Davide Tardozzi only leaves out one team when naming the threats to Ducati’s MotoGP crown

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Ducati have continued in their dominance of MotoGP in the current campaign as they added a sixth consecutive constructors’ title to their tally at the Catalan Grand Prix, but team boss Davide Tardozzi is aware that the rest of the grid is catching up and has identified the main culprits.

A Ducati bike has won 91% of the races run across all formats in the current term, in a stunning show of dominance that aided Marc Marquez in his attempts to secure his seventh title in the premier class.

The Italian constructor holds a whopping 326-point lead over their closest rival in the standings, with Aprilia currently second in the pecking order with 286 points to their name, less than half of Ducati’s current tally.

However, it’s clear that the Borgo Panigale-based outfit’s MotoGP rivals are catching up if recent races are anything to go by, and Aprilia could be the best bet to dethrone Ducati next season.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy

Davide Tardozzi omits Yamaha from a list of Ducati’s MotoGP rivals next season

Speaking to journalists ahead of the upcoming Indonesian Grand Prix, Ducati boss Davide Tardozzi fielded a question regarding his team’s hopes of continuing their dominance in the premier class next season.

“It’s unknown,” Tardozzi said, via Marca. “Our rivals are going very strong; they’ve improved a lot. Honda has grown a lot; the Aprilia is very fast.

“The KTM, not always, but they have good races. You have to respect your rivals and work hard, because they’ve done that, and it shows.”

Interestingly, the 66-year-old snubbed mentioning Yamaha in his assessment of Ducati’s rivals next year.

The Lesmo-based MotoGP outfit are currently at the bottom of the standings in MotoGP, appearing on the podium just once so far this season.

Yamaha have struggled significantly in the current campaign, mainly down to the poor performance of their inline-four powered bike, which has proved to be inferior to the V4 layout utilised by every other constructor on the grid.

Engineers at the Japanese constructor have worked rapidly to get a V4 into a position where it can be tested, but Yamaha are still some way off the pace of the front-runners as they look to introduce it next season.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Yamaha from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy

Yamaha may have started development on the V4 bike too late in the lifecycle of the current MotoGP regulations

The reasoning behind Yamaha’s swiftness to bring in the V4 configuration is partly down to Fabio Quartararo’s vocal frustrations with the current calibre of their bike.

The Frenchman has taken four pole positions this season, the second most behind Marquez, but has often found himself falling down the order once the lights drop at the start of a race.

Neil Hodgson believes it’s “too big” a step for Yamaha to find themselves competitive straight away on their new spec, but with the new 2027 MotoGP regulations on the way, it may also prove to be too late for them.

Engine sizes will be reduced from 1000cc to 850cc under the new regulations, and will be run on 100% sustainable fuels in an attempt to make the sport safer and more sustainable for the future.

This will mean that engineers will have to go back to the drawing board, if they aren’t already, in order to set themselves up nicely for the new era of MotoGP bikes.