Davide Tardozzi expressed himself in Pecino GP regarding expectations Ducati Lenovo Team for the 2026 MotoGP season.
By Manuel Pecino / Motosan.es
The Ducati Team Manager is preparing for the 2026 season two weeks before the first test at Sepang. On this occasion, Francesco Bagnaia will seek to reinvent itself and rediscover its connection with the motorcycle, while Marc Márquez will also be present after his injury sustained during the 2025 Indonesian Grand Prix. Tardozzi shared his expectations for his two riders, on the eve of a season that will begin in Thailand on March 1st.
You have always been very attentive to the team members and their private lives. Didn't you realize that last year, after 44 races, the team was exhausted?
Davide Tardozzi: "Of course we do. And as you said, we care about our employees' families and support them when they encounter medical, health, or other problems. But yes, it's true: the last race, the last weekend, was very tough."
To say that sprints pose a problem for us would be unfair, because we are here to race. However, the level of concentration and commitment required for sprints represents a significant burden for both the staff and the drivers.
Are you planning to rotate staff, or is it a budget issue?
"No, I don't think so. In our case, it was never an option, because the relationship with the driver is first and foremost a personal one. Having too many people around isn't necessarily a good thing."
Was 2025 your best season?
“No, 2025 wasn’t the best year. Managing Pecco’s situation was very complicated. Marc’s season also ended badly, but it wasn’t his fault: he wasn’t able to help as much as he would have liked.”
What I can't accept is not having been able to help Pecco personally. After the discussion we had with Gigi, with the team, and the one I had with him after the holidays… I told him: “Go on holiday with your wife, don't think about the motorcycles.”
When he returned in January, we had an excellent discussion and I am completely satisfied with it today.
Was it frustrating, with all your experience, not being able to help him?
"Partly, yes. I also think that I may not have found the right way to help him, nor the right time. I saw the problem growing and I tried to talk to him, but my mistake was probably doing it at the wrong time, perhaps too soon."
For his part, Pecco hasn't always managed to receive advice from the team, from Gigi, Mauro, and Claudio at the right time. But as always, the responsibility is shared. We're a team, so it's always 50/50.
Pecco spoke at length with Valentino Rossi. He admitted that he couldn't accept losing when he wasn't able to win…
"That's exactly it. I think he wasn't prepared to lose races."
How did you experience that feeling?
"By observing him and listening to what he was saying. We know Pecco very well; he's been with us for many years. I know how he reacts to difficulties, and I understood that something was wrong."
Could we say that his main problem was Marc Márquez?
"Absolutely not. It wasn't Marc. The problem was with his approach to the new motorcycle, not with Marc."
Many would like to hear the opposite, but believe me: these are two very intelligent boys. Even before being professional, fast, and champion drivers, they are intelligent. They understand each other very well.
I saw them talking together again today. And if you hate your teammate, you don't talk to him like that.
Can we say that he hasn't adapted to the new motorcycle?
"If your brain can't adapt, neither can you. If you don't accept that you're losing because of yourself, your attitude, or anything else, you have to transform that situation."
Did you see anything exceptional in Marc, something you'd never seen before?
"Obviously. In 75 years of racing, there are fewer drivers like Marc than there are fingers on one hand. Even fewer."
Can you name any others?
"Perhaps because of their intelligence and speed,
Angel Nieto… and obviously
Giacomo Agostini! »
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Manuel Pecino
MotoGP Davide Tardozzi MotoGP Davide Tardozzi
