TARDOZZI SAYS PHILLIP ISLAND WILL TEST MARQUEZ’S TITLE CHANCES

Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi says the Indonesian Grand Prix exposed a bigger performance gap to Aprilia than his team had expected, and believes the next round at Phillip Island could offer a decisive indication of Marc Marquez’s 2026 title prospects.

Marquez left Mandalika only two points behind championship leader Jorge Martin, the same deficit he had before the weekend. Tardozzi therefore described the outcome in points as a success. But Ducati had hoped its rider would be closer to Martin on track, and the Sunday race raised doubts about whether the GP26 can match Aprilia’s RS-GP.

Marquez won Saturday’s Sprint, though the result came amid trouble for his rivals: Marco Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez collided at the start, while a front-tyre pressure issue forced Martin to give up the lead. Martin eventually finished fourth. In Sunday’s Grand Prix, Aprilia showed its pace, with Bezzecchi leading a historic 1-2-3-4 for the manufacturer. Fernandez took second, Martin third and Ai Ogura fourth. Marquez finished sixth, 10.778 seconds behind Bezzecchi and 3.888 seconds behind Martin. Tyre-pressure problems also affected KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who finished fifth.

“Especially on this circuit, we already knew that, but we expected the difference to be a little smaller,” Tardozzi told Sky Sports Italy. “That’s the truth.” He said Aprilia had proved “clearly superior” at Mandalika, while stressing that the unchanged two-point gap kept Ducati’s championship hopes alive.

Phillip Island, the 18th round of the 22-race season, is next on the calendar, from October 23 to 25. It will also be the circuit’s final Australian Grand Prix before the event moves to Adelaide in 2027. Tardozzi expects the track’s long, sweeping corners and the grip required at maximum lean to suit Aprilia. “If we can defend there, I think the world championship is still entirely possible,” he said. “We’ll take it race by race. There are still 185 points up for grabs, and we’re two points behind.”

The circuit could nevertheless offer Marquez opportunities. Seven of its 12 corners are left-handers, and the Spaniard has won the Australian Grand Prix five times, including four victories in MotoGP. Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola has tipped him to be the “strongest” rider there. Marquez missed last year’s Phillip Island race after fracturing his shoulder in the Mandalika gravel, following a first-lap collision with Bezzecchi.

Tardozzi’s concern is that Phillip Island’s layout may again highlight Aprilia’s advantage in mid-corner speed. A strong Ducati showing would keep the title contest firmly in play; if Marquez cannot challenge Martin and the other Aprilia riders, the championship picture could become much clearer.