Marc Marquez approaches the final two grands prix of the MotoGP season with his tenth career world title virtually secured, steering Ducati toward a tense battle with Aprilia for the constructors’ championship as diaridegirona.cat reported.
The rivalry intensified at the Losail circuit in Doha, Qatar, where Aprilia racing chief Massimo Rivola dismissed Ducati’s technological prowess and argued that any championship success for the Borgo Panigale factory stems solely from the individual brilliance of Marquez.
Rivola stated that four Aprilia machines were not enough to defeat Marquez on track, while his factory trails Ducati by just eight points in the constructors’ standings with only events at Portimao on November 22 and Valencia on November 29 remaining on the calendar.
Lenovo Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi delivered an immediate rebuttal to Rivola’s remarks during a broadcast on Sky Italia, defending the collective effort behind Ducati’s success. Tardozzi questioned Aprilia’s deployment of four bikes and noted that six Ducati entries have competed this season, with multiple riders taking wins.
“Who wins is always the package,” Tardozzi said on Sky Italia, emphasizing the need for a fast rider, a competitive motorcycle, and proper technical and sports management to win a world championship. Tardozzi specifically highlighted the importance of sports management in a direct jab at Rivola, whose handling of Aprilia’s campaign has drawn criticism despite possessing strong machinery.
Tardozzi praised Marquez for displaying both exceptional speed and racing maturity during recent rounds, pointing to a calculated approach in Qatar where the rider allowed Marco Bezzecchi to pull away early due to a superior rear-tyre choice before fighting back to secure second place. The Ducati director also credited transparent communication between Marquez and the racing department regarding his physical recovery following injuries that sidelined him in previous seasons.
“Marc has always told us about his physical condition with the utmost clarity possible,” Tardozzi said, adding that the team understood from the outset that his rehabilitation would take months. According to Tardozzi, a turning point for the squad arrived earlier in the year at Mugello, where the team gained renewed momentum to prove the strength of the Ducati group and its riders.
Worth a look
