The MotoGP paddock is buzzing after an electrifying Thai Grand Prix on March 02, 2025, where Marc Márquez’s pursuit of victory took a dramatic twist—and now, Ducati Lenovo Team manager Davide Tardozzi is hitting back at claims that a rookie mistake cost the Spaniard the win. TNT Sports MotoGP analyst Michael Laverty sparked the debate, suggesting that Márquez’s front tyre pressure woes—dropping him from first to second behind Gresini’s Alex Márquez—stemmed from a miscalculation by his team. But Tardozzi isn’t having it, dismissing the theory as premature and defending his squad’s expertise in a fiery rebuttal that’s got fans on edge.
The Buriram circuit was a pressure cooker on Sunday, both on and off the track. Márquez, the eight-time world champion, had been untouchable all weekend, storming to pole and leading the race with the kind of dominance that’s become his trademark in 2025. But midway through, his pace faltered, and he slipped behind his brother Alex, raising eyebrows and heart rates in the Ducati garage. Laverty, a former MotoGP rider turned pundit, pointed the finger at the team, theorizing that they’d misjudged the front tyre pressure after factoring in a drop in ambient temperature before the race. According to Laverty, the pressure was set too low, forcing Márquez to ease off to avoid breaching MotoGP’s strict tyre pressure regulations.
Tardozzi, however, was quick to slam the brakes on that narrative. Speaking to TNT Sports post-race, the Ducati boss insisted that jumping to conclusions without hard data was reckless. “Honestly, we have to download the data and see what happened,” he said, his tone firm yet measured. “We don’t know exactly the numbers yet. Speaking without knowing what happened is not good.” For Tardozzi, the idea that his engineers—renowned for their precision—bungled something as fundamental as tyre pressure was unthinkable. “I think our engineers are always calculating very well the numbers of the temperature,” he added, a clear shot at Laverty’s speculation.
The drama unfolded in real-time as Márquez’s sudden slowdown sent shockwaves through the Ducati pit wall. “He slowed down in a strange way,” Tardozzi admitted, revealing his own nerves were fraying as Márquez’s lead evaporated. “My heart was at 200 beats per minute.” But relief came at Turn 5, when Márquez tucked in behind Alex in a controlled manner, hinting at a tactical retreat rather than a mechanical failure. “Immediately, I understood what was happening,” Tardozzi said, suggesting Márquez was managing his tyre pressure to stay within legal limits—a move that showcased both his racecraft and his cool-headedness under pressure.
Far from seeing it as a failure, Tardozzi spun the moment into a testament to Márquez’s brilliance. “In the end, he’s a clever guy,” he said, pointing to how Márquez stayed composed behind Alex instead of risking it all. He even highlighted a standout moment from Lap 23, when Márquez had briefly gapped the field by half a second in a single split. “That means Marc was really able to pull away since the beginning,” Tardozzi argued. “He could’ve pushed like that the whole race.” For the Ducati boss, the Thai GP wasn’t a missed opportunity—it was proof of Márquez’s superiority, even if the top step eluded him.
The controversy has lit a fire under an already thrilling 2025 season. Márquez, now in his first year with Ducati’s factory team, is locked in a fierce title fight with teammate Pecco Bagnaia, and every race is a high-stakes showdown. The tyre pressure saga adds another layer of intrigue: was this a rare Ducati slip-up, or a calculated gamble that didn’t quite pay off? Tardozzi’s refusal to entertain Laverty’s theory without evidence underscores the team’s confidence—and their determination to keep Márquez’s championship charge on track.
As the data trickles in, the MotoGP world is holding its breath. Did Márquez sacrifice a win to play it safe, or was there more at play behind the scenes? One thing’s certain: Tardozzi’s fierce defense of his team and his star rider has only amped up the drama. With the season heating up, this is one storyline that’s far from over—and Márquez, as always, remains at the heart of it.
