Ducati’s woes continue
While Jorge Martin maintained his championship lead and Enea Bastianini surged to a daring Texas podium, the end of Ducati’s commanding winning streak triggered a warning signal.
Does the GP24 version of Ducati’s all-conquering Desmosedici have a weakness that has the potential to threaten its dominance? Especially with the growing menace of both Aprilia and KTM.
It is way too early to call an end to Ducati’s superiority but both Martin and Ducati’s two-time MotoGP champion Pecco Bagnaia have raised ongoing concerns around chatter and vibration from the bike.
Bagnaia said the issue spoiled his winning potential and forced him to ride “defensively” for his fifth place in the main race.
He said: “I had a lot of vibration on the left side, and it was very difficult to manage. We have to solve the problems, because the way it is now it’s very difficult.”
After a bizarre two crashes in qualifying, a Sprint third and coming fourth in the GP, Martin repeated his contention that the vibration problem has been present since the opening race in Qatar.
CoTA was a missed opportunity for Martin to continue his impressive
‘I trust in my team and we will solve it’
early season form and title aspirations, as he said “I’m not thinking about the championship.”
But what might have been for
Ducati if brake problems had not triggered a crash that ended Marc Marquez’s flashy dash to the race lead on Sunday?
Marquez looked close to his aggressive best in both Sprint (coming second) and GP showing the speed, intensity and high risk overtakes that have defined his career. And not least his spirited engagement with Pedro Acosta.
“The important thing for me is that
I crashed while leading the race. I’m proving I’m still competitive and am calm about this. When I pulled the front brakes there was no pressure,” Marquez said.
How long before Marquez wins his first race on a Ducati? This month’s Spanish GP at Jerez was won last year by Bagnaia on the GP23 now raced by Marquez.
Bagnaia’s eighth place in the Sprint at CoTA – “spinning from the start” – and a DNF in Portugal now have him 30 points adrift of Martin and hoping for an early solution to vibration problems.
The reigning champion added: “I know to trust in my team and that we will solve the problem and be fighting for the top again.”