Marco Bezzecchi
Michele Pirro admits Ducati are struggling to rival Aprilia in the 2026 MotoGP season, as Marc Marquez’s ongoing shoulder injury is just one of the problems that they face.
The Borgo Panigale brand are in unfamiliar territory compared to recent years, as Ducati are still yet to earn a Grand Prix podium after the first three rounds. Ducati last failed to reach a rostrum over the first three rounds of a season back in 2022, when they still won every title.
VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio has ridden his Ducati Desmosedici GP26 onto the podium once this year, after beating Marquez to P3 in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Yet the best result by a factory Ducati racer remains the P4 finish that Marquez took in Goiania during round two.
Di Giannantonio is also the lead Ducati rider in the 2026 standings with 45 points, ahead of Marquez on 40. Aprilia rival Marco Bezzecchi leads his factory teammate Jorge Martin atop the standings on 81 and 77 points, with KTM rider Pedro Acosta sitting third with 60 points.
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Michele Pirro admits Ducati cannot repeat their Sprint results in Grand Prix races in 2026
Pirro believes Marquez’s ongoing recovery from his shoulder injury that required surgery in October has contributed to the works Ducati team’s slow start to the 2026 MotoGP season. But Pirro is not naive to overlook the challenges that the GP26 has presented so far, as well.
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Ducati test rider Pirro believes the Bologna Bullets are struggling to replicate the results they can get with the GP26 during Sprint Races in Grand Prix conditions. Marquez won the Sprint in Brazil, after he accepted second in the Buriram Sprint when a penalty denied him the win.
“Now is the moment [that] Aprilia are in top form,” Pirro told Corriere Romagna. “It was something that was bound to happen sooner or later. You hope it happens later and later, but they’ve done well. We’ve had a lot of limitations, and we’re defending ourselves.
“Marc is not at his best, but we’ve seen that Aprilia have made a big step forward since the latter part of last season, and they’ve started off very strong this year.
“The championship is still long, and I’m confident [that] we’ll get something out of it. This month’s break was also necessary for Marc to recover.”
He added: “Aprilia will definitely be in good form at Jerez. Bezzecchi has always been very strong, but I think we can still hold our own and be in the game because there are some aspects we can manage.
“We might be more competitive on Saturdays, a little less so on Sundays. It’s part of the sport. We’re playing catch-up now.
“But it’s also true that there’s a new project starting in 2027, and we need to focus on this new bike. As we’ve always said, we hope to fight for the championship until the end.”
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Marquez handed Acosta the Sprint win in Thailand on the final lap, having been ordered to drop one position for forcing the KTM rider off the track when he took the lead. Ducati also saw Martin overtake Francesco Bagnaia on the last lap to win the COTA Sprint last time out.
Martin punished Bagnaia’s decision to use the soft rear Michelin tyre, as the Aprilia ace put his medium rear tyre to great use. But P2 was still by far the best result that Bagnaia has so far achieved in 2026, as he sits just ninth in the standings with 25 points after three rounds.
Ducati are essentially relying on Marquez, who is not fully fit, to carry them, with Bagnaia at a loss to understand why he is struggling in 2026. Two-time champion Bagnaia often cannot explain why he lacks pace, due to tyre wear and a lack of trust in the front-end of the GP26.
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