Gigi Dall’Igna: High praise for Marc Marquez – concern for Pecco Bagnaia

At Aragon, champion Marc Marquez once again proved that he is virtually unbeatable on the Spanish circuit. The Ducati rider won both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, with even his rivals tipping their hats to his performance. With this one-two finish, MM93 secured the maximum number of points in Aragon; with nine races remaining this season, he now sits in second place in the overall standings. He is just 19 points behind championship leader Jorge Martin (Aprilia).

Yet Marquez had got off to anything but a good start to the second half of the season with 9th and 7th places at Silverstone – but the tide turned at Aragon. “Following our less-than-convincing weekend at Silverstone, Marc returns with a Grand Prix victory – his fourth this year. And he did so on a brilliant weekend, during which he claimed his 20th Sprint victory – an all-time record – as well as his eighth MotoGP win at this circuit. A circuit that suits him down to the ground, where his talent always shines through,” wrote Ducati Corse CEO Gigi Dall’Igna on his LinkedIn account. “At a crucial stage of the season, Marc secured all 37 possible points, thereby demonstrating just what a great champion he really is.”

“Statistics aside, he seized an opportunity that absolutely had to be taken,” Dall’Igna continued. “He dominated both races in conditions that were more challenging than they ultimately appeared. He set a pace the others couldn’t match and decided for himself how he would take the lead and when he would pull away. Let’s celebrate these results with joy – results that were far from guaranteed and which take us back up the overall standings.”

Marc Marquez

Foto: Gold & Goose

Dall’Igna on Bagnaia: “We need to sort this situation out”

Ducati-Lenovo team-mate Pecco Bagnaia, on the other hand, hit a personal low at Aragon. In the Sprint, the Italian finished eleventh; in the Grand Prix, he crashed on lap 6 whilst in seventh place. He couldn’t find a good feel with the Desmosedici – just as he hadn’t at Silverstone. “As far as Pecco is concerned, I know I’m repeating myself: we must continue to work together and commit ourselves jointly to resolving this situation and getting him back to the level of performance he deserves – for the benefit of everyone, both ours and his,” emphasised Dall’Igna.

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From 11 to 13 September, the MotoGP World Championship will be held at Misano. On a track that offers plenty of grip and which Bagnaia knows very well, the signs are good that the two-time MotoGP champion will get back on track.

Pecco Bagnaia

Foto: Gold & Goose