The Casey Stoner lesson Ducati is heeding in 2026 MotoGP title fight

Ducati’s Davide Tardozzi says the brand has “reached the point where we need to attack” in the MotoGP title battle, as he carries advice “Casey Stoner taught me”.

The Italian brand expected a stronger weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix than it ultimately had, as Marc Marquez salvaged second from the sprint and fifth from the main race after a brake issue.

Aprilia’s Jorge Martin was able to outclass Ducati all weekend, with the Spaniard now 12 points clear of Marquez heading to next week’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Ducati boss Tardozzi says the championship battle is still “wide open”, but has become “quite complicated” after the Red Bull Ring event.

Asked by GPOne what the key to the title battle will be, he referenced a lesson from Ducati’s 2007 world champion Casey Stoner.

“Definitely consistency, but also speed and aggression,” Tardozzi said.

“We’ve reached the point where we need to attack.

“As the great Casey Stoner taught me, you tackle the first half of the championship with your head and the second half with your heart.”

He added: “There are at least a couple of tracks where, based on recent history, our rivals are much more competitive than we are.

“The championship is still wide open, but the situation has become quite complicated.”

No Ducati rider made it to the podium in last Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix, with Marquez its leading star in fifth.

KTM’s Pedro Acosta won, while three Aprilias slotted in behind him.

“Clearly, Aprilia has done a good job and is now reaping the rewards of that work,” Tardozzi said.

“The world championship is still wide open. We didn’t expect to lose so many points here, but we have to give them credit.

“Now, it’s up to us to bounce back in the upcoming races.”

Ducati’s struggles in Austria centred on the stiffer rear tyre carcass Michelin brings to tracks that place high heat demands on its rubber.

This was the case earlier in the season, though Ducati previously won on it in Austria and Thailand last year.

“I think Gigi [Dall’Igna] is the first one who isn’t satisfied with this situation,” Tardozzi noted.

“I have no doubt that he’ll try to find a solution, either by bringing something new or making adjustments ahead of the upcoming races.”