Marc Marquez doing what “Pecco Bagnaia got criticism for” ahead of Aragon MotoGP
Ducati seeking to restore Aragon order after rare MotoGP defeats in the last two grands prix.
After five different grand prix winners in the last five races, MotoGP now heads to Aragon - Marc Marquez’s most dominant event of the 2024 season.
Ducati arrive facing the rare threat of three consecutive MotoGP defeats, something they haven't experienced since the start of 2021.
After securing a record-equalling 22 straight wins from Jerez 2024-2025, Ducati’s streak finally ended with Johann Zarco's wet victory for Honda at Le Mans.
They were then promptly beaten in the dry by Marco Bezzecchi’s Aprilia and Zarco again at Silverstone, where Marquez claimed a hard-fought third after crashing in the original start.
Had Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo not suffered a ride-height device failure while leading at Silverstone, Ducati would probably have been absent from the podium - a scenario last seen at Sachsenring 2021.
That year began with three Yamaha victories in a row from Maverick Vinales and Quartararo, marking Ducati’s last three-race losing streak.
A Ducati resurgence is widely expected this weekend, spearheaded by championship leader Marc Marquez, who was unbeatable on home soil at Aragon last season with Gresini.
Another Silverstone-style surprise?
Crash.net podcast host Jordan Moreland believes Aragon is tailor-made for Marquez:
"We said it about COTA. We said it about Jerez. But Aragon is the Marc Marquez circuit for me. Alongside Sachsenring, he just does things completely differently to everyone else."
Recalling Marquez’s peerless performance in 2024, Moreland added:
"Last year he dominated every practice session. A dirty track obviously helped him; he was getting so much more lean angle compared to everyone else. Pecco Bagnaia couldn't understand how he was doing it."
However, alongside Marquez’s red-hot 2025 pace, there have been recent mistakes.
"The GP25 can be difficult to ride, but this should be 37 points for Marc - if he stays on the bike," Moreland continued. "But he was saved by the red flag at Silverstone, and there’s a bit of a trend with lapses in concentration at COTA and Jerez too."
Crash.net MotoGP editor Pete McLaren also highlighted Marquez's Sunday vulnerability:
"It's surprising - after an almost perfect start to the year, when you take a step back and look at the statistics, it’s now three crashes in seven grands prix, something Pecco got quite a lot of criticism for in the past.”
McLaren believes track conditions at Aragon could be key: "If it's dirty and slippery again, it's hard to imagine anyone getting close to Marc. On the other hand, if it's a more ‘normal’ low grip conditions, could it be more like Silverstone?
“Was Silverstone that one dry race of the year where everything falls into the hands of Ducatis rivals, like Maverick Vinales winning for Aprilia at COTA in 2024, and then it's business as usual for Ducati afterwards?
“Or are we going to see more races like that, where the Ducatis almost find themselves ‘between’ the soft and medium tyres while the fastest guys at Yamaha, Honda, Aprilia and KTM can make the rubber work better?
“Either way, Pecco has won at Aragon in the past, Alex Marquez has been on the podium as well... Bagnaia will be hoping his front-end issues are eased, while Alex should be strong in the flowing corners again on the GP24 and was tipped to win the British GP until the first turn fall shook things up.
"When Bagnaia and Alex tangled over third-place last year, it put Acosta and KTM onto the Aragon podium. The RC16 should like the long back straight at Aragon, with Tech3’s Maverick Vinales out to forget Silverstone and return to the top five.”
Moreland said: “I think we could see multiple manufacturers up the front. I just worry about Yamaha, because they’ve struggled in the past at Aragon. But what about Zarco continuing his magic on the Honda and fighting for best of the rest?”
“Zarco had genuine dry speed at Silverstone, my concern would be the long back straight for the Hondas, which, unlike Silverstone, starts with a very slow corner," McLaren said.
“But on the other hand, I think Aragon's quite a balanced track in terms of layout, so lots of bikes can be quick in different parts. It's about how well you put it all together.
“Honda didn’t sound too optimistic before Silverstone, but it worked out well, especially for Zarco, who was able to deal with the chatter more than Joan Mir and Luca Marini.
“Then there’s Aprilia, who will be on a high after Bezzecchi’s first win on the RS-GP.”
Moreland: “Marc might have dominated the Saturdays up until Silverstone, but we’ve had five different winners in the last five GPs - let’s see if it’s six this weekend.”
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
