Gigi Dall’Igna, Ducati’s general manager and the key figure in the technical operation of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer, is convinced that this year’s MotoGP title will go not to the fastest rider, but to the one who keeps the coolest head.
Ducati rider Marc Marquez claimed his fourth victory and third double of the season in Aragon on Sunday, in a campaign in which he is plausibly being affected by the condition of his right shoulder. By completing a clean sweep at MotorLand Aragon, one of his talisman circuits alongside Sachsenring and Austin, the reigning champion moved up two places in the overall standings to return to second, 19 points behind Jorge Martín.
Aprilia's Martin took control of the championship in Assen and remains at the top, despite continuing to surrender points here and there. With nine rounds remaining on the calendar– potentially reduced to eight if the Qatar Grand Prix is cancelled and not replaced– the fight for the crown is gradually tightening. On paper, the logical contenders are Martin, Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi, the top three in the standings, who will arrive at Misano in two weeks separated by just 24 points.
Marquez has four wins, the same number as Bezzecchi, while Martín has only one, at Le Mans. In terms of podiums, the Spaniard has finished in the top three six times, matching Martin’s tally and trailing Bezzecchi’s eight. The rider from Rimini has probably shown the greatest level of outright speed of the three title contenders.
Martín, however, has been particularly effective at collecting points wherever he has gone, scoring in every round bar one– Barcelona. Bezzecchi’s poor run, meanwhile, saw him go through a sequence of crashes from Hungary onwards, including a physical altercation with a marshal in Brno, leaving him with just 13 points across four events, including two DNFs.
Marquez also has two zeros on his scorecard, at Le Mans and Barcelona, following the crash he suffered in France on Saturday, which ruled him out of Sunday’s race and then forced him to miss the entire following event at Montmelo.
With all of that in mind, it is becoming increasingly clear that the 2026 title race will be decided over the long haul rather than in a sprint. At least, that is Dall’Igna’s view. The Ducati boss, second only to CEO Claudio Domenicali in the manufacturer’s hierarchy, believes mental strength and consistency will be decisive.
“In my opinion, this world championship will be won by whoever has the best head from now until the end of the championship,” Dall’Igna told Sky Italia at MotorLand.
If Ducati and Aprilia are compared purely in terms of victories, the balance is marginally tilted towards the Noale manufacturer. Aprilia has seven wins with its four riders, compared with the six victories shared by three of Ducati’s riders– the Marquez brothers and Fabio Di Giannantonio.
“It will be important to score points and avoid mistakes, because the history of recent years shows that it is not important to win 11 races. You can win the championship with fewer victories, but you have to be more consistent and constant and, above all, you cannot afford zeros,” Dall’Igna stressed.
If there is one rider who feels comfortable in that kind of championship, it is Martin. The Spaniard already knows what it takes to win a title in a season-long battle, having claimed the 2024 crown after going head to head with Francesco Bagnaia until the final race despite winning just three times, compared with the Italian’s 11 victories.
