Ducati urged to ‘bring out everything’ after 'four slaps in the face' at start of MotoGP 2026

Davide Tardozzi says Ducati must “work hard and bring everything out” after a surprisingly tough start to the 2026 MotoGP season in Thailand.

The Italian admitted the opening round felt like receiving “four slaps in the face” after the top Ducati of Fabio Di Giannantonio finished behind all four Aprilias, plus the KTM of Pedro Acosta.

The result also ended Ducati’s remarkable run of 88 consecutive grand prix podiums, in a race that saw Tardozzi’s reigning champion, Marc Marquez, forced out of podium contention by wheel rim damage.

“Aprilia did a great job, and Marco Bezzecchi is in fantastic form,” Tardozzi told Sky Italia.

“We need to work hard and bring out everything we have.

“We need to put the riders in a position to fight for the podium again. 

"All our riders have suffered from the [grip] changes from last Sunday's test to this weekend; their performances have dropped.

“That's not an excuse; we need to evaluate the reasons.”

Tardozzi also warned against drawing too many conclusions from Buriram alone, saying that the upcoming rounds will offer a clearer picture of the true competitive order.

“After taking four slaps in the face, because that's the truth, we're getting to the tracks that will reveal the true [order]: Austin, Qatar and Jerez," he said.

Sprint winner Acosta currently leads the championship standings ahead of the Aprilia quartet of Marco Bezzecchi, Raul Fernandez, Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura.

Acosta’s KTM team-mate Brad Binder sits sixth in the standings, followed by di Giannantonio and Marquez.