DUCATI BOSS TARDOZZI SAYS TITLE FIGHT NEEDS ATTACKING AFTER AUSTRIA SETBACK

Ducati’s Davide Tardozzi believes the 2026 MotoGP title fight has reached a stage where the team must shift from managing the championship to actively attacking it. Speaking after the Austrian Grand Prix, the Ducati boss said the battle is still “wide open,” but has become “quite complicated” following Red Bull Ring results that left the Italian manufacturer with fewer points than expected.

Tardozzi pointed to the need for a more aggressive approach as the season moves deeper into its second half. “Definitely consistency, but also speed and aggression,” he said when asked what will decide the championship. He then framed Ducati’s mindset around a lesson he attributed to Casey Stoner, adding: “We’ve reached the point where we need to attack.” Tardozzi continued with the message he said Stoner taught him: “As the great Casey Stoner taught me, you tackle the first half of the championship with your head and the second half with your heart.”

The Austrian weekend underlined why Ducati feels it cannot simply rely on its usual strengths. Marc Marquez managed to salvage a strong result for Ducati despite problems, taking second in the sprint and fifth in the main race after a brake issue. Even so, Ducati failed to place a rider on the podium in the Grand Prix itself, with Marquez its leading finisher.

Jorge Martin, representing Aprilia’s main title threat in the reporting, was described as having outclassed Ducati across the entire Austrian weekend. Martin’s form left him 12 points clear of Marquez heading into next week’s Japanese Grand Prix, tightening the pressure on Ducati to respond quickly.

Tardozzi acknowledged that Ducati’s rivals were more competitive at the Red Bull Ring than Ducati had anticipated, saying: “There are at least a couple of tracks where, based on recent history, our rivals are much more competitive than we are.” He also stressed that the championship situation remains open, but that Austria cost Ducati valuable ground: “The world championship is still wide open. We didn’t expect to lose so many points here, but we have to give them credit.”

He added that Ducati must now bounce back in upcoming races, insisting: “Now, it’s up to us to bounce back in the upcoming races.”

Beyond the raw results, Ducati’s struggles in Austria were linked to tyre characteristics. Tardozzi said the team’s difficulties centred on the stiffer rear tyre carcass that Michelin brings to circuits with high heat demands on the rubber. He noted that this was a pattern seen earlier in the season, and that Ducati had previously won on the same tyre specification in Austria and Thailand last year—making the current dip in performance more frustrating for the team.

Tardozzi also suggested that internal expectations are high, saying: “I think Gigi [Dall’Igna] is the first one who isn’t satisfied with this situation.” He expressed confidence that Ducati will respond, adding: “I have no doubt that he’ll try to find a solution, either by bringing something new or making adjustments ahead of the upcoming races.”

While Ducati searched for answers, the Austrian Grand Prix itself highlighted how other manufacturers are capitalising. KTM’s Pedro Acosta won, and three Aprilia riders finished behind him. Tardozzi singled out Aprilia’s progress, saying: “Clearly, Aprilia has done a good job and is now reaping the rewards of that work.”