Marco Bezzecchi
With Marc Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia, and Alex Marquez suffering from crashes during the French Grand Prix weekend, one of Ducati’s biggest problems may have been exposed.
Ducati did not have a strong outing at Le Mans, with three of their riders crashing over the course of the weekend.
Marc Marquez crashed during the sprint race, while Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez crashed on Sunday during the French Grand Prix.
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Alex Marquez suggested Bagnaia’s crash hid Ducati’s full potential in Le Mans. But given Aprilia earned their first full podium over the weekend, it became clear that there is a gap between the two.
But Bagnaia’s frustrated reaction after the crash, along with the body language from him and Alex Marquez, suggests there is a bigger issue at play.
READ MORE: Francesco Bagnaia admits Ducati ‘need’ Marc Marquez as podium drought hits 10 races
Neil Hodgson has noticed the same ‘body language’ from every single Ducati rider in 2026
On the Gas It Out! podcast, Neil Hodgson spoke about what he saw from Ducati riders during the French Grand Prix, especially after their crashes.
Discussing Bagnaia’s crash, he suggested that the Italian rider absolving himself of blame is something he believes, as Ducati’s riders seemed to have a frustrated body language after their crashes, suggesting that they believe the issue to be with the bike.
“What’s interesting is, and we will eventually find out, that the crash in Le Mans, he said, was the same as the one in Jerez. He’s saying it’s not his fault.
“And for a rider of his experience to be saying, I’m actually believing him. I don’t think he would be saying it if it wasn’t a fact. If you look at Alex Marquez, he can’t stay on his Ducati.
“There’s a lot of people making mistakes on Ducatis. And they’ve all got the same sort of body language. They know, obviously, what it is or what is going on. We don’t.”
READ MORE: Pedro Acosta noticed ‘something strange’ about Francesco Bagnaia before his French GP crash
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After the race, there was a belief that Bagnaia’s crash came down to him pushing too hard to try and get the best out of the GP26.
This theory gets compounded by the rider’s comments after the race. Bagnaia implied Ducati’s bikes aren’t at Aprilia’s level, which is why the riders are having to push hard and eventually crash.
If this is true, it becomes a scathing indictment of the work Ducati have done on their bikes this year. With so many crashes on their record across the factory and satellite team riders, it is clear that Ducati’s bike is demanding a lot from the riders.
There is a hope that Ducati can build some momentum with a strong performance at the Catalan Grand Prix. But given how dominant Aprilia have been, it’s currently hard to see them doing that.
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