– The discussion about the performance differences within the Ducati camp continues to be a topic of conversation in the MotoGP paddock. Particularly noticeable: In this MotoGP season, the Italians’ satellite bikes seem to be competitively stronger than the factory machines at times.
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But neither Alex Marquez (Gresini) nor Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46) provide a simple explanation for this. “Hard to answer,” admits Marquez, pointing to the strong dependence on the track and race progression.
Although his brother Marc Marquez has repeatedly shown his class, and Francesco Bagnaia has had “some highlights,” Di Giannantonio has so far been the rider who has been able to maintain the pace most consistently.
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Overall, according to Marquez, the Ducati quartet with the current factory specification is operating at a “pretty similar level.” The difference lies more in who was able to better tap into the available potential at the start of the season.
“Fabio and Marc were able to use this potential better at the beginning, while Pecco and I had a bit more trouble,” recalls the Gresini rider. Looking ahead to the upcoming races, he expects further shifts in the balance of power. He himself recently celebrated his first win of the season in Jerez.
Di Giannantonio echoes this and agrees with Marquez’s assessment of the internal pecking order at Ducati: “Alex gave the perfect answer.”
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Another topic in the paddock is Ducati’s performance compared to Aprilia, especially in fast corners. Jorge Martin recently noted that Ducati was surprisingly strong in this area in Jerez. However, Di Giannantonio relativizes this impression based on his own experience.
He rode a few laps behind Martin and gained a different impression: “Honestly, he was very strong in the fast corners.” Possibly the wind also played a role: “If you are in front or behind, that might slightly change the perception of speed.”
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His assessment becomes even clearer in direct comparison with Marco Bezzecchi, whose pace he especially could no longer really keep up with at the end of the race.
“In the last lap, I had the biggest difficulties and decided to go a bit slower because I struggled to keep up with his pace in those corners,” admits Di Giannantonio, who finished third behind Bezzecchi in Jerez.
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His conclusion is accordingly nuanced: “Maybe I was a bit better than Jorge, but a bit worse than Bezzecchi.” He deliberately leaves open the question of the clearly superior machine. “Maybe it’s about interpretation, setup, or the rider. I wouldn’t say our bike was better.”
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