Ducati\u2019<\/a>s Davide Tardozzi believes Italy, in particular, has \u201clost market share\u201d in recent years.<\/p>\n ![\"Davide](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/gng_1306299_hires.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Davide Tardozzi, Ducati Corse, 2026 Spanish MotoGP<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a0Gold and Goose<\/p>\n
He cites the loss of Valentino Rossi, who retired from MotoGP at the end of 2021, as well as a move away from free-to-air television broadcasting as being key factors in this.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019ve lost market share in Italy in recent years,\u201d he told Speedweek.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t speak for other countries. The fact that we no longer have Valentino Rossi is a problem. Valentino Rossi was a star, a hero even for grandmothers.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe made sure they watched MotoGP. On the other hand, Pecco Bagnaia has been very well-known in Italy for a few years now, and of course, Ducati and Aprilia as well \u2013 they\u2019re doing a good job with promotion.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s also clear that pay TV isn\u2019t helping.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, this world has to survive, and pay-TV broadcasters pay good money, so the organisers are leaning in that direction.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI don\u2019t know how things will develop with the new owners, how they plan to market the championship. I believe that the era of pay TV can\u2019t be turned back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Things have improved in recent years. The Italian Grand Prix at Mugello in 2022 only drew a weekend crowd of just over 74,000.<\/p>\n
![\"Pecco](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/gng_1238617_hires.jpg\")
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Pecco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Ducati Corse, 2025 Italian MotoGP<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a0Gold and Goose<\/p>\n
Last year, however, that grew to 166,074, marking it largest weekend crowd in two decades. Misano has seen a similar boom, with 174,000 spectators turning up last year.<\/p>\n
As Tardozzi points out, Ducati’s success in recent years, and now Aprilia’s rise, has helped in this regard.<\/p>\n
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But Tardozzi has also looked to Formula 1\u2019s growth under Liberty, and notes that circuits are far busier earlier in the weekend despite the cost of tickets being more than in MotoGP.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m amazed when I look at the ticket prices for Formula 1, and the grandstands are all full from Friday morning onwards,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes me wonder if we\u2019re making mistakes somewhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s also obvious that MotoGP can\u2019t just go to Las Vegas, Dubai, or Monte Carlo.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings are very different here, and we have to be much more concerned about safety. That makes a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
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