Ducati 'slapped in the face' by Aprilia according to team boss

The season hasn't started in the way that the reigning champions would have hoped, with an ultimately dismal showing at the Thailand Grand Prix which saw the team's 88-podium streak finally broken.

While the Ducatis across the board seemed to have good pace in testing, things began to fall apart during qualifying and the sprint race, before ultimately collapsing on Sunday with Marquez's tyre failure and Bagnaia managing to finish only in P9.

"I would say that the track had a negative impact, but I believe that Gigi [Dall’Igna] is absolutely on point," Tardozzi told Sky Sports Italia, "After taking four slaps in the face, because that's the truth, there will be tracks that will reveal the true values."

Despite the poor opening round, The Godfather of the MotoGP paddock remained optimistic about the upcoming rounds:

"Apart from Brazil, which is a new track for everyone, I believe that Austin, Qatar, and Jerez will reveal the reality of the situation."

In tandem with Ducati's struggles, Aprilia have also taken a considerable leap forward and continued their strong momentum from the end of 2025 through into the new season.

In addition to Bezzecchi's flag-to-flag domination on the Sunday race, Aprilia riders took four of the top five spots at the end of the race, with Pedro Acosta being the only non-Aprilia rider in the top five.

"Well, it's obvious that Aprilia has done a great job and that Bezzecchi is in great shape," continued Tardozzi, "But I think it's been that way since the middle of last year, because let's remember that Marc had an accident, but in previous races he always struggled to beat him."

"That said, hats off to Aprilia, because they've been really strong. Then we need to work on what we're thinking, we can't keep anything in the drawers anymore, we have to bring out everything we've got, but I think Gigi is absolutely aware of that, so I would say that our duty is to put the Ducati riders back in a position to fight for the podium."

Tardozzi has also made it clear that his main priority for the season is to sign an extension for Marc Marquez's contract, however as things stand there has been to committment regarding the world champion's future.