**”Ducati’s Dilemma: Should They Intervene After Bagnaia-Marquez Clash?”**

Should Ducati intervene following the Bagnaia-Alex Marquez clash?

Podcast discussion: "Is there some uncertainty because it's still early in the season to tell other Ducati riders that they have no mathematical chance and should therefore back off in such scenarios?"

On Sunday, a contentious incident during the final laps of the Aragon MotoGP involving Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez resulted in both Ducati riders losing their chances at a podium finish.

It also implied that, after coming to Spain with a five-point advantage 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, presenter Jordan Moreland inquired:

"The main highlight of the race was the intense battle for a podium spot between Pecco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez. Bagnaia appeared poised to overtake Marquez, seemingly only needing a little more time. Then, the unexpected occurred."

“What’s your opinion on the situation? It seems to have happened not too long ago. Clearly, both riders are pointing fingers at one another…”

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

Almost everything that could go wrong did for him: he faced two problems with his tires, had to qualify on the less favorable side of the track, and to top it all off, he got into a collision just when it seemed he was about to secure third place from Alex Marquez.

"Clearly, Alex was competing in front of his local supporters and hoped to stand on the podium alongside Marc during his remarkable return. Naturally, he was reluctant to yield, and ultimately, there simply wasn't sufficient space for both of them."

The issue now is determining who spotted whom and who should have allowed 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, after the decision, Pecco mentioned that the data suggested Alex might not have slowed down as much as one would typically expect from a rider involved in a collision."

"When two riders on identical bikes are involved in an incident, the manufacturer can examine the data for both. This is precisely what Ducati has done. We are aware they conducted a similar analysis after the Portimao event, where Marc Marquez and Bagnaia had a collision. Marc casually resolved the dispute over fault by stating, 'Ducati has access to all the data…'"

"Pecco is now claiming 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 a 'visor cam' perspective like the one we saw from Alex Rins during the private test at Misano, which showed us where each rider was focusing their attention!"

"A racing event with significant consequences. Pecco was fortunate that Marc prevented Martin from securing the maximum points this weekend, and the most positive update is that both Pecco and Alex Marquez escaped without serious injuries."

“What’s your opinion on this, Lewis?” Moreland asked.

MotoGP reporter Lewis Duncan commented, “I’ll challenge the idea of relying on data for a moment. Whenever someone mentions data, I immediately recall Honda in 2015. They were insistent they had evidence that Valentino had kicked Marc and were prepared to reveal it to everyone!”

"If I were to assign responsibility, I’d place a bit more on Pecco's shoulders. This isn't the first time we've noticed this pattern. It was evident in Portugal and also surfaced during the Sprint race in Jerez. Pecco seems to struggle with choosing the right moments to engage in battles."

"In Portugal, we witnessed this situation with Marc. Even if you couldn't spot him from the outside, it was clear he would re-enter. So, why position your bike there? It's obvious it would lead to a collision. Navigate the corner more skillfully."

“In Jerez, when he found himself caught between Bezzecchi and Brad Binder – you were faster than both of them, so ease off. Don’t engage in a battle. The same advice applies here.”

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

"Especially as a contender for the championship, I believe you need to be more strategic in your approach. In my opinion, Alex should have checked behind him and thought, 'This is going to be close; I'll pull back and try to make a comeback later.' Similarly, Pecco should have considered, 'There's still time; I can accomplish this.'"

"In all the instances I've described, Pecco has ended up in the worst position, losing points as a result. I believe Ducati needs to have a discussion with Pecco and advise him to choose his fights wisely when interacting with other riders. They should tell him, 'It's better to finish in 4th place than to end up with no points at all.'"

"In my opinion, Pecco occasionally has difficulty accepting the position available to him. Conversely, if you observe Martin over the last few weeks, he has consistently accepted second place when it was within reach. As a result, he now leads the championship by 23 points."

Moreland responded, “Pete, this situation is quite similar to what happened last season with Bagnaia and Vinales at Le Mans. It’s unfortunate timing too, as Martin is performing flawlessly and accumulating points.”

“And this brings us to the topic we all dislike: team orders,” McLaren stated. “It's hard not to draw parallels between Sunday and previous years when other Ducati riders understood they needed to allow 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 out of contention and should step aside in that scenario."

"Perhaps Pecco and Martin, who are leading the championship, believe that their fellow Ducati riders will give them more space on the track. However, those teammates are actually thinking, 'We haven't received any instructions, so we're still competing fiercely for every spot.'"

"Then comes the issue of what advice you would give to Marc Marquez and Bastianini, who are slightly trailing the top two but still have a plausible opportunity."

Duncan mentioned that Ducati should consider this issue for its own benefit. He pointed out that it wouldn’t be ideal for Alex Marquez to clash again with Pecco Bagnaia, as this could result in Martin gaining more points, especially with Marc leading the race.

"We've observed how the fan base can become rather toxic in these scenarios, when they believe that something like sabotage has occurred."

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

"We hope to avoid this scenario, but it's the worst-case situation for Ducati as Martin is leading the championship. Allowing Martin to move to Aprilia with the championship title would be a significant issue for them."

"I found it intriguing 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. It was as though he saw the situation and thought: Pecco has crashed, Marc is winning races—something they were hesitant about before letting him join Gresini—and Martin is leading the championship."

“They need to consider that they might have had both riders on their team if things had been handled differently and if Marc had agreed to join Pramac.

“There are several issues Ducati must address in the coming weeks. One major concern is improving how they handle the current situation, or they risk facing significant embarrassment by the end of the season.”

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