**Ducati’s Dilemma: Assessing the Bagnaia-Alex Marquez Clash and Its Impact on the Championship Race**

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

Podcast Discussion: "Is there some uncertainty because it's still early in the season to tell other Ducati riders, 'you're no longer in contention, so hold back in such scenarios'?"

The contentious incident between Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez during the final stages of the Aragon MotoGP on Sunday resulted in both Ducati riders losing their chances at a podium finish.

This also resulted in reigning champion Bagnaia, who had come to Spain with a five-point lead in the title race, leaving 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, inquired:

The highlight of the race was the intense competition between Pecco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez for a podium finish. Bagnaia seemed poised to overtake Marquez; it appeared inevitable. But then, an unexpected event occurred.

“What’s your perspective on the situation? I believe it happened not too long ago. Clearly, both riders are pointing fingers at each other…”

"A disastrous weekend for Bagnaia. This is his worst performance in an event since the Sprint format was introduced last year," remarked Pete McLaren, editor at Crash.net MotoGP.

"Almost everything that could go wrong did for him. He faced two tire problems, started qualifying on the less favorable side of the track, and to top it all off, he got into a collision just as it seemed like he was about to overtake Alex Marquez for third place."

"Clearly, Alex was competing in front of his local supporters and aiming to possibly stand alongside Marc on the podium during his remarkable return. Therefore, it's understandable that he was reluctant to back down, and ultimately, there simply wasn't enough space for both of them."

"The issue now is, who noticed whom first? And who was supposed to provide more space? The Stewards concluded there was no need for additional action. They mentioned reviewing some technical data, but the specifics remain unclear."

"The data aspect was intriguing because, following the decision, Pecco mentioned that the data indicated Alex might not have slowed down as much as one would typically expect from a rider involved in a collision."

“When two riders experience a collision while riding the same brand of bikes, the manufacturer has access to the data from both vehicles. This is what Ducati likely examined. We are aware that they did a similar analysis following the Portimao incident, where Marc Marquez and Bagnaia crashed into each other. In that case, Marc Marquez attempted to resolve the dispute over fault by simply stating, ‘Ducati can see all the data…’

"Pecco is now claiming that the data indicates he was not at fault. Did the Stewards have access to this data too? Would their decision have been different if they had reviewed the information Pecco refers to? It's uncertain."

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

"A racing incident with significant consequences. Pecco was fortunate because Marc prevented Martin from earning the most points this weekend, and the good news is that neither Pecco nor Alex Marquez sustained serious injuries."

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

"I’m going to take a contrarian stance regarding data, as it always reminds me of the 2015 incident with Honda. Back then, they were confident they had data proving that Valentino had kicked Marc and planned to reveal it publicly," remarked MotoGP journalist Lewis Duncan.

“If I had to assign responsibility, I would place a bit more on Pecco. We've witnessed this behavior previously. It happened in Portugal and somewhat during the Sprint race at Jerez. Pecco appears to struggle with choosing the right moments to engage in battles."

"We witnessed 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 position your bike there? You should anticipate the contact and navigate the corner more strategically."

"In Jerez, he found himself stuck between Bezzecchi and Brad Binder – you were faster than both of them, so pull back. There's no need to engage. This situation was similar."

"You noticed that Alex didn't check his surroundings. He was following Alex closely when Alex went off the racing line at Turn 12. It's clear he isn't aware of your presence. You understand that Turn 13 is a tight spot where you switch to the right, and it's very probable that Alex will be there."

"In my opinion, you need to strategize more effectively, particularly if you're competing for a championship. One could say that Alex should have checked behind him and thought, 'This is going to be close. I'll ease off and try to make a comeback later.' Similarly, Pecco should have considered, 'There's still time. I can achieve this goal.'"

"Every time such incidents have occurred, Pecco has ended up suffering the most and losing points as a result. I believe Ducati should have a conversation with Pecco to advise him on choosing his battles wisely when interacting with other riders. For instance, finishing in 4th place is preferable to ending up with no points at all."

"I believe Pecco occasionally has difficulty accepting what's available. For instance, Martin has consistently taken second place in recent weeks because that's what was achievable for him. As a result, he's now leading the championship by 23 points."

Moreland responded, "Pete, this situation is reminiscent of last season's clash involving Bagnaia and Vinales at Le Mans. It's unfortunate timing, especially since Martin has been flawless and consistently scoring points."

"And this brings us to the issue we all dislike: team orders," McLaren stated. "It's inevitable to draw comparisons between Sunday's race and previous years when other Ducati riders were aware that they needed to give the title contenders some extra space."

"Currently, there's some uncertainty because the season hasn't progressed enough to tell the other Ducati riders that they have no mathematical chance, so they should stand down in that case."

“Perhaps Pecco and Martin believe that being leaders in the championship race will make other Ducati riders give them more space. However, those other riders are thinking, 'We haven't received any instructions, so we're still competing fiercely for every spot.'"

"Another issue to consider is what advice you would offer Marc Marquez and Bastianini, who are slightly trailing the leading pair but still have a viable opportunity."

Duncan commented: "In my opinion, Ducati should really consider this for its own benefit. The last thing they need is another collision between Alex Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia, which could inadvertently boost Martin's points while Marc leads the race."

“We’ve observed how extremely toxic the fan base can become in such scenarios, when they believe ‘this occurred, sabotage, etc.’

"Ducati must take the lead and declare: 'These are our contenders for the title. These are the riders who have a shot at winning the championship. If you're not among them, don't compete aggressively against them.'"

"We dread that outcome, but it's a disastrous scenario for Ducati with Martin at the top of the championship. They can't afford to let Martin join Aprilia while holding the number one spot."

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

"That individual did not seem content. It appeared as though he observed the situation and thought: Pecco has crashed, Marc is securing victories—which had been a concern about maintaining balance when they initially permitted him to join Gresini—and Martin is at the top of the championship standings."

"They must consider that with better management and if Marc had been willing to join Pramac, we could have had both of those riders on our team."

It seems Ducati has several issues to address in the coming weeks, and one of the main challenges is to better handle the current situation; otherwise, they risk facing significant embarrassment by the season's end.

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