Ducati’s Dilemma: Assessing the Aftermath of the Bagnaia-Alex Marquez Clash and the Need for Strategic Intervention

Should Ducati intervene following the Bagnaia-Alex Marquez clash?

Podcast: "Is there some uncertainty because the season hasn't progressed enough to tell other Ducati riders, 'you're out of the running mathematically, so you should hold back in such situations'?"

The contentious incident late in the race on Sunday between Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez during the Aragon MotoGP resulted in both Ducati riders losing their spots on the podium.

This also implied that, after coming to Spain with a five-point lead in the championship, the defending champion Bagnaia departed the country injured and trailing Jorge Martin by 23 points.

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

"The highlight of the race was the intense competition between Pecco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez for a spot on the podium. Bagnaia appeared to be on the verge of overtaking Marquez, making it seem inevitable. But then, an incident occurred."

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

Crash.net MotoGP editor Pete McLaren commented on Bagnaia's disastrous weekend, noting it was his worst performance since the introduction of the Sprint format last year.

"Nearly everything went awry for him, from the two tire problems to starting on the less favorable side of the track. To top it all off, he got into a collision just when it seemed inevitable that he would secure third place from Alex Marquez."

"Clearly, Alex was competing in front of his local supporters and was aiming to possibly accompany Marc on the podium during his remarkable return. Understandably, he was reluctant to concede, and ultimately, there simply wasn't sufficient space for both of them."

The issue now is, who noticed whom first? And who was supposed to make more space? The Stewards decided not to take any additional measures. They mentioned reviewing some technical data, though the specifics are unclear.

"The data aspect was intriguing because when Pecco later discussed the decision, he asserted that the information indicated Alex might not have slowed down as much as one would typically anticipate from a rider involved in a crash."

"When two riders have an accident while riding the same motorcycles, the manufacturer can access the data from both bikes. This is precisely what Ducati would have done. We are aware that they did this after the Portimao incident, where Marc Marquez and Bagnaia collided. Marc made a brief comment to resolve the dispute over who was responsible by stating, 'Ducati can see all the data…'"

"Pecco is now claiming that the data indicates he wasn't at fault. Did the Stewards have access to this information too? If they had seen what Pecco mentions was evident in the data, would it have altered their decision? It's uncertain."

"Another helpful feature would have been a 'visor cam' perspective, similar to what we saw from Alex Rins during the private test at Misano, to see the direction each rider was focusing on!"

"This was a racing incident with significant consequences. Pecco was fortunate that Marc prevented Martin from earning the maximum points this weekend. The most positive news is that neither Pecco nor Alex Marquez sustained serious injuries."

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

"I'll challenge the data perspective for a moment, because every time someone mentions data, I recall Honda in 2015. They were confident they had evidence showing Valentino had kicked Marc and were prepared to present it publicly," stated MotoGP journalist Lewis Duncan.

"If I were to assign blame, I would place a bit more on Pecco because we've witnessed similar situations previously. We observed it in Portugal and also somewhat during the Sprint race at Jerez. Pecco appears to struggle with choosing the right moments to engage in battles."

"It's similar to what we observed with Marc in Portugal. Even if you couldn't see him from the outside, it was clear he was going to re-enter. So, why position your bike there? You should anticipate the contact and navigate the corner more strategically."

At Jerez, when he found himself squeezed between Bezzecchi and Brad Binder, he was faster than both of them and should have pulled back. There was no need to engage in a fight. The same applies to this situation.

"You noticed Alex didn't check his surroundings. He was trailing Alex when Alex veered off course at Turn 12. It's clear that he isn't aware of your presence. You understand that Turn 13, where you quickly turn right, is a tight spot. It's highly probable that Alex will be there."

"In my opinion, you need to be more strategic, particularly if you're aiming for the championship. I'd suggest that Alex should have checked behind him and thought, ‘This is going to be close. I'll pull back and try to re-engage later’. Similarly, Pecco should have considered, ‘There's still enough time. I can make my move later’."

"Every time this has happened, Pecco has ended up in a worse position and lost points. I believe Ducati should have a conversation with Pecco about choosing his battles wisely when interacting with other riders. Finishing in 4th place is preferable to finishing without any points."

"In my opinion, Pecco occasionally has difficulty accepting the position available to him. On the other hand, if you consider Martin's recent performances, he has consistently secured second place when it was achievable. As a result, he now leads the championship by 23 points."

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

McLaren continued, "This brings us to the topic we all dislike: team orders. It's inevitable to draw comparisons between Sunday's race and previous years when other Ducati riders understood they needed to give the title contenders some extra space."

"There's some uncertainty right now since the season hasn't progressed enough to tell the other Ducati riders that they're mathematically eliminated and should therefore step aside in such scenarios."

"Perhaps Pecco and Martin believe that, being the front-runners in the championship, they will get more leeway from their fellow Ducati racers. However, those other racers are likely thinking, 'We haven't received any instructions; we're still competing fiercely for every spot.'"

"Another point to consider is what advice you would give to Marc Marquez and Bastianini, who may not be at the same level as the top two but still have a viable opportunity."

Duncan stated, "In my opinion, Ducati should consider reviewing this situation for its own benefit. The last thing they need is for Alex Marquez to have another collision with Pecco Bagnaia, leading to a scenario where Martin gains more points while Marc is leading."

"We’ve witnessed the toxicity that can emerge within the fan base in such scenarios, where they believe 'this has occurred, sabotage and so on'."

"Ducati must take the lead and declare: 'These are the 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.'"

"We hope to avoid this scenario, but it's a nightmare for Ducati with Martin at the top of the championship. Allowing Martin to move to Aprilia while holding the number one position is not an option for them."

"I found it intriguing to observe Gigi Dall’Igna's reaction once Marc finished the race. He appeared quite… concerned. It seemed as though something was heavily on his mind."

"He seemed quite unhappy. It was as if he saw the situation, noting that Pecco had crashed, Marc was winning races – a concern they had before letting him join Gresini – and Martin was leading the championship."

“They must consider that, if circumstances had been handled differently and Marc had been willing to join Pramac, both of those riders could have been part of our team.”

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

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