– Michele Pirro still sees Marc Marquez as his favorite for the MotoGP title in 2026. At the same time, the Ducati test rider warns against expecting a constant dominance of the Desmosedici in the second half of the season.
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After the difficult weekend in Silverstone, the title fight is likely to develop into a real rollercoaster ride between Ducati and Aprilia from his point of view.
The last races before the summer break initially spoke in favor of Ducati. Marc Marquez was able to significantly reduce his gap to the top of the world championship. However, at the season restart at the British Grand Prix, the balance of power shifted completely. Aprilia dominated both the sprint and the main race in Silverstone, taking all the podium places each time.
For Pirro, this weekend is a foretaste of what awaits Ducati until the MotoGP season finale in Valencia. The performance of the two Italian manufacturers is likely to fluctuate significantly depending on the track and conditions.
“Compared to what we saw in the first twelve races, nothing has changed. What we saw in the first races is more or less still the same,” Pirro shares his assessment in an interview with GPOne.
“Each track will have its own story. There will be circuits where we have difficulties like in Silverstone, and others where we will have fewer problems.” Although Ducati continues to work on the bike’s weaknesses, the Italian does not expect a quick solution.
“There is no immediate solution to the problems, but we are working on it,” says Pirro. At the same time, he hints that the development potential of the current project is limited: “We have to assume that this project has already reached the end of its path.” Because the focus is already on 2027.
For the upcoming season, 850cc engines are the focus, which limits the possibilities to fundamentally change the current package.
Aragon expected to favor Ducati
The next important stop is Aragon. The track is one where Marc Marquez is traditionally strong. Pirro therefore expects the possibility that Ducati will be significantly more competitive there again. At the same time, he warns against drawing too far-reaching conclusions from the previous results.
“We have seen that the tracks, conditions, and characteristics of the circuits make a bigger difference than anything else,” emphasizes the Ducati test rider. “That’s why I hope that maybe in Aragon we will be the reference again. Marc can be the reference there.”
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After that, Misano awaits, another track where the balance of power could shift again. Pirro especially expects Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia there. “Misano will be difficult because Bezzecchi is strong there. That was already the case last year,” he says. At the same time, he trusts Marquez to fight for the top positions there as well: “But maybe Marc won’t fall behind there either.”
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For Pirro, the world championship will therefore not be decided solely by the pure performance of the motorcycles. Small differences and mistakes could ultimately be decisive.
“I believe this world championship is really shaped by the details. In my opinion, it could also be influenced more by the mistakes of one than by those of the other, because we have seen how narrow the margin is,” says Pirro.
Pirro bets on Marquez in the title fight
Despite the current difficulties, he still considers Marc Marquez his clear favorite for this year’s world championship title. “If I have to bet on a horse, I bet on Marc, because he is the rider who will stay with Ducati. I hope for us and for him that it will be exactly like that,” explains Pirro.
However, the test rider adds: “The most important thing is that a Ducati wins. But if I have to decide, I bet on him.” This assessment is explicitly not a devaluation of VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio for Pirro.
Marquez is not his favorite “because Fabio Di Giannantonio is not up to par – quite the opposite,” emphasizes Pirro. “In my opinion, he is having an incredible season.”
His preference for Marquez is more related to his long-term future at Ducati. The Spaniard remains loyal to the brand beyond 2026, while Di Giannantonio will take different paths in the future. For Pirro, the main point is that the number 1 does not end up on a competitor’s machine.
Another season raises questions
Besides the sporting unpredictability of this MotoGP season, Ducati is also concerned about the question of the further race calendar. The Qatar Grand Prix is at risk due to the tense situation in the Middle East and could possibly be canceled or moved to another track.
Whether such a change would help or harm Ducati in the title fight, Pirro cannot clearly answer. The conditions on individual tracks are too different.
“This year, it is difficult for me to say whether a track is good or bad because the scenarios change from circuit to circuit and the rider can also cope better or worse depending on the track,” explains the Italian.
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Therefore, Pirro does not want to make a concrete prediction for the rest of the season. His approach remains deliberately cautious and waiting: “I repeat myself, but we should take it step by step and then take stock in Valencia.”
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