Davide Tardozzi credits “past years of Ducati” for Marc Marquez’s red-hot form

Davide Tardozzi has credited the “past years of Ducati” for the race-winning form of Marc Marquez.

Factory Ducati rider Marquez won the Qatar MotoGP after an exciting battle on Sunday, adding it to the sprint win from 24 hours earlier.

He has won seven out of eight races this year, and is comfortably out-performing teammate Pecco Bagnaia.

But Ducati boss Tardozzi was full of praise for Bagnaia, who has come under pressure this season due to his new teammate’s red-hot form.

Asked about Marquez’s brilliant start to life wearing red, Tardozzi told TNT Sports: “I see huge work from the past years of Ducati.

“Now I see a very good choice on the sporting side from Ducati.

“We also selected a word for him, the new guy Fermin Aldeguer. We trust Fermin a lot, he will be one of the main guys of the future.”

Tardozzi was again pressed on Marquez, and was asked about the secret of his success.

“There is no secret. Balance. Our riders help the engineers a lot to fix his bike,” Tardozzi said.

“The bike is always the same, just a few changes from one rider to another, but not so much.

“We have to thank Pecco for that because he’s the guy who led the [growth] of the bike.”

Ducati endured a 15-year winless period before Bagnaia's 2022 title, when Gigi Dall'Igna's Desmosedici project paid off.

Ducati have dominated MotoGP for three years but the addition of Marquez has given them a fearsome weapon.

Marc Marquez 'controlled' Qatar MotoGP

Marquez overcame a minor clash with his brother Alex Marquez at the start of the Qatar MotoGP, which cost him a piece of his rear wing.

He also won a ding-dong battle with Franco Morbidelli then edged Maverick Vinales.

“Marc was basically managing at the start of the race,” TNT Sports’ Sylvain Guintoli said.

“He was letting the race come to him, trying not to thrash his front tyre.

“He was keeping some in reserve. Tyre degradation, we know here that you can’t attack the whole race.

“Marc controlled it. It was closer than we thought.

“Maverick was the surprise, it was a surprise for Marc as well!”

Michael Laverty insisted that the initial clash with Alex won’t have hampered Marc.

“He’d have felt the impact,” Laverty said. “But on the track it probably wouldn’t have caused him any issues whatsoever.

“They do help stability in fast corners.

“But I don’t think it caused him any issues.”