Ducati’s Davide Tardozzi has emphasized that there are no clear favorites in the 2026 MotoGP championship race, even though Marc Marquez has taken the lead in the standings for the first time. The seven-time world champion achieved consecutive doubles at the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday, securing his fifth main race win of the season.
Marquez seized the championship lead partly due to Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi crashing and Jorge Martin experiencing arm pump issues that relegated him to fifth place. Although Marquez and Martin are tied on points, Marquez’s five victories compared to Martin’s single win put him at the top after Misano.
Despite erasing a 102-point gap since the Italian GP in May, Tardozzi cautions that the championship remains wide open with eight races left. “Marc showed his true character at Misano,” he said on the official MotoGP website, “but there’s still a lot of ground to cover, and we know some tracks favor Aprilia.”
Tardozzi stressed the importance of staying focused each race to gather as many points as possible, acknowledging, “There are no favorites right now.” He added that while Ducati has experience, Marquez’s experience surpasses theirs, and they trust his judgment and leadership.
After the Misano round, Ducati also took the lead in the constructors’ championship by two points over Aprilia. Reflecting on his championship lead, Marquez described the feeling as “unreal,” especially given the injury struggles he faced this season.
Fan Take: This update is thrilling for MotoGP fans because it signals a fiercely competitive season, with no rider or team clearly dominating. Marquez’s comeback to the top adds an unpredictable dynamic that could make the remaining races some of the most exciting in recent memory, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
Source: www.crash.net
