After a great day out on home ground at Misano last weekend, Ducati appears to be facing a much sterner challenge now that the MotoGP circus has moved north across the Dolomites.
That’s because this week’s home squad, KTM, threw down the gauntlet in no uncertain terms as Friday unfolded at the Austrian Grand Prix. If nothing else, it has certainly provided a brief change in the prevailing Ducati versus Aprilia narrative.
But with Ducati’s lead rider, Marc Marquez, frequently accused of holding back early on a weekend, the events of the opening day are certainly no reason to leap to conclusions. KTM presents a more formidable foe than usual, as does the special Michelin tyre carcass in use this weekend, but that doesn’t mean Ducati isn’t in the fight.
As always, it’s worth digging a little deeper into Marquez’s work during the two sessions on Friday.
Like Acosta, Marquez stuck to the same pair of tyres throughout the morning session, running the medium rear. His fastest lap came on his 14th circuit, however, as opposed to Acosta’s fifth. The cold temperatures meant tyre wear wasn’t much of a factor for anyone, so there’s not a lot to read into that. What can be said is that Marquez got through a solid morning’s race preparation.
Things warmed up in the afternoon, with conditions similar to what is expected for Sunday’s main race. Marquez was fourth, as he had been in the morning. But it was noticeable how long he remained on the soft rear tyre with which he had started the session. 17 laps into his work, he was still able to produce competitive race times: that 1m29.812s lap was only around three tenths of a second slower than the all-time best race lap, set by Francesco Bagnaia back in 2024.
On a day when Acosta’s fastest Practice time was still fully six tenths away from the 2024 pole, that lap offers a glimpse into Marc’s race potential.
Marquez was also way down the top speed charts on Friday, giving a fair amount away even to his fellow Ducatis. That could be a space worth watching as the weekend unfolds. He may need every boost he can get in order to produce a quick enough qualifying lap to allow him to cash in on race pace.
While Marquez will always hog headlines around Ducati’s prospects, it’s particularly important to note that Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer was the man leading the way for Borgo Panigale on Friday. This is not random: Aldeguer is known for his prowess on this tyre carcass, which he used to win his sole grand prix in Indonesia last season. He also pushed Marquez – then at the absolute zenith of his summer 2025 dominance – for victory at this very race last season. Don’t expect Aldeguer to go anywhere as this weekend continues.
The young Murcian was happy to explain his own advantage on this particular Michelin, which is only used in Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil and Austria.
“Of all the Ducati riders, normally [I am the one who uses this tyre the best], because I carry a lot of speed in the middle of the corner and I don’t use a lot of gas to turn and to exit. It’s like when you have a used tyre,” he said after Friday practice.
Another upbeat Ducati rider was Fabio Di Giannantonio, who was sixth-quickest on a track where he admits to having struggled in the past. After no end of talk about him switching aerodynamic packages in recent races, the Italian claimed the dithering is over. Perhaps committing to the 2026 aero package will see him emerge from a recent form slump?
“I went full in with the GP26,” he said after the day’s action. “We must give it a go on the GP26 to try to see if we can steal something here and there to be the best.
“Also because when we used the 2026 aero, we’ve been good this year already.
In Barcelona, I won with the 2026 aero, for example. At that time, we didn’t understand exactly what we can extract from the package.
“I think it’s the right time now, with not many races left, to work a lot on this and try to see if we can improve our level with the new aero.”
While Franco Morbidelli (VR46) and factory rider Bagnaia stayed true to recent form with Friday struggles likely to set the tone for the weekend, there is a fourth Ducati rider with room for improvement on the weekend: Alex Marquez.
The Gresini man had to deal with a flailing fairing and a stuck brake that caused him to crash in a straight line today. The fact that he was still able to make Q2 comfortably despite these inconveniences points to a lot of potential for the man who finished last year’s sprint second to his brother.
But while there are grounds for optimism, the riders themselves are happy to talk down their chances.
“I feel better than the other Ducati riders for sure, but I don’t feel good,” said Aldeguer. “We have to work and that’s it.”
As has become customary, Marc Marquez was most forthright in his praise for Acosta on Friday.
“I expected [Acosta to be fast] because it’s not the first time that KTM is very fast here. And Pedro [gives something extra to] KTM. He was already very fast in the other race tracks and here, at the moment, he is the fastest one.”
Marquez went even further, refuting a suggestion that Acosta wasn’t part of the championship fight.
“He’s in the championship,” said Marquez firmly.
While comments like these from the great Marquez, KTM can secure plenty of hype in Austria as the real business begins on Saturday. But that’s when words begin to matter less and less. The next 48 hours will tell if Ducati can stop the local headline-writers in their tracks by producing the goods on track.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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