Ducati's Dall'Igna: Sprint win and sixth place leave title deficit unchanged
Ducati's race review says a Saturday Sprint win and a sixth place on Sunday kept its championship deficit exactly where it was, on a track that favoured its rivals.
- 1st (win)
- 6th
What Happened
Dall'Igna called the weekend difficult but, in his view, positive, saying it brought new energy through the team's ability to seize opportunities and score precious points while on the defensive. Ducati won Saturday's Sprint and finished sixth in Sunday's long race, and together those results left its championship deficit completely unchanged. Dall'Igna said the team limited the damage with pure skill and experience on a track it knew would be tough, perhaps its worst and one that favoured its opponents. He noted that Marc had never previously crossed the finish line in a Sunday race at that track.
Ducati wins the Sprint.
Ducati finishes sixth in the long race, leaving its championship deficit unchanged.
Dall'Igna said a major obstacle is now behind the team, which suffered no damage and feels even stronger and more prepared. He admitted it was a challenging GP for Ducati overall, as confirmed by the results of its other riders, and that the team's pace was not matching the best, so it had to adapt without losing inspiration and while looking at the bigger picture. Every race is now crucial for the final title showdown, he said, and there has never been such a tight gap at this stage of the world championship.
- A Sprint win on Saturday
- Sixth place in Sunday's long race
- Championship deficit left completely unchanged
- No damage suffered, with the team feeling stronger and more prepared
- A challenging GP overall, confirmed by the results of Ducati's other riders
- Marc's brilliance in snatching an unexpected first place and managing critical moments when the bike was not the strongest in the field
“May the best man win, with that distinctive sportsmanship and fairness our beautiful sport deserves.”
Previously from Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
Earlier this month, Márquez won the Mandalika Sprint for Ducati, taking the lead with five laps remaining and moving back to the top of the championship. In the Sunday race at Mandalika he finished sixth while Ducati Lenovo teammate Francesco Bagnaia crashed out on lap six, leaving Márquez two points off the championship lead and Ducati second in both standings.
- Márquez wins Mandalika Sprint for Ducati and retakes the MotoGP championship lead
- Márquez sixth in Indonesia MotoGP as Bagnaia crashes out; Ducati second in both standings
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.'s official releases.
Why this matters
Ducati describes the gap at this stage of the world championship as the tightest there has ever been, so every remaining race is now crucial to the title showdown. The team says it lost no ground despite a tough weekend, which matters for the championship fight and for the riders and team chasing the title.
Terms in This Story
- Sprint
- A shorter race held on the Saturday of a Grand Prix weekend, separate from the main race on Sunday.
- GP
- Grand Prix: a single round of a racing world championship weekend.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.