Luigi D’Aligna admits Ducati are forcing Marc Marquez to ride ‘on the defensive’.

Márquez would now be second in the standings behind Bezeci had he not suffered a tire failure during the Thailand GP. But the prospect of a title has certainly taken a hit in the first two rounds.

Luigi Dalei and Marc Marquez say their feelings for the bike have become ‘abstract’.

Writing on the usual post competition LinkedIn post, Dall’Igna admitted that Marquez is not yet together with Ducati’s 2026 bike. He lost both the race and the main event to satellite rider Fabio Di Giannantonio.

Marquez crashed in qualifying.A mistake that could have cost him pole, but he was one of several riders caught in turn four.

While Dale Igna The 33-year-old has been acknowledged by Ducati that they cannot rely solely on Marquez’s talent to stop Aprilia’s charge.

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Marco Bezecchi won the first two races, and four in a row until last season. Amazingly, Jorge Martin followed him home in Brazil to complete the one-two.

Dale Igna wrote: “Marc had an unusual problem sitting on the defensive as he struggled with speed and the design of the bike.

“Despite this, he showed great determination, riding hard to extract all his potential. But the champion’s typical resilience was not enough to overcome the limitations of the day.”

‘He was definitely suffering’ – Dani Pedrosa on Marc Marquez

Through communication with DAZN Make a markMarquez’s former team-mate Dani Pedrosa agreed that he was ‘uncomfortable’. Pedrosa noticed that he was particularly sensitive to the lump.

Márquez has the unique ability to ride beyond the limits of a motorcycle, but he has yet to reach that level in this year’s race. Ducati. The Spaniard was struggling with the shoulder injury he picked up in the season opener in Thailand in 2025 but looked good in Brazil.

Pedrosa said: “Marc looked a bit uncomfortable on the bike, he had some minor wobbles in many places on the track. Especially when he was trying to push hard in some corners and going over the bumps.

“We saw, and we saw how fast the bike told him. So, he has a special ability to manage that limit, and that’s why he didn’t give him any confidence to stay close to Di Giantantonio and gain an advantage.

“So in the last few laps he fought for the podium but he didn’t have everything that Mark normally has to offer, and I don’t know if it was just a physical issue or a bike set-up issue or a combination of both. But he was definitely suffering.”

There is such a feeling in Ducati Aprilia used a Michelin hard rubber gripSpecial measure for high temperature in Thailand and Brazil. A clearer picture of the pecking order may emerge in the coming races.