Ducati left Mandalika without giving up ground in the MotoGP title fight. Marc Márquez is still two points behind Jorge Martín after turning an unexpected Sprint victory into sixth place in Sunday’s long race. He was Ducati’s leading rider across the weekend, which Gigi Dall’Igna had identified as potentially the manufacturer’s toughest circuit of the season.

The Sprint shifted the weekend in Márquez’s favour. Raúl Fernández and Marco Bezzecchi collided at Turn 1, while Martín suffered tyre-pressure problems after moving into the lead. Sunday brought a very different picture: Aprilia filled the first four places, leaving Márquez to limit the damage with sixth. Ducati’s pace was not close to that of the frontrunners, so the result depended on extracting points from a difficult situation rather than matching the winning performance.

Dall’Igna highlights Márquez’s judgement

Dall’Igna credited Márquez with recognising the Sprint opportunity and handling the critical moments on a motorcycle that was not the strongest package in the field. In his assessment, the rider combined intelligence and experience with the ability to draw the maximum from an unfavourable weekend. The sixth-place finish also ended a personal difficulty at the circuit: Márquez had never previously reached the chequered flag in a Sunday race at Mandalika.

The Ducati boss said the team had to adapt because its pace did not match the best, while keeping its focus on the wider championship picture. The Indonesian Grand Prix therefore became a major obstacle cleared without changing the deficit, rather than a weekend built around outright speed. Five rounds remain, beginning at Phillip Island, and Dall’Igna described the title contest as exceptionally tight. Every Sprint and Sunday race now carries direct weight in the final battle between Márquez and Martín, with sportsmanship and fairness still central to his message.