TARDOZZI REJECTS CLAIM DUCATI BUILT ITS BIKE AROUND MARQUEZ

Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi has rejected claims that the factory’s MotoGP bike was developed around Marc Marquez, calling the accusation “bar-room talk” as Francesco Bagnaia continues to struggle alongside his dominant teammate.

Marquez joined Ducati’s factory team in 2025 and has since regularly fought at the front. He won nine Grands Prix that season and is chasing a 10th in 2026, currently just two points behind Jorge Martin. Bagnaia, by contrast, finished fifth in the 2025 standings after retiring from six of the final seven races. His difficulties have continued this year: he is ninth overall, has recorded eight retirements and has not reached the podium since Brno.

The gap between the teammates has prompted questions about whether Ducati’s development choices suit Marquez better. Asked by Sky Sports Italy whether the Spaniard had received preferential treatment, Tardozzi said: “I don’t believe it, and I’m totally opposed to those who claim that Marc Marquez has steered development towards himself. It’s absolutely not true that Marquez has had the bike built for himself; that’s just bar-room talk.”

Tardozzi said development is not limited to one rider’s preferences. Bagnaia, Marquez and other Ducati riders, including Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez, have all been able to provide input and choose between components or configurations. He pointed to differences between the factory riders’ machines as evidence that Ducati can tailor development individually: “Pecco has a different fairing to Marc; for a long time, he used a different aerodynamic configuration on the swingarm compared to Marc.”

“Each of the factory riders, including Diggia and Alex, has the chance to choose these things,” Tardozzi added. “We don’t build the bike for Marc Marquez – that’s simply not the case.”

Bagnaia’s form has also fuelled speculation about his future and his need for a fresh start. He is set to move to Aprilia in 2027. Carlo Pernat has described him as “lost”, comparing his situation to Valentino Rossi’s in his 40s and saying he needs to “find himself”. Pol Espargaro, meanwhile, has suggested Bagnaia may be questioning whether he “needs” to continue racing.

Tardozzi’s comments firmly deny that Ducati’s development policy explains the contrasting results, while acknowledging that the team has made rider-specific choices as it works on the GP26.