Ducati under pressure in Jerez

Ducati heads into the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix with a sense of uncertainty. After five Grands Prix without a win, the Italian manufacturer is seeing Aprilia and Marco Bezzecchi dominate, while its star riders are struggling to find success. Borgo Panigale hasn't tasted the podium since the Japanese Grand Prix. This run of eight races without a top-three finish is unprecedented for the factory team since the long drought between Aragon 2012 and Qatar 2014.

Hampered by the concessions system that limits its potential for in-depth development, Ducati finds itself facing competition from Aprilia, which, for its part, has been able to continue improving its RS-GP. The red bikes have even begun to draw inspiration from Aprilia's aerodynamics, as seen in Austin with the GP26's rear seat.

Still hampered by the aftereffects of his injuries and riding a machine that is no longer the benchmark on the grid, Marc Márquez arrives in Jerez without a single Sunday podium finish. Already 36 points behind Bezzecchi, the Spaniard has a lot riding on his home turf, having not won there since 2019. While he managed to mask the Ducati's shortcomings last year, his physical condition likely prevents him from compensating for limitations that the bike is now struggling to conceal, especially against such strong competition. The situation is hardly more reassuring for Francesco Bagnaia, three-time consecutive winner in Andalusia between 2022 and 2024, who currently sits ninth in the championship.

A European tour to get back on track

While the Ducati leaders are struggling, other riders in the red team are making their mark. Fabio Di Giannantonio, in particular, has emerged as the man in form. The Italian has been delivering consistently high-level performances and has climbed to fourth place in the overall standings as the best-placed Ducati rider. Having secured two consecutive pole positions, he has demonstrated remarkable consistency this season, never finishing outside the top six on Sundays, and was the top-performing Ducati rider in the last two Grands Prix.

Alex Márquez, the surprise winner here in 2025, has been less prominent since the start of the 2026 season but could use this time to get back on track as he continues to chase his first podium finish of 2026, whether in Sprint or Grand Prix racing. The same objective applies to Franco Morbidelli, who struggled after his 14th place finish in Austin. After a three-weekend break, Fermín Aldeguer should be back to full fitness, continuing his recovery from a winter injury to his left femur.

If Ducati were to fail at Jerez, this winless streak would become the longest since the period from MotorLand 2020 to Portimão 2021, when the brand had gone eight Grands Prix without success, between Danilo Petrucci's victory at Le Mans in 2020 and Jack Miller's victory at Jerez in 2021.

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