MotoGP
Published on July 16, 2026 at 12:00 PM by André Lecondé

MotoGP – Marco Melandri gives his unfiltered analysis of a championship turned upside down and promises a second half more exciting than the last German Grand Prix…

Ai Ogura

Just a month ago, the script seemed written. Marco Bezzecchi dominated the championship with his factory Aprilia, Jorge Martin appeared to be his main rival, and the satellite Ducatis seemed destined to play second fiddle to the factory bikes. A few Grands Prix later, no one dares to make any predictions with any certainty. Except perhaps Marco Melandri.

Behind some provocative statements, particularly when he claims that George Martin to ' mentally already lost the title The former Italian driver is primarily highlighting a much more important reality: this championship has become completely unpredictable. Because the first lesson of this mid-season is undoubtedly the collapse of all technical certainties.

For a good part of the year, the hierarchy seemed relatively clear. Aprilia dominated, Ducati It was searching for its balance with its new technical developments, and the satellite teams seemed to be slightly lagging behind. Today, the landscape is radically different.

The Aprilia et Ducati satellites shine. Marc Marquez has returned to the title race. Fabio Di Giannantonio is still a credible candidate despite his mistake at the Sachsenring. Alex Marquez demonstrated that he possessed the speed to play a leading role. As for the pilots TrackHouseThey have become the true revelations of this first half of the season.

It is probably on this point that the analysis of Melandri is the most interesting. Ai Ogura continues to be underestimated by a large part of the paddock. Undemonstrative, discreet in his statements and rarely spectacular in his driving style, the Japanese driver nevertheless accumulates points with impressive regularity.

Marco Melandri has correctly identified the threat of Ai Ogura and the surprise of TrackHouse, and harshly criticizes the events of the last German Grand Prix.

His race management is becoming a true signature. He conserves his tires in the early laps before becoming one of the fastest drivers at the end of the Grand Prix. While the spotlight remains on Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin ou Pedro Acosta, Ogura is now firmly established in the fight for the world title. And Marc Marquez is probably one of the first to have understood that he will be a force to be reckoned with all the way to Valencia.

« Ogura surprises me, but he plays it safe. He's considered discreet, very reserved, being Japanese, and that's why he's underestimated. Lately, we've only seen Italians or Spaniards at this level. Ai didn't make waves, but at the end of the championship, when you look at the points standings, he'll be there, and Marc Marquez knows it. he said.

State that George Martin He has already mentally lost the championship, which nevertheless seems largely premature. And yet… Martin is leading the championship, but he no longer has the speed necessary to stay in contention, so Mentally, he has already lost the title »

In reality, the pilot Aprilia probably never truly controlled this season. Contrary to appearances in the overall standings, it's Marco Bezzecchi who was for a long time the true sporting boss of the project Aprilia before his injuries and successive withdrawals.

Martin took advantage of the circumstances and his consistency to take control of the championnatBut he never gave that impression of mastery that the great leaders of a world championship can sometimes exude. His current lead appears more as a consequence of the surrounding chaos than as the result of a deliberate domination.

To conclude, Melandri paints a very bleak picture for the Japanese giants, while also taking a swipe at the presence (or absence) of certain stars. Yamaha et Honda are "not available" in 2026. Toprak Razgatlioglu is described as "catastrophic". Melandri expected him to shake things up and score points, citing the rookie as an example Diogo Moreira who managed to open his account…

Finally Melandri makes a point of condemning the sad spectacle delivered by the last German Grand Prix : " One of the worst races I've seen in the last five years. In fact, the worst. Nothing happened! […] The problem is the current bikes, practically impossible to overtake on some circuits, mainly because of the aerodynamics. Currently in MotoGP, you see that you finish the way you started. The pace is the same for everyone. »

At the halfway point of the championship, Marc Marquez has returned to within just a few points of the top spot after appearing to be definitively out of contention just a few weeks ago. Ai Ogura continues to progress. Jorge Martin remains leader. Marco Bezzecchi could return to his best level after the summer break. Fabio DiGiannantonio still possesses the speed necessary to win Grand Prix. Even Pedro Acosta has not yet completely disappeared from the calculations if KTM manages to solve his technical problems.

We are ultimately very far from the locked-down championship that some predicted at the start of the season. Marco Melandri is probably wrong when he already buries George MartinHowever, he is absolutely right on one point: the 2026 MotoGP season is nothing like the championship we were watching just a few races ago. The technical hierarchy is changing almost every weekend, injuries have completely reshuffled the deck, and several riders seem capable of making a significant leap forward during the summer break.

One thing now seems certain: whoever lifts the world trophy in Valencia will probably never have truly controlled this season. And perhaps that's what already makes it so... MotoGP 2026 will be one of the most exciting championships in recent years.