– The first half of the 2026 MotoGP season was shaped by the duel between Aprilia and Ducati. Aprilia has won six Grands Prix and Ducati five. The balance is also reflected in the manufacturers’ standings. Aprilia leads Ducati by eleven points.
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According to Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi, the two motorcycles are on an equal footing. Depending on the track, one or the other brand has slight advantages. Ultimately, the difference is made by the riders.
“At the beginning of the season, there were a few unfortunate incidents for us, just as there were unfortunate incidents for our opponents in the second phase of the first part of the season,” Tardozzi told Sky Italy.
In the world championship standings, the top five riders are within 24 points. Among them are three Aprilia riders: Jorge Martin, Ai Ogura, and Marco Bezzecchi, as well as two Ducati riders: Marc Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio.
“That’s why I believe,” said Tardozzi about the exciting championship battle, “that the motorcycles are roughly equal, and in my opinion, this will continue until the end of the season.”
“Although on some tracks, like certainly at Silverstone, Aprilia will have a slight advantage due to the characteristics of that track, just as we might have an advantage on other tracks.”
“That’s why I believe that the motorcycles are currently equal and the riders make the difference. Then certain moments of luck and misfortune can make the difference in winning the championship.”
Consistency is a factor. From Ducati’s perspective, Di Giannantonio was especially the diligent point scorer. The crash at the Sachsenring was so far his only retirement in a Grand Prix.
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“It’s really a shame for Di Giannantonio, because he made consistency and speed his trademark in this first part of the season and was rightly in third place in the championship.”
“Honestly, I didn’t expect the crash, because I was almost sure that ‘Diggia’ would fight for the podium and also make it onto the podium. I’m sorry about that, because otherwise he would be second or maybe even first in the championship.”
Thus, Marc Marquez improved to third place in the championship with the win in the sprint and the Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. After Mugello, the seventh race weekend, he was 102 points behind the leader in the championship.
“Although we had a deficit of 102 points just a few races ago, we managed to stay grounded, work well, and try to improve the motorcycle.”
“There is still a need,” says Tardozzi, “to improve it further, and I believe that Gigi and his people are already thinking during the holiday period about offering the riders a bit more for the second part of the season.”
After the summer break, the season continues in August first with Silverstone, followed by MotorLand Aragon, a showcase track for Marc Marquez. In September, it continues to Misano and Spielberg before the overseas tour in Asia begins.
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