MARQUEZ JOKES THAT BAGNAIA TALKS TOO MUCH AFTER PADDOCK CHAT

Marc Marquez teased Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia after overhearing him discuss his Australian Grand Prix struggles with Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi.

Footage in Ducati’s Inside Ducati YouTube series showed Bagnaia and Bezzecchi talking in the media pen after practice at Phillip Island. Bezzecchi was gesturing as he described his sensations on track, and Bagnaia replied: “But at least you’re turning.” Marquez, who had been listening nearby, looked back at his teammate and joked: “You talk too much.” Both riders laughed. The clip does not make clear exactly what Bezzecchi had said or what Bagnaia meant in his response.

The exchange came during a difficult weekend for Bagnaia. He qualified 16th, while Marquez claimed pole in damp conditions by 1.494 seconds, the largest margin since 2019. Bagnaia had struggled to turn his Ducati GP26 and retired from the Sprint after only two laps. He had been 14th in pre-qualifying practice, while Bezzecchi topped Friday’s practice session. The Australian Grand Prix itself was cancelled because of rain.

Marquez’s weekend went in the opposite direction. He recovered from an early crash to take pole, then won the Sprint after Aprilia’s Jorge Martin crashed while running second, giving Marquez a boost in the title fight. Bezzecchi, meanwhile, also had a less successful weekend than Marquez.

Bagnaia’s retirement extended a poor run of results. Since the summer break ended in early August, he had scored Sprint points only in Austria, where he finished sixth, and Indonesia, where he was eighth. His Grand Prix points finishes in that period were seventh in Austria and eighth in Japan. Across the last seven Sprints, he had scored points twice; in the last six Grands Prix, he had done so twice.

Bagnaia will next head to Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix, where his 2025 form offered some encouragement. He won that year’s Sprint from pole and was on course for a Grand Prix podium before a puncture forced him to retire. That race was one of six retirements he suffered in the final seven rounds of the 2025 season.