Gigi Dall’Igna and Davide Tardozzi are extremely impressed by Marc Marquez – but they also assure Francesco Bagnaia of their full support.
Pole position, victory in the sprint, victory in the Grand Prix and fastest lap. Marc Marquez made an impressive mark on the first race weekend in Thailand. Just like Casey Stoner in 2007, he won his first race as a Ducati factory rider.
For the first time since 2014, Marquez has won the season opener, and for the first time since the end of 2019, he is back at the top of the championship standings. The Ducati team was also very impressed by the commanding performance in Buriram.
“A fast and determined Marc Marquez masterfully asserted himself at a pace that was out of reach for everyone else,” says Gigi Dall’Igna with respect. The head of motorsport celebrated exuberantly on the podium. ‘Who could ask for more?’ is his conclusion from Thailand.
Marquez could have won even more dominantly. Because his tire pressure was below the prescribed minimum pressure in the first few laps, he dropped back behind his brother Alex. The heat of the motorcycle in front caused the pressure to rise.
A driver must maintain the prescribed minimum pressure in the front tire for at least 60 percent of the Grand Prix distance. Once Marquez had achieved that, he overtook his brother and immediately pulled away at the front.
At first, this situation also caused some confusion in the Ducati pit box. “I thought,” crew chief Marco Rigamonti told Motorsport.com Spain,
“After so many laps at Buriram, it’s impossible that we haven’t set the tire pressure correctly,” said Rigamonti. “Marc rode gently and didn’t force anything, so the pressure didn’t increase as calculated.”
‘Riga’, as he is known in the paddock, is also drawing conclusions for the upcoming races: “We now have to take this into account much more when Marc has the opportunity to ride in the clean air at the front.”
Ducati wants to help Bagnaia find his feeling
Team manager Davide Tardozzi also says clearly: “What Marc did also shocked us. After overtaking Alex, he pulled out a lead of six tenths of a second in two sectors.” Tardozzi also has the task of ensuring a good atmosphere in the Ducati garage.
Despite his two third places, Francesco Bagnaia was a “loser” of the first race weekend compared to Marc Marquez. “‘Pecco’ is annoyed because he didn’t have the speed to keep up with Marc,” Tardozzi tells Motorsport.com Spain.
As a former racer, Tardozzi knows how to handle such a situation: “You will always find me between the two drivers. Maybe I’ll be a little closer to the driver who needs me more. Most of the time, that’s the one who’s behind.”
Argentina has been a difficult place for Bagnaia so far
With Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina and Austin in the USA, two tracks on the calendar now follow that have suited Marquez very well in the past. On the other hand, Bagnaia has never won a MotoGP Grand Prix at either track.
In 2023, Bagnaia won in Austin in the sprint. He also won there in 2018 in the Moto2 class. His best result at Termas de Rio Hondo so far was a fifth place in the 2022 season.
“I think that his feeling of insecurity with the bike was significantly influenced by the tests, which proved to be particularly problematic in his case and prevented him from riding with the consistency he needs.”
“I am convinced that in the upcoming races he will regain the same confidence he had at the end of last season and will once again be in contention for victory. For our part, we will do everything we can to support him in the best possible way.”
