The Thai Grand Prix weekend left an unusual image in the MotoGP paddock: that of a destabilized Ducati team, unable to clearly explain its difficulties. Usually unflappable, the Borgo Panigale team's sporting director, Davide Tardozzi, himself admitted his bewilderment during an informal exchange after the race.
It was former driver and consultant Neil Hodgson who revealed the behind-the-scenes details of this conversation in the podcast. Gas it OutAccording to him, the off-camera interview with Tardozzi revealed a surprising situation within Ducati.
« I had a really good conversation with Davide Tardozzi after the race. We interviewed him for TNT Sports, but he stayed with us for a bit beforehand. It's these off-camera conversations that allow you to get truly authentic information »
And what he heard clearly surprised him.
"Basically, he said: 'We are stunned; we don't know what happened this week.Last weekend, during testing, all the drivers made similar comments; we were quite confident, we had found solutions for this tire“We had managed to give it a bit of longevity.” »
The mystery is all the more strange because Ducati had tested on this same circuit just one week earlier with positive sensations.
Unusual explanations from Ducati
Tardozzi He reportedly mentioned several factors that could have disrupted the balance of the Italian motorcycles, including changes in track conditions and the presence of other categories using different tires.
« We arrived here, literally a week later, there had been a lot of rain – so no grip on the track, and When you have the bikes from other categories with Pirelli tires, it can change the feeling. »
But for Hodgson, these justifications were unusual coming from a team renowned for its technical mastery.
« He said all that, and I thought to myself, “That’s strange, I have never heard anyone at Ducati use that argument, that excuse." »
Despite this difficult weekend, Ducati However, they remain one of the top favorites for the title. But one certainty emerged in Buriram: aprilia-racing is now a very serious rival.
In this delicate context, Marc Marquez Yet he was once again the pilot Ducati the most competitive. The Spaniard missed pole position by just four hundredths of a second. Marco Bezzecchi and seemed capable of aiming for victory in the Sprint before his penalty against Pedro Acosta.
But behind these performances, Hodgson perceived a worrying detail: the Spanish champion's body language.
« We made some comments about Marc Marquez during the first sessionsHe didn't look well at all.Part of the problem still lies with his shoulder, which he openly admitted. »
Watching him pilot at BuriramHodgson even had a familiar impression.
« It was almost painful to see Marc uncomfortable again.We know what he went through, the horror he had to endure. It will be a long process of rebuilding for him. »
Between the technical questions of ducati, the rise ofAprilia and the physical uncertainties surrounding MarquezThe start of the MotoGP season suggests a championship that is much more open than expected.
And in Buriram, for the first time in a long time, Ducati simply didn't have all the answers.
