Marc Marquez is on an unstoppable run—once again he took the top spot in both the Saturday sprint and Sunday main event at Brno. After the race, he casually shared, “I was riding smoothly and had some margin to go even quicker.” For Marc, “smooth” means keeping everything dialed in, putting just enough effort to stay in complete control, never skating on the edge where mistakes happen.
Ducati: Still a Weapon, But No Longer Untouchable?
All season, fans have wondered if Ducati is just too good. Yet, even Ducati racing chief Luigi Dall’Igna admitted after Brno, “The advantage we had over our rivals at the start of the season has shrunk, so I think it’s time to get back to studying during this summer break.” The grid is tightening, and the summer break (ending August 15 for the Austrian GP) offers everyone a reset.
Brno: The Podium Shuffle
- Marc Marquez (Ducati): Calm, smooth, and dominant, especially when it counts.
- Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia): Jumped to the front by lap 2 and kept Marquez honest for six solid laps, but couldn’t resist Marc’s late-race charge. He summed it up: “When Marc overtook me I saw he had something extra—unfortunately, I just couldn’t match him today.”
- Pedro Acosta (KTM): Third place and fighting throughout, including a tight battle in the sprint. He was 3.4s behind Marquez at the flag but showed strong pace all weekend.
Behind them, Francesco Bagnaia started on pole and briefly led, but tinkered with his traction control mid-race to improve his pace, finishing just off the podium. Raúl Fernández (Trackhouse Aprilia) rounded out the top five after a lonely ride 10 seconds adrift of Marquez.
Tire Games, Strategy, and Smooth Pace
Marquez’s approach was all about patience. He noticed Bezzecchi was pushing hard early, so Marc bided his time, waiting for tire grip to fade before grabbing the lead for good. Notably, he clicked off four laps in the high 1:53s—nobody else managed that pace. Even qualifying wasn’t easy—he crashed trying to steal pole from Bagnaia but still secured a front-row slot.
Saturday’s sprint saw Marquez hang behind Acosta to bump up his front tire pressure before pouncing for the win. The repaved Brno track and funky weather meant tire pressure calls were tricky for everyone, not just Marc.
Is the Ducati Still the Easy Button?
Not so fast. Bagnaia’s race was undone by a setup that leaned too heavily on traction control, making him sluggish until a mid-race tweak. “Since Thailand my problem has been braking and corner entry. I used to be very competitive…I was one of the hardest riders to pass [on braking] but now I’m the weakest,” he admitted, blaming a lack of front-end feel for his woes—a thorn Ducati shares with several other manufacturers.
Who Else Grabbed Headlines?
- Jorge Martín (Aprilia): Back from injury, finally put solid points on the board with a top-10 finish, and committed to Aprilia for 2026.
- Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha): Still fighting the “one-lap wonder” M1. Fabio’s gripe? “We only brake with the front…when I’m behind someone I have to brake 20 meters earlier.” He’s still searching for answers to Yamaha’s ongoing struggles.
- Acosta and the KTMs: Pedro Acosta continued to show he belongs at the sharp end—podiums both days for KTM, while Binder and Espargaró bagged top-10s.
Fact Check: Ducati in Perspective
Ducati had just two bikes in the top 10 at Brno, while Aprilia and KTM matched or beat that number—proof the field is catching up. Even Dall’Igna says it’s time for Ducati to bring out new tricks, admitting, “…we were very conservative in the developments we made at the start of the season. I think the time has come to find better solutions than the ones we have”.
