DUCATI CEO SAYS MARC MARQUEZ HAS BEEN GIVEN LUCK IN THE TITLE FIGHT

Marc Marquez heads into the Austrian Grand Prix leading the MotoGP standings, a position that Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali described as partly shaped by “luck” after a season that looked far less promising earlier on. The Spaniard’s rise has been dramatic: after being more than 100 points adrift at one stage, he has since scored 203 points since his return from injury, finishing 85 points clear of the next-best rider, Jorge Martin.

Domenicali said the key change has been Marquez’s confidence following his operation. “Since his return, it was clear from the start that his confidence after the operation had improved significantly,” he told Marca. He added that the current version of Marquez is different from the start of the year, even while acknowledging the right arm is still not fully trouble-free. “We’re seeing a different Marc compared to the beginning of the year; he’s still struggling, it depends a lot on the track, but on tracks where the fatigue in his arm is less noticeable or not at all, he did incredible things.”

While praising the performance, Domenicali also pointed to how rivals’ missteps have helped Marquez’s comeback. “Then again, it has to be said, he’s been lucky, because you need a bit of luck and our rivals have made a lot of mistakes,” he said. He stressed that Marquez’s ability to apply pressure can force errors, but he also admitted that the title fight has not always produced the kind of head-to-head racing fans might expect. “It’s clear that Marc puts on the pressure and it’s easier to make a mistake, but we would have preferred to see a real race, but that’s how it is; that’s racing, sometimes it goes very well and other times very badly.”

That theme was echoed by Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi when discussing Marquez’s most recent win at Misano. Marquez took his fifth Grand Prix victory of the year, with polesitter Marco Bezzecchi crashing out on the opening lap. Tardozzi suggested the result was not simply a matter of outright speed. “I don’t know if I would have won with Bezzecchi on the track, because he was the favourite,” he said. “He was certainly the fastest rider on this circuit, but it’s not always the fastest rider who wins, but rather the one who doesn’t make mistakes and reads the race best. And Marc is a rider who makes the difference mentally.”

Marquez is level on points with Aprilia’s Jorge Martin, but leads the championship on the basis of more wins. Over the recent stretch, Domenicali noted that Marquez has repeatedly benefited from rivals’ “gifts,” pointing out that Bezzecchi has failed to score on five of the last seven Sundays, while Martin has managed only two podiums in the same period.

Beyond the luck factor, the Ducati leadership also highlighted Marquez’s reliability in scoring. Across the two formats this year, only Jack Miller, Ai Ogura and Fermin Aldeguer have recorded fewer DNFs than Marquez’s three, with one of those incidents in Thailand attributed to a damaged wheel rim rather than a crash. With consistent points finishes on either side of his injury lay-off, Marquez’s comeback has combined mental edge, track-dependent physical management, and the timing of rivals’ errors.