Ducati Shouldn’t Panic—Yet: Alex Marquez Urges Calm Amid Bezzecchi’s Dominance in Thailand
The MotoGP world is buzzing as Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi set a blistering pace during Friday practice at the Thailand Grand Prix, shattering the circuit record despite challenging conditions. But here’s where it gets controversial: should Ducati be worried? Alex Marquez thinks not. In a bold statement, the Gresini rider insists it’s too early to hit the panic button, even if Bezzecchi continues his dominance this weekend.
Bezzecchi’s performance has been nothing short of remarkable. Clocking a lap time of 1m28.526s on the Buriram track, he left the competition trailing by over four-tenths of a second, with reigning world champion Marc Marquez leading the chase. This comes on the heels of Aprilia’s back-to-back wins in Portimao and Valencia last season, though questions remain about how much Marc Marquez’s injury in Indonesia influenced those results.
And this is the part most people miss: Alex Marquez argues that this single weekend shouldn’t define the 2026 pecking order. Speaking after Bezzecchi’s record-breaking lap, he emphasized, “It’s always possible to beat the riders that are there. It will be difficult, of course, but if we can’t go faster than him, no panic. We have 21 races ahead. The season is long—keep calm.”
Marquez’s strategy? Focus on building consistency and leveraging Ducati’s strengths on other tracks. “Maybe Aprilia is better here for some reason, but we also have potential on different circuits. We’ll take the profit where we can,” he added.
Marc Marquez, however, isn’t downplaying Bezzecchi’s edge. He credits his rival’s ability to exploit Michelin’s special tyre casing, designed for the Indonesia and Thailand rounds. “Bezzecchi was super fast in Indonesia and Mandalika with this casing. He’s super consistent and super fast in a single lap—just more speed,” he noted. But here’s the twist: Marc Marquez isn’t ready to concede just yet. “Let’s see if I can follow him a few laps in the sprint race,” he challenged.
Francesco Bagnaia, Marquez’s Ducati teammate, echoed concerns about Bezzecchi’s advantage, estimating it at three to four-tenths of a second. “Aprilia with Bezzecchi is really competitive. At this moment, he’s faster than the rest,” Bagnaia admitted.
The Bigger Question: Is Bezzecchi’s dominance a one-off, or is Aprilia poised to challenge Ducati’s supremacy in 2026? Alex Marquez’s calm approach suggests Ducati isn’t ready to concede the season, but Marc Marquez’s observations hint at a deeper challenge. Could this be the year Aprilia closes the gap?
What do you think? Is Alex Marquez right to stay calm, or should Ducati be worried about Bezzecchi’s early dominance? Let us know in the comments!
