At the Austrian MotoGP held at the Red Bull Ring, Alex Marquez remarked that Ducati’s race bike felt notably different from their usual performance, which contributed to his crash. Historically dominant at this venue since its introduction to the MotoGP calendar in 2016, Ducati has been bested only twice before this year. However, during the 2026 event, the team was overtaken in the Sprint race by Aprilia’s Jorge Martin and in the main race by Aprilia’s Martin, Marco Bezzecchi, Ai Ogura, and KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who celebrated his first win. The absence of any Ducati rider on the podium at the Red Bull Ring was a first since 2016, a surprising outcome that Marquez felt mirrored the weekend’s challenges.
Marquez expressed his surprise at the bike’s altered behavior from the very first practice session, citing issues with the rear tire’s grip and traction, similar to problems faced previously in Thailand. He anticipates similar difficulties at the upcoming Indonesian Grand Prix in October due to the comparable rear tire design and track conditions, though he remains hopeful given his past podium finish there and the strong performance of rivals like Aprilia. Despite challenges, he is confident Ducati will continue to work hard to address these setbacks.
His race ended prematurely after a crash at turn 2a during a battle with Raul Fernandez. Marquez reflected on his performance, admitting that although he started well, he lost critical positions early on and made several errors throughout the race, for which he apologized to his Gresini team. He highlighted ongoing issues with temperature warnings on his brakes and engine, acknowledging that these factors made controlling the bike more difficult and contributed to the crash. Ultimately, he took responsibility for not overcoming these problems and expressed remorse for the mistakes made.
Fan Take: This unexpected stumble at a track where Ducati traditionally excelled signals a possible shift in the competitive dynamics among manufacturers in MotoGP. Racing fans should watch closely as this could herald a tougher, more unpredictable championship battle in the seasons ahead.
Source: www.crash.net
