Ducati’s recent struggles in MotoGP are becoming more apparent, with the Italian team failing to secure a grand prix win for the past 182 days. Despite some mixed form towards the end of last year, the 2026 season has shown a different competitive order emerging. Along with Aprilia, KTM is now posing a significant threat, especially with Pedro Acosta’s strong performance.
Ducati’s top-placed rider, Fabio di Giannantonio, is currently in fourth position in the riders’ championship, trailing behind Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin, as well as KTM’s Acosta. In terms of the manufacturers’ standings, Ducati is also lagging behind Aprilia, albeit holding a narrow lead over KTM.
These standings highlight Ducati’s alarming situation, especially in the teams’ standings where the factory Aprilia squad has scored significantly more points than Ducati. Both Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia have struggled to accumulate points, leaving Ducati behind Aprilia, KTM, and even Trackhouse.
While Aprilia and KTM have made impressive progress during the winter break, Alex Marquez believes that Ducati has somewhat stagnated, causing the increasing performance gap. However, Alex maintains his faith in Ducati’s ability to bounce back as they have historically shown improvement as the season progresses.
One of the key areas where Ducati is facing challenges is the reliance on the rear-end of their GP26 bikes, leading to issues with front-end performance. While Ducati remains strong in sprint races, the rear tire degradation over a full race distance is proving to be a challenge. Di Giannantonio’s recent pole positions demonstrate Ducati’s competitiveness on new Michelin tires, but race pace on used rubber remains a concern.
Improvements in braking and cornering performance are crucial for Ducati to regain their competitive edge, especially as other teams have made significant strides in those areas. Despite the current setbacks, Ducati remains optimistic about the season ahead and is working diligently to address their weaknesses and improve their overall performance on the track.
