MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Marc Marquez was deprived of a potential Sprint Race victory at the Thai MotoGP 2026 after a controversial penalty decision from the stewards, according to Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna.
Ducati’s 2026 campaign began in a far more complicated manner than the previous season, when Marquez secured a perfect double victory in Thailand. Entering the opening round this year, the Spanish rider was already on the back foot after illness and three crashes during pre-season testing.
Despite those setbacks, Marquez recovered strongly in qualifying and challenged Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi for pole position. The Ducati rider narrowly missed out on the top spot by just 0.035 seconds.
The Sprint Race initially appeared to fall into Marquez’s hands when Bezzecchi crashed while leading early in the race. Marquez took control at the front but soon came under pressure from KTM rider Pedro Acosta.
The two engaged in a fierce battle until the penultimate lap, when Marquez made a firm overtaking move that forced Acosta to run wide. Shortly afterward, the FIM MotoGP stewards issued Marquez with a drop-one-position penalty with approximately 30 seconds remaining in the race.
Marquez later explained that he only noticed the penalty message at the final corner. At that moment, he slowed down and allowed Acosta to pass, handing the KTM rider the Sprint Race victory.
Sunday’s grand prix brought another dramatic twist for Marquez. While chasing Raul Fernandez for the final podium position, the Spaniard suffered a wheel rim failure that forced him to retire from the race.
The incident also ended Ducati’s remarkable streak of 88 consecutive premier-class grand prix podium finishes, marking a rare statistical setback for the Italian manufacturer.
In his post-race review, Dall’Igna acknowledged the competitive performance of Ducati’s rivals while stressing that the team must quickly close the performance gap.
“This world championship is shaping up to be both demanding and exciting, with high expectations already as we look ahead to the upcoming challenges.”
“First of all, congratulations to our opponents who proved their competitiveness with full merit.”
Dall’Igna also highlighted the significance of Ducati’s unusual statistical downturn during the Thai round.
“The statistics show that we missed the podium after 88 consecutive races, and for the first time in 102 grands prix our brand is not present in the top five.”
According to the Ducati executive, the team must react quickly but without panic after such a long period of success.
“We must close the gap quickly, but without causing panic within ourselves. It is a natural cycle, and a drop in performance can happen, especially after such a long period of sustained success.”
Dall’Igna explained that Ducati’s priority now is to analyse the data collected in Buriram and introduce set-up improvements for the upcoming races.
“Our focus is on analysing the data and introducing set-up refinements in the coming rounds so that our riders can become more competitive.”
While acknowledging the team still has work to do, Dall’Igna emphasised that the championship has only just begun.
“There is certainly work to be done, but we are well aware that this was only the first race of the season. The calendar is long and features many different circuits.”
However, Dall’Igna also defended Marquez’s performance under difficult circumstances and labelled the Sprint Race penalty as a “questionable decision.”
“Marc managed the race with great intelligence, putting all his focus and commitment into the task.”
“However, he was truly unlucky: first in the Sprint Race, where a questionable decision by the MotoGP stewards cost him the victory.”
“And then in the grand prix itself, where despite some difficulties a podium was clearly within reach before a wheel rim issue forced him to retire.”
Meanwhile, Marquez’s team-mate Francesco Bagnaia endured a challenging weekend after missing out on Qualifying 2 and starting from 13th on the grid. The Italian rider eventually finished ninth in both the Sprint Race and the grand prix.
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