Ducati was given a sharp reminder of how competitive the 2026 MotoGP championship has become at Silverstone, with general manager Gigi Dall’Igna admitting the reigning champions were never truly in contention during the British Grand Prix.
After Marc Marquez dominated the previous round in Germany, Ducati arrived at Silverstone hoping to continue its strong form. Instead, Aprilia took control of the weekend, leaving Ducati without a rider on the podium in qualifying, the Sprint or Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Dall’Igna described the British round as a disappointing weekend for Ducati, saying the team struggled to find a competitive pace from qualifying through to the main race.
The Ducati boss said the riders also lacked the necessary feeling with their bikes, although he does not believe the result points to a major problem within the team.
“Silverstone has once again proved just how unpredictable it is,” Dall’Igna said in his post-race review, noting that the circuit has produced 12 different winners in its last 12 MotoGP races.
He believes Ducati must learn from the weekend while quickly moving on, especially with the championship still wide open.
The brightest spot for Ducati was Alex Marquez, who emerged as the manufacturer’s strongest rider throughout the weekend. The Gresini rider finished fourth in the Sprint and was in contention for a podium in Sunday’s race before a mistake dropped him out of the fight.
Source: The Race
Dall’Igna praised Marquez for his speed and maturity, suggesting that without the mistake, he could have challenged for a top-three finish.
Fabio Di Giannantonio also managed to score valuable points for VR46, helping Ducati limit the damage in the championship standings.
It was a much tougher weekend for Francesco Bagnaia, who ended Sunday’s race with a crash. Dall’Igna acknowledged that Silverstone was a particularly difficult circuit for Bagnaia following his recent forearm surgery, although the Ducati rider did not use his injury as an excuse.
Marc Marquez also struggled to reproduce his dominant form from Germany. The championship leader finished ninth in the Sprint after suffering heavy tyre degradation before recovering to seventh in the Grand Prix.
His qualifying session was also compromised by a yellow flag on his final attempt, leaving him unable to match the pace of the leading Aprilia riders.
The result saw Marquez lose further ground in the championship. Jorge Martin now leads the standings by 31 points over Aprilia team-mate Marco Bezzecchi, while Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura sits third, 37 points behind Martin. Marquez is fourth, 40 points off the championship lead.
With Raul Fernandez taking victory for Aprilia at Silverstone, all four Aprilia riders have now won a Grand Prix this season, underlining just how serious the challenge from the Noale manufacturer has become.
For Ducati, Dall’Igna believes the answer is simple: regroup, rediscover the confidence shown before the summer break and be ready to take advantage when the bike is better suited to the circuit.
The championship battle resumes later this month in Aragon, where Ducati will be hoping Silverstone was simply a bad weekend rather than a sign of a wider decline.
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