Gigi Dall’Igna didn’t attempt to sugar-coat Ducati’s US MotoGP performance, describing it as a “wake-up call”.
Despite taking pole position with Fabio di Giannantonio and leading much of the Sprint with Francesco Bagnaia, there were no Ducati riders on the Sunday podium for the second time in the opening three rounds.
To put that into perspective, Ducati went 88 grands prix in a row – from Aragon 2021 to Valencia 2025 – with at least one rider on the podium, before the Thai season opener.
As in Buriram, incidents and penalties played a role at COTA.
Reigning champion Marc Marquez began the weekend with a huge accident in FP1, then tangled with di Giannantonio on the opening lap of the Sprint and had to overcome a resulting long lap penalty in the grand prix.
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However, Ducati Corse general manager Dall’Igna didn’t seek excuses for a weekend where Aprilia won both races and looked set to sweep the GP podium until a technical issue for Ai Ogura.
Factory riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin lead the riders’ standings as MotoGP returns to Europe, with Aprilia also on top of both the constructors’ and teams’ world championships.
VR46’s di Giannantonio is currently the highest Ducati rider in fourth, behind KTM’s Pedro Acosta, with Marc Marquez fifth (-36 points) and Bagnaia ninth (-56 points).
US MotoGP Race Lap Times: Ducatis plus Marco Bezzecchi.
© Peter McLaren
“A lacklustre race”
“A GP that reflects the true values on the track, a lacklustre race that unfolded in a weekend with mixed results for us, and that will have to be interpreted with great care,” Dall’Igna wrote on Linked In.
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“Saturday began with Diggia in Pole Position and Pecco and Marc starting from the second row on the grid. Unfortunately, Marc’s mistake in the Sprint Race cost him an onerous long-lap penalty in the main race, forcing on him a significant loss of positions against his closest pursuers that prevented him from vying for the podium.
“As always, he was persistent and determined, managing to claw his way back to finish 5th, giving it his all with the generosity and character that befits this champion who never holds back.
Set-up “doesn’t allow him to be the Marc Marquez we know”
“A Marc, however, that wasn’t at 100% due to Friday’s crash, and with a feel of the bike that was still uncertain, calling for a setup that needs adjusting and doesn’t allow him to be the Marc Marquez we know so well and have come to expect so much from. If we add to that the steady improvement of our opponents, I dare say that the situation becomes very clear.
“Bagnaia came close to winning the Sprint: it was great and rewarding to see him racing in the lead for so long. On Sunday, he didn’t get off to a good start but quickly made up for it with a determined and aggressive ride with a fast and confident first half of the race.
“He showed the right grit of someone who wants to be a protagonist, only to then run into a sharp drop in performance that caused him to lose more and more positions, finally being relegated to 10th place at the flag.
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“A rock-solid Diggia, finishing 4th, was once again Ducati’s best rider in this instance. A rough start followed by an excellent race: talent and maturity.
“A wake-up call”
“What is crystal clear is that we need to work hard to improve and put our riders in a position to give their best, especially now that the opposition is proving to be so competitive.
“In the USA we struggled more than we should have had: a wake-up call that must drive us to get back to winning, confident that then it will be even better!”
The postponement of Qatar means MotoGP now has a one-month spring break that factories can dedicate to bike development before the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, which is also followed by the first official in-season test of 2026.
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