Marc Marquez: The former rider’s comments fuel questions about the tire
Former rider Leo Isolani spoke about how Marc Marquez was dissatisfied at the end of the MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix: the issue involved the tire’s performance on the Ducati he raced, finishing in fifth place.
“Marc was quite upset, and the rear tire’s performance didn’t seem to be what he expected,” Isolani noted. “That doesn’t necessarily mean ‘the tire was different’ for him, but rather that the tire’s behavior on his bike wasn’t giving him what he was looking for. Marc was too tense, almost angry.”
A native of Ancona, Isolani boasts extensive experience in the world of auto racing. In 2011, he was crowned Italian GT CIVM Champion, adding a major achievement to a track record already brimming with successes. Throughout his career, he has won four FIA EHCC GT Cups, as well as ten CSAI Cups across the CIVM and TIVM series. His resume also includes an Italian Rally Cup, confirming his experience across various motorsport disciplines.
In reality, Marquez’s frustration wasn’t solely due to rear-tire management. The reigning world champion revealed that he had to contend with a problem with the front brake lever for the entire duration of the race: “From the first lap, I realized there was a problem. Every time I braked, the lever was in a different position, so I found myself making mistakes without actually having made them.” One incident in particular nearly cost him dearly: “At Turn 1, I almost hit the wall; I braked where I always do, but the lever was all the way back.”
Ducati Lenovo team manager Davide Tardozzi also weighed in on the situation, making no secret of the weekend’s difficulties: “We didn’t expect to lose so many points here.” Tardozzi nevertheless reaffirmed his confidence in the work of technical director Gigi Dall’Igna: “I’m certain that Gigi and the other engineers are already analyzing the data to understand exactly what happened. We trust him, and we’ll try to pinpoint the problem that held him back.”
On the World Championship front, the situation has become more complicated for Marquez, who now trails Jorge Martin by 12 points in the overall standings. The victory went to Pedro Acosta, who claimed his first-ever MotoGP win with KTM, ahead of the two Aprilias ridden by Martin and Marco Bezzecchi. Despite this setback, the Catalan rider urged everyone to stay calm: “We have to work without panicking because we’re right in the thick of the World Championship battle.” Tardozzi echoed this sentiment: “The championship is still wide open, but the situation has become quite complicated.”
