Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi says Aprilia’s misfortune with shifting weather at the Australian Grand Prix masked the true pace advantage of the RS-GP in dry conditions. He asserts the Noale manufacturer remains a formidable force capable of winning every remaining race this season.

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Despite Aprilia’s commanding Friday Practice showing, with Marco Bezzecchi spearheading a 1-2-4-5 lineup, the unpredictable wet qualifying and dry sprint race on Saturday handed Ducati’s Marc Marquez pole position and a clean sweep of the podium. That shattered Aprilia’s hopes of dominating Phillip Island.

Tardozzi: Aprilia had the quicker bike in the dry

Tardozzi was unequivocal in his assessment that the sprint race results didn’t reflect the genuine hierarchy on track. Highlighting Jorge Martin’s blistering pace prior to his crash and Bezzecchi’s remarkable surge from ninth to fourth, he insisted Aprilia possessed the quicker bike in dry conditions.

“I think that they've been unlucky because it's obvious that in dry conditions Bezzecchi was very competitive. He came up from the fourth row to the fourth position,” Tardozzi explained. “Martin made a mistake, but he was very, very competitive. I do not know if Marc was able to beat him at the end of the race or not. I think that it was head-to-head until the end, but unfortunately, he made a mistake.”

Martin’s injury and Sepang return

The Phillip Island sprint turned into a fierce battle between Marquez and Martin, trading places multiple times in a gripping duel that doubled as a championship showdown. Martin’s eventual crash on lap 8 ended his fight for victory and left him nursing a fractured radius.

CT scans confirmed the fracture is non-displaced, negating the need for immediate surgery and leaving the door open for Martin to race at Sepang this week. “I’m happy to hear that he will be in Sepang. That means that the injury is not so bad,” Tardozzi commented. “We know Martin very well. He's a hero, he's a fast rider, so he will try hard to give us a hard life.”

Championship picture with four rounds left

With Sunday’s race cancelled, Marquez capitalizes on the situation, extending his championship lead to 10 points over Martin, while Bezzecchi trails 50 points behind in third. With just four rounds remaining, including the pivotal Qatar Grand Prix on November 8, Ducati maintains that the title race remains wide open despite Marquez’s strengthened position.

When pressed on who poses the greater threat, Martin or Bezzecchi, Tardozzi was measured but firm: “It depends on the Jorge situation. I have huge respect for Marco. I think that 50 points is nothing. I think that Marco has the potential to win every race; every race from now till the end. So, I think that the 50 points [deficit] for Marco is good for us, but not bad.”

On Martin’s prospects post-injury, Tardozzi remained cautious, signalling the Malaysian and Qatar rounds will be crucial indicators. “On Jorge's side, it's obvious that his injury will make the difference in a positive or negative [way]—if he will be very competitive. That means not to win because I don't think that he will be able to win in Sepang. For sure, it's something that will tell us his competitiveness in Sepang and Qatar. That's the difference.”

Ducati’s candid appraisal underscores Aprilia’s raw speed but also the unforgiving nature of MotoGP, where form and fortune collide. The championship battle intensifies, and every race from now on promises to be shaped by speed, resilience and injury.