That the championship battle is far from over is the firm belief inside Ducati, where team manager Davide Tardozzi insists Aprilia simply ran into a wall of bad weather and misfortune at Phillip Island, as Motorsport.com reports. Friday practice suggested a runaway weekend for the Noale-based manufacturer when Marco Bezzecchi led a 1-2-4-5 result. But Saturday flipped the script entirely with wet qualifying and a dry-weather sprint where Ducati Team's Marc Marquez snatched pole and led a Borgo Panigale podium lockout.
Tardozzi, however, is adamant that the sprint times lied about the true pecking order. In dry conditions, the RS-GP simply had superior pace. He pointed to Marco Bezzecchi charging through from the fourth row to finish fourth, and to Jorge Martin's blistering speed before his undoing, as proof that Aprilia's machine was the faster beast on track.
That speed sparked one of the finest duels of the season. Marquez and Aprilia Racing Team's Jorge Martin traded the lead multiple times in a fierce brawl that carried massive championship weight. Unfortunately, the limit caught up with Martin. He made several mistakes during the fight and crashed out on lap 8, suffering a fracture to his radius in the process.
There is some relief in the paddock regarding that crash, as Saturday CT scans confirmed the fracture is non-displaced. That means no immediate surgery is required, and Martin can attempt to race in Malaysia this week. Tardozzi welcomed the news of his return, praising the former Pramac Ducati rider's grit. We know Martin very well, he noted, calling him a hero and a fast rider who will undoubtedly try hard to give them a difficult time.
With Sunday's full-distance race cancelled, the standings show Marquez sitting 10 points clear of Martin at the top of the championship, while Bezzecchi trails by 50 points in third place. With just four rounds remaining on the calendar—assuming the Qatar Grand Prix on 8 November goes ahead as planned—Marquez's bid for a 10th world title and second in as many seasons has received a clear boost, but Ducati refuses to breathe easy.
Asked whether Martin or Bezzecchi poses the greater threat in the title run-in, Tardozzi admitted it hinges entirely on physical recovery. He holds huge respect for Bezzecchi, noting that a 50-point deficit is nothing and that the Italian has the potential to win every race from now until the end of the season. As for Martin, his injury will dictate everything depending on his competitiveness in Sepang and Qatar.
