**Title: “Ducati’s Dilemma: Navigating Team Dynamics After Bagnaia-Marquez Aragon Clash”**

Should Ducati intervene following the Bagnaia-Alex Marquez clash?

Podcast discussion: "Is there some uncertainty because it's still early in the season, making it difficult to tell other Ducati riders, 'you're out of the championship race, so hold back in such scenarios'?"

On Sunday, a contentious collision in the final stages of the Aragon MotoGP race involving Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez resulted in both Ducati riders losing their chance at a podium finish.

This also signified that reigning champion Bagnaia, who had come with a five-point lead in the title race, departed Spain injured, sore, and trailing Jorge Martin by 23 points.

In the newest episode of the Crash.net MotoGP podcast, Jordan Moreland, the host, inquired:

The main highlight of the race was the intense competition between Pecco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez for a spot on the podium. Bagnaia appeared poised to overtake Marquez, with the outcome seemingly inevitable. However, everything changed when an incident occurred.

“What do you think about the situation? It seems to have happened not long ago. Clearly, both riders are pointing fingers at each other…”

"Miserable weekend for Bagnaia, marking his worst performance since the Sprint format was introduced last year," stated Pete McLaren, editor of Crash.net MotoGP.

“Almost everything went awry for him: he faced two tyre problems, qualified on the less favorable side of the track, and to top it all off, he collided at a moment when it seemed inevitable that he would secure third place from Alex Marquez.

"Clearly, Alex was competing in front of his local supporters and hoping to share the podium with Marc during his significant return. Understandably, he was reluctant to concede, and ultimately, there simply wasn't enough space for both of them."

The issue at hand is determining who noticed whom first and who should have allowed more space. The Stewards decided not to take any additional steps. They mentioned reviewing some technical data, but the specifics of that data remain unclear.

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

“When two riders crash and they are using the same type of bikes, the manufacturer has access to the data from both machines. This is precisely what Ducati would have analyzed. It’s known that they did something similar after the Portimao incident, where Marc Marquez and Bagnaia had a collision. Marc Marquez made a brief comment suggesting that Ducati could review all the data to determine who was responsible.”

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

"It would have been helpful to see the 'visor cam' perspective we experienced with Alex Rins during the private test at Misano, to understand where each rider was focusing their attention!"

"A racing mishap occurred, but it had significant consequences. Pecco was fortunate that Marc prevented Martin from securing the maximum points this weekend. The greatest relief is that neither Pecco nor Alex Marquez sustained serious injuries."

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

MotoGP journalist Lewis Duncan remarked, “I’ll play the role of Devil’s advocate regarding data, as whenever someone mentions data, I can’t help but recall Honda in 2015. They were insistent that their data proved Valentino had kicked Marc and were prepared to reveal it to everyone!”

"If I were to assign blame, I'd attribute a bit more to Pecco. This isn't the first time we've seen this behavior; 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? Such a move would inevitably lead to a collision. It's better to handle the corner more strategically."

In Jerez, when he found himself squeezed between Bezzecchi and Brad Binder, he should have pulled back since he was faster than both of them. There was no need to engage. The situation here was similar.

“You observed that Alex didn’t check his surroundings. He was trailing behind Alex when he drifted wide 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 the right turn. And it’s very probable that Alex will be there.

"In my opinion, you need to be more strategic, particularly when you're competing for a championship. I believe Alex should have been more aware of his surroundings, thinking, 'This is going to be close. I'll pull back and try to regain my position later.' Pecco should have had a similar mindset, realizing, 'There's still enough time to make my move.'"

"In each instance I’ve highlighted, Pecco has ended up suffering the most and has lost points. I believe Ducati should have a discussion with Pecco to advise him to be more selective in his confrontations with other riders. Finishing in fourth place is preferable to finishing without any points."

“I believe Pecco occasionally has difficulty accepting the results available to him. For instance, if you consider Martin, he has been consistently securing second place in recent weeks, and as a result, he now leads the championship by 23 points.”

Moreland responded: “Pete, this situation brings to mind the incident involving Bagnaia and Vinales at Le Mans last season. It’s unfortunate timing because Martin is currently performing flawlessly and consistently earning points."

"This brings us to the topic we all dislike: team orders," McLaren stated. "It's hard not to draw parallels between Sunday's race and previous seasons 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're mathematically eliminated and should step aside in such situations."

"Perhaps Pecco and Martin believe that being at the forefront of the championship race will grant them more leeway from other Ducati racers. However, those other riders are under the impression that, since no official instructions have been given, they are still competing fiercely for every spot."

"Next, consider what advice you would give Marc Marquez and Bastianini, who are slightly trailing the leading duo but still possess a genuine opportunity."

Duncan commented, “In my opinion, Ducati should really consider this issue for its own benefit. The last thing they need is for Alex Marquez to clash with Pecco Bagnaia again, which could lead to Martin gaining more points while Marc stays ahead.”

"We've observed how extremely toxic the fan base can become in those moments, when they believe 'this occurred, sabotage, and so on'."

“Ducati should take control and declare: ‘These are the riders contending for the title. These are the ones who can secure the championship. If you’re not among them, do not compete aggressively against them’.”

"We definitely don't want to witness that scenario, but it's a worst-case situation for Ducati with Martin currently at the top of the championship standings. Allowing Martin to move to Aprilia while holding the number one position is something they can't afford to happen."

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

"He appeared to be quite unhappy. It seemed as though he observed the situation and thought: Pecco is off the track, Marc is securing victories – something that initially concerned them about disrupting the balance before permitting him to join Gresini – and Martin is at the top of the championship standings."

"They must consider the possibility that, with better management and Marc's willingness to join Pramac, they could have retained both individuals on their team."

"In the coming weeks, Ducati has several issues to address, one of which is improving how they handle certain situations, or they risk facing significant embarrassment by the end of the season."

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