DALL’IGNA SAYS MARQUEZ’S DETERMINATION SETS HIM APART

Marc Marquez heads to Qatar with a chance to secure his 10th Grand Prix title after a remarkable recovery from a 102-point deficit earlier in the season. Ducati general manager Luigi Dall’Igna says he always believed the Spaniard could turn things around. “Marc is a great rider and with him, anything is possible,” he told AS.

Marquez was recovering from surgery for a broken foot sustained at Le Mans and dealing with nerve damage in his right arm from a crash in Mandalika last year when he trailed the championship before May’s Italian Grand Prix. Since Mugello, he has won seven races. His victory in Malaysia extended his lead over Jorge Martin to 44 points and gave him a match point in Qatar.

To clinch the title there, Marquez must outscore Martin by 30 points and Marco Bezzecchi by eight. The championship would be his eighth in the premier class, taking him past Valentino Rossi’s tally. Martin missed the Malaysian GP after being injured in Australia, while Bezzecchi finished sixth after struggling to stay with the leaders.

Dall’Igna is not treating the title as settled, despite Marquez’s advantage. “There are still three races to go and, honestly, anything could still happen,” he said, adding that he preferred to “keep my feet on the ground.” Aprilia retain a slim mathematical chance, and their RS-GP is expected to be competitive in Qatar.

The Ducati boss also believes Marquez has more to give. “I think we have the best rider in history and, as I see it, he’ll surely step it up a gear,” Dall’Igna said. “Because no one else has the determination that he has.”

Ducati had looked vulnerable before Mugello, when Aprilia held a clear advantage, but the Italian manufacturer has since recovered and is now viewed as the title favourite. Marquez’s charge has also unfolded amid a season marked by injuries: Martin’s fractured radius at Phillip Island has severely damaged his bid to challenge for the championship.