Márquez ninth, Bagnaia 17th in Silverstone Sprint as Ducati Lenovo Team battles rear grip
Marc Márquez could only manage ninth in the Silverstone Sprint after a rear-grip drop, while Francesco Bagnaia finished 17th.
- 9th
- 17th
- 1
- 20 laps
What Happened
The Ducati Lenovo Team struggled in the twelfth Sprint of the season at Silverstone. Marc Márquez finished ninth and scored one point after dropping from fourth place due to a significant loss of rear grip, while Francesco Bagnaia crossed the line seventeenth. Bagnaia climbed from row six to twelfth early in the race but could not maintain a competitive pace as tyre wear set in.
“I'm obviously a bit frustrated as we're normally competitive in the Sprint and I was feeling good today. We need to analyse the data to understand exactly what happened, but all I know is that I felt a significant drop in grip at the rear. This caught us by surprise because during Practice – with the soft tyre – we were able to complete at least ten laps with a good pace. From the halfway point on”
“I wasn't expecting this type of challenge. Unfortunately, this weekend we're struggling with grip: since I can't get the bike stopped the way I'd like, I need to force a lot mid-corner with the throttle in order to make it turn, and this leads to really high tyre wear. I made a good start, going from sixteenth to twelfth, but I was struggling and there were a lot of riders who were faster than me.”
Warm up
20-lap Grand Prix of Great Britain
Previously from Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
In qualifying, Márquez secured a direct Q2 spot with the sixth-fastest time, while Bagnaia crashed and was left 13th, facing Q1. The Ducati Lenovo Team had just returned from the summer break for the British GP, with Márquez fit and Bagnaia needing medical clearance after arm surgery.
- Márquez claims direct Q2 spot at Silverstone as Bagnaia crashes to 13th
- Ducati Lenovo Team returns from summer break at British GP, Marquez third in standings
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.'s official releases.
Why this matters
The Ducati Lenovo Team was caught off guard by a significant loss of rear grip, turning a strong start into a one-point Sprint for Márquez and a tough afternoon for Bagnaia. Both riders emphasised the need to analyse data and change their approach before Sunday's 20-lap Grand Prix. The result shows how quickly tyre condition can decide a MotoGP race.
Terms in This Story
- Sprint
- A short race held on the day before the main Grand Prix in MotoGP weekends.
- Rear grip
- The traction available at the rear tyre, which affects acceleration and cornering stability.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.