DUCATI CEO DRAWS PARALLELS BETWEEN MARQUEZ’S COMEBACK AND BAGNAIA’S 2022 TITLE

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali sees clear parallels between Marc Marquez’s 2026 title charge and Francesco Bagnaia’s championship-winning recovery in 2022, though he says the circumstances behind the two comebacks were not the same.

Marquez has overturned a 102-point deficit in this year’s standings, surpassing Bagnaia’s previous premier-class record of 91 points, which he erased against Fabio Quartararo four years ago. The comparison comes as Marquez approaches his first opportunity to secure the 2026 title at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Speaking to Moto.it, Domenicali said: “There are certainly some similarities.” He pointed to the scale of the deficits and the determination both riders showed: “I think Pecco was 91 points behind, here we were 102 points behind. I think in both cases we’ve seen tremendous tenacity so far, in that case Pecco’s not giving up and in this case Marc’s.”

Domenicali also stressed that Marquez’s campaign has been shaped by injury. He was still recovering from injuries sustained in a crash with Marco Bezzecchi in Indonesia last year when the season began, and was not at full strength after returning. Bagnaia, by contrast, had difficulties in the first part of 2022 for other reasons, but did not face the same physical limitations.

“Then Marc returned after the operation and gradually improved in physical shape and in his ability to manage the bike,” Domenicali said. Marquez could become the first rider since Wayne Rainey in 1992 to win the premier-class title after missing a race through injury.

Domenicali also noted that rivals’ errors helped both recoveries. He said Quartararo made several mistakes during Bagnaia’s 2022 campaign, while Marquez’s competitors have also made errors this season. “As always in life, you have to be in the right place at the right time,” he said, adding that the team must remain focused through the final three races.

At Qatar, Marquez needs to outscore title rival Jorge Martin by 30 points to clinch the championship. Martin is struggling for fitness after breaking his wrist at Phillip Island two weeks earlier, leaving Marquez with a chance to seal the title this weekend. A victory could be enough to confirm the crown after the Grand Prix, though Domenicali cautioned that the team still had work to do before the season was over.