DUCATI USED CONCESSIONS AND EXTRA 1000CC TESTING TO HELP MARC MARQUEZ REGAIN FORM

Ducati’s mid-season turnaround in MotoGP has been linked to a mix of targeted testing and the sport’s concessions framework, with Michele Pirro revealing how the factory team used extra work to help Marc Marquez “get back to normal” ahead of a renewed title push.

Pirro, speaking to GPOne at Misano, said Ducati carried out additional testing with its 1000cc machine after falling behind Aprilia. He explained that the team had shifted some of its focus away from the next 850cc transition, choosing instead to “get back on track with the 1000 to try to fill in those little things we were lacking.” In Pirro’s telling, the objective was not just technical progress but also restoring the bike’s baseline performance so Marquez could return to his usual level.

Pirro credited the effort broadly, saying: “Look, first of all, today the credit goes to all the guys and everyone who works at Ducati Corse.” He added that the results brought relief after a difficult stretch: “I’m very happy, but above all, a little more relieved, because we’ve been through some tough months.”

The timing of Ducati’s progress also coincided with a concessions reshuffle in July, when the Borgo Panigale squad dropped to Rank B for the first time. Pirro noted that the team initially questioned whether the allocation of 20 additional Michelin tyre sets would deliver meaningful gains, given that attention was already turning toward the 2026 move to Pirelli. However, he suggested those tyres and the associated testing opportunities proved valuable.

Marquez’s resurgence has underlined the impact. Ducati’s victory at the San Marino Grand Prix was their fifth win in the last seven races, after they had not won any of the first seven. While the factory team struggled early, satellite teams VR46 and Gresini each managed a win.

With the constructors’ standings now led by Ducati by just two points, the factory’s immediate goal is to keep Aprilia from extending its five-year run at the top. Pirro’s comments also highlighted how the concessions system shapes preparation: unlike Honda and Yamaha, Ducati, Aprilia and KTM can use test riders such as Pirro in these sessions, though they are limited to running at three circuits and remain under an engine freeze.

The concessions rules have been controversial, with Luigi Dall’Igna previously arguing they are unsporting but necessary for entertainment. In this case, Ducati’s rivals closed the gap when the scheme helped them earlier in the cycle, but Pirro’s account suggests Ducati have now also benefited—enough, he implied, for Marquez to be the decisive factor.