What does Marc Marquez want from the 2026 Ducati?

There’s rarely a ‘free meal’ as far as development of a MotoGP machine.

It’s all about compromise, pinpointing areas where the biggest gains can be found, but in the knowledge that it’ll almost certainly take performance away from other areas.

The trick is to make sure the gains are greater than the losses. And not just at one track, but all tracks.

Adding to the complexity is that a change might feel better for the rider, but actually reduce ultimate performance.

Striking the right balance was highlighted by Marc Marquez, when asked about team-mate Francesco Bagnaia and VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio seeking to improve front-end feeling for the 2026 Desmosedici.

“I mean, of course, you always try to improve. And yeah, in a bike, if you have a better front feeling, then… because the front tyre is always the most critical one for a rider,” Marquez said.

“But normally when you improve the front, you lose some rear grip, for example. And you need to find the right compromise.

“But Ducati already know that they have a very good base, and then, just like they did in the past winter, we will try to introduce small things [for 2026].

“We cannot expect, or we cannot find, a big step from one [single] area because in the end we can choose the wrong direction.”

The difficulty in knowing how far to push development in a certain direction was highlighted by Ducati switching back from its intended GP25 engine to a specification close to the GP24 in pre-season testing.

Bagnaia and di Giannantonio still struggled to find consistent form on the 2025 machine, but Marquez dominated in his debut year at the factory squad.

The Spaniard pushed the title out of reach with a mid-season run of 14 consecutive race wins (Sprint and GP) from Aragon to Hungary.

Marquez said the Aragon post-race test was the most crucial moment, technically.

“Yes, since the Aragon test, we made a step,” he confirmed. “We did a step in bike setup and also with aerodynamics. I felt better and better with the new aero, but especially bike setup.

“And what we did was only be closer to the other Ducati riders,” he revealed. “The same geometry, same dimensions.

“So in the first part of the season I was riding with a different bike, more nervous, but [after the Aragon test] it's a bike that is easier to ride.”

Marquez, who was injured a week after winning his long-awaited ninth grand prix title at Motegi, is set to make his MotoGP return at the season-opening Sepang test in early February.