Ducati boss admits regret over Marc Marquez delay

Despite being the dominant force at the top of MotoGP for nearly a decade now, Ducati's team boss expressed some regret that they have only managed to secure three world championships for the factory team since 2017.

In an interview with Spanish outlet LaSexta, Tardozzi expressed his regret that reigning champion Marc Marquez was not brought into the team sooner.

"When you're on top, there are always many who want to bring you down from the top, but I think that since 2017-2018 we've been competing for the championships," said the boss, "Unfortunately, we didn't have Marc at that time, which is why another team took the title."

While it is true that Ducati have been in title contention since that time, the team didn't secure their first Constructor's Championship until 2020, a title which they have managed to retain every year since.

However, on the rider side things look a little less dominant. Marquez claimed his fourth, fifth and sixth premier class title from the period 2017-19 before the COVID pandemic threw the sport into turmoil for subsequent seasons.

Joan Mir capitalized on the chaos aboard his Suzuki to claim the 2020 rider's crown, a title which was then usurped by Yamaha's Fabio Quartararo in 2021.

Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia then claimed back-to-back championships in the following two years before missing out to satellite Pramac rider Jorge Martin in 2024.

In 2025, Ducati brought Marquez into the factory team, and the Spaniard promptly reclaimed his place on the MotoGP throne in one of the most dominant seasons of the sport's history.

It is reported that Ducati is putting chips on Marc Marquez for the future as well.