DUCATI SAYS BRAKING ISSUE AFFECTING MARQUEZ AND BAGNAIA IS FIXED

Marc Marquez says Ducati has identified and addressed the front-brake problem that affected him at the Austrian Grand Prix, with team manager Davide Tardozzi confident it will not recur as the MotoGP season reaches Motegi.

The issue emerged at the Red Bull Ring two weeks ago, where Marquez’s brake lever behaved inconsistently. He ran deep at Turn 1 and briefly fell to eighth before recovering to finish fifth. He later said he was “lucky” to finish the race. The trouble persisted, although it became less concerning as the laps went on. After the event, Tardozzi said the team did not yet understand what had happened.

Marquez has since confirmed Ducati examined his data and found the cause. “The most important thing is that they have identified what happened in the race, because it was something that was visible in the data,” he said, adding that the team would try to fix it for Japan. “I am confident.” He also admitted the failure had unsettled him: “What happened in Austria was worrying.” Understanding what had gone wrong helped put his mind at ease.

Speaking during Friday practice at Motegi, Tardozzi said Ducati had identified the issue and believed it should not happen again. “The important thing is that Gigi [Dall’Igna] and the engineers have achieved some success and that I am quite sure about this reason,” he told Sky Sports Italy. Ducati has not disclosed what caused the problem.

The concern matters at Motegi, where several heavy braking zones make reliable stopping especially important. Tardozzi called Austria “a missed opportunity” but said Marquez would “attack starting from here at Motegi”. Ducati’s aim in Japan, he said, is to fight at the front and reach the podium.

The Austrian result also shifted the title picture. Pedro Acosta won, while Aprilia’s Jorge Martin finished second and Marquez fifth, leaving Martin 12 points ahead of the Spaniard in the championship. Tardozzi noted that some upcoming circuits may not suit Ducati. Indonesia could be particularly difficult: the stiffer Michelin rear tyre carcass is returning, and Marquez has never finished a main race at Mandalika. “We know that somebody else will be faster than us,” Tardozzi said of Indonesia, “but we know that Marc sometimes does something exciting.”

That is a sharp contrast with last year’s Motegi round, when Marquez won the title with five races remaining and left Japan 201 points clear after 17 rounds.

Braking concerns have also affected other Ducati riders. VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio said Marquez’s lever went soft, his own became stiff, and Francesco Bagnaia’s had at times stopped working altogether. Tardozzi said Ducati’s engineers had also made progress on Bagnaia’s braking issue, which has undermined his confidence in recent seasons. He felt the GP26 could be competitive at Motegi, a circuit suited to Bagnaia’s riding style, and said the new surface had provided good grip. However, Bagnaia ended Friday’s final practice 16th and must go through Q1 to reach qualifying’s second session.

With the Asian leg beginning and the title fight close, Ducati’s braking fixes will be tested at a circuit where stopping is crucial.