jerez, when he found himself squeezed between Bezzecchi and Brad Binder – considering you're faster than both, it's better to pull back. No need to contest it. And the same principle applied in this situation.

It's clear Alex wasn't aware of his surroundings. He was trailing behind Alex as Alex veered off course at Turn 12. It's evident he's oblivious to your presence. You're aware that Turn 13 is a critical spot where the path narrows, requiring a swift right turn, and it's highly probable Alex will be there.

"I believe it's crucial to strategize more effectively, particularly when you're contending for a championship. In my opinion, Alex needed to be more aware of his surroundings and perhaps think, 'This is going to be close. I should ease off and try to recover later.' Similarly, Pecco could have thought, 'There's still ample opportunity. I can make this work.'"

"In each instance I've referred to, Pecco has ended up on the losing side, sacrificing points in the process. Ducati should consider having a discussion with Pecco, advising him on how to interact with competitors more wisely. They need to convey that securing a 4th place finish is more advantageous than not scoring at all."

"I believe Pecco occasionally has a hard time accepting what's available to him. Take Martin, for instance, in recent weeks, he's been content with securing second place when it's been achievable. This approach has put him 23 points ahead in the championship standings."

Moreland responded, "Pete, this situation takes me back to what happened between Bagnaia and Vinales at Le Mans last year. Plus, it's happening at an unfortunate moment since Martin is on a roll, avoiding errors and consistently scoring points."

"This brings us to the inevitable topic everyone dislikes discussing: team orders," McLaren noted. "It's impossible not to draw parallels with previous seasons when Ducati riders were aware they needed to afford championship contenders additional space.

"Currently, there's a certain level of uncertainty because we haven't progressed deep enough into the season to definitively tell the other Ducati riders that they're out of the championship race, so they should hold back in that context."

"It's possible that Pecco and Martin, being front-runners in the championship race, expect other Ducati contenders to afford them extra space? However, those competitors believe, 'No directives have been issued to us; we're still competing aggressively for each spot'.

"Additionally, we must consider what advice should be given to Marc Marquez and Bastianini, who are just behind the leading pair yet still hold a genuine opportunity."

Duncan noted, “In my opinion, Ducati should really consider this matter seriously. The last thing they’d want is for Alex Marquez to be involved in yet another clash with Pecco Bagnaia, potentially leading to Martin gaining additional points while Marc leads the pack.

"We've observed the fan community can become rather toxic in certain instances, especially when they believe there's been some form of sabotage or similar incidents."

"Ducati must take the initiative by declaring, ‘Alright, these are your title contenders. These are the racers who have a shot at the championship. If you're not among this group, avoid racing them aggressively’.

"Ducati is facing a scenario they'd rather avoid, with Martin at the forefront of the championship. Allowing Martin to switch to Aprilia while holding the championship title is not an option they're keen on."

It caught my attention how Gigi Dall'Igna appeared after Marc crossed the finish line. He seemed quite distressed. There was a sense that he was burdened by something.

The individual seemed far from pleased. It appeared as though he had observed the situation and thought: Pecco has crashed out, Marc is claiming victories – something that had initially caused concern regarding the balance before his transfer to Gresini was approved – and Martin is at the forefront of the championship standings.

"They must consider the possibility that both of those riders could have been part of their team if the circumstances had been handled better, if Marc had been willing to move to Pramac."

"Ducati faces a critical period in the coming weeks where they must address several issues effectively, or they risk finishing the season in an embarrassing situation."

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