Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi has issued his reaction after a section of fans at the San Marino Grand Prix cheered when Marc Marquez crashed. The champion-elect blew a likely victory in the Sprint when he went down at turn 15.
The world feed then cut to footage from the grandstands, where fans in Valentino Rossi merchandise could be seen celebrating. The reaction wasn’t unanimous, but considerable cheers were audible from the trackside microphones.
This wasn’t necessarily a surprise. Some of Rossi’s most loyal followers remain hostile to Marquez after his explosive rivalry with the Italian.
Marquez won the main race on Sunday after an intense battle with Aprilia star and home hero Marco Bezzecchi. While he couldn’t mathematically clinch the title at Misano, he’s now poised for a coronation at Motegi.
Davide Tardozzi hails Marc Marquez ‘kindness’ after Misano taunts
Speaking to AS after the Grand Prix, Tardozzi admitted he was ‘really upset’ by the pockets of celebration after his rider went down. In his eyes, it was even more ‘important’ to take the maximum 25 points afterwards.
Marquez emulated Lionel Messi, a legendary player at his favourite football club Barcelona, on the podium by removing his outer leathers and holding them up to the crowd.
When Marquez was booed at Mugello earlier this season, Tardozzi furiously gestured to the fans that he was wearing Ducati red. But rider #93 has been markedly calm about the situation, with his manager hailing his ‘extraordinary’ kindness.
- READ MORE: Cameras capture how Valentino Rossi reacted to Marc Marquez’s crash at the San Marino Grand Prix
“I think getting the win here was important to respond fairly to what we saw happen on Saturday after his crash,” he said. “It’s something that really upset me, because of the behaviour I’ve seen from certain people.
“No, no, it’s better not to talk about these people and waste time thinking about them.
“I think Marc’s gesture on the podium was very meaningful, and being recognised as a champion is enough.
“Marc always responds with results and extraordinary gestures of kindness. He doesn’t over-talk anything and makes himself visible on the track.”
Ducati CEO says Italian fans are changing their mind about Marc Marquez
In a separate interview with Marca, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali suggested that Marquez was starting to win over members of the ‘Italian tifosi’. He noticed many of the fans looking ‘very happy’ during the weekend as he took another step towards the championship.
He also dismissed suggestions that Marquez used the cheers as motivation, arguing that he instead wanted to redeem himself for only his second race-ending crash of the season.
As Marca point out, Marquez did admit that the crowd reaction lit a ‘fire’ in him before his charge from fourth to first.
- READ MORE: MotoGP bosses need to issue a statement after crowd reaction to Marc Marquez crash at Misano
Domenicali said: “There are some who remember something, but already on Saturday I saw many very happy people being with him, with the Italian ‘tifosi’ and the Ducati ‘tifosi’ growing in appreciation of Marc.
“I don’t think this motivated him, but rather the desire to do well. He made a mistake in the Sprint, he didn’t want to make another one, and he wanted to take the win home, and it was great.”
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