Ducati reveal how they dealt with gutted Francesco Bagnaia after Portimao crash
Will Ducati be required to further manage the Francesco Bagnaia-Marc Marquez clash?
Ducati gave Francesco Bagnaia a few days of peace to get over his disappointing incident with Marc Marquez.
The Portuguese MotoGP was lit up by Bagnaia’s unsuccessful attempt to overtake Marquez in their battle for P5.
Reigning MotoGP champion Bagnaia crashed out, while Marquez was able to clamber back to finish the race but his hope of points was extinguished.
“In cases like these, you let some time pass, a few days,” explained Davide Tardozzi, the Ducati team manager.
“And then you go back to talking. We need to decant.”
Tardozzi said about the clash between two Ducati riders: “Without a doubt it was a racing incident.
“It's clear that in certain situations it would be better to stay calmer, but the two riders explained themselves so I think it's something resolved and closed with a handshake.
"When a six-time MotoGP champion and a two-time MotoGP champion find themselves fighting, it's clear that neither of them wants to give up: these are good things for the spectators but they also have an end."
It was deemed a racing incident by the stewards, which Bagnaia and Marquez agreed with.
How Ducati manage any lingering fallout could be key to Bagnaia’s title defence.
Claudio Domenicali, the Ducati CEO, was asked about it and he replied: “I understand that they like the topic as a journalistic cue, but I try not to get pulled into the controversy if I can. I don’t bite.”
The good news for Ducati is that Pramac’s Jorge Martin leads the championship after two rounds.
Enea Bastianini, Bagnaia’s teammate in the factory team, finished second to Martin in the Portuguese MotoGP.
Bastianini is third in the standings in a year where he must salvage his 2025 Ducati spot.
“I believe that Enea is rediscovering the speed of 2022,” Tardozzi insisted.
“Just as I believe that in Austin he will be able to be a protagonist again and fight for victory.
“He is giving us the satisfaction he deserves, and that we thought he could give us when we decided to confirm him, despite a disastrous 2023 through no fault of his."
