Ducati MotoGP team principal Davide Tardozzi confirmed that Marc Marquez’s tyre failure during the Thai Grand Prix was caused by the wheel rim breaking after hitting a kerb. The incident occurred at Buriram’s Turn 4, where the reigning world champion’s rim suffered severe damage, forcing him to retire on lap 21 of the race.
Marquez had a challenging start to the season, as his slow pace initially cost him spots on the podium. Despite this, he fought back and was closing the gap to Raul Fernandez for a potential third-place finish before the tyre issue abruptly ended his race.
Circumstances Leading to the Rim Damage
Tardozzi explained that Marquez lost air pressure because the rim was damaged when the bike’s wheel struck the edge of the apex kerb. This strike caused the rim to break, which resulted in a rapid loss of tyre pressure and the need for Marquez to pull off the track.
“Unfortunately, he went to the kerb at Turn 4, and he broke the rim,”
Tardozzi told TNT Sport.
“That’s why he lost the air, and he was forced to stop. He hit the edge of the apex and he broke the wheel.”
He added that such a failure was unprecedented in his experience and suggested that while it could be considered a mistake, it was largely due to bad luck since many riders contacted the kerb without similar consequences.
“We could say that it was a mistake, but he has been really unlucky because many riders went out in Turn 4 and nobody had this problem.”
– Davide Tardozzi, Ducati MotoGP Team Boss
“Anyway, it’s like this. [He said] he hit the kerb, he doesn’t know why, but the rim exploded.”
– Davide Tardozzi, Ducati MotoGP Team Boss
Other Riders Also Affected by Rear Tyre Issues
Shortly after Marquez’s retirement, Honda rider Joan Mir also withdrew from the race due to rear tyre problems. The tyre difficulties seen at Buriram were not isolated to just Marquez or Mir.
Michelin’s technical head, Piero Taramasso, detailed that rim damage was a recurring issue throughout the race weekend, attributing it partly to the combination of intense heat and aggressive kerbs at the circuit.
“We had this problem all weekend, many wheels bent when they returned to our tent because it was very hot,”
Taramasso explained, emphasizing that the tyre material softened under heat, making rims more vulnerable to damage from the track’s kerbs.
He mentioned Jorge Martin’s front wheel deflation during the sprint as a similar case to Marquez’s puncture, with Martin’s wheel bending after a kerb hit and losing pressure gradually, unlike Marquez’s sudden air loss.
“Jorge had a slow loss, and Marc lost all the air all at once.”
– Piero Taramasso, Michelin boss
Difficulties for Ducati Compared to Pre-Season Performance
Despite showing promising pace during pre-season testing, Ducati struggled to translate that speed into results during the Thai Grand Prix weekend. Marquez, who suffered a penalty that denied him a sprint win after qualifying second, remained the standout rider, while other Ducati riders lagged behind.
Fabio Di Giannantonio led the Ducati riders in the main race but finished over 15 seconds behind winner Marco Bezzecchi. Team boss Tardozzi acknowledged that the bike’s behavior at Buriram differed greatly from the testing session and expressed frustration at not understanding the cause.
“Very difficult weekend, because it seems like Aprilia has grown up a lot, and they were incredibly fast with their four riders this weekend,”
Tardozzi said, praising Aprilia’s performance.
He elaborated,
“In the end, there is something strange that this weekend we found the bike completely different from the previous one when we were here for the test.”
“That’s something that we still haven’t understood.”
– Davide Tardozzi, Ducati MotoGP Team Boss
Impact on Ducati’s Podium Streak and Season Outlook
The tyre failures and bike inconsistencies ended Ducati’s remarkable run of 88 consecutive podium finishes, with the 2026 Thai Grand Prix marking the first race since the 2021 British Grand Prix where the Desmosedici wasn’t on the podium. This outcome signifies a major setback for the team early in the season.
With rival teams, especially Aprilia, showing significant improvement, Ducati faces pressure to diagnose and resolve these issues swiftly. How the team adapts in upcoming races will be critical to maintaining their competitive standing in the MotoGP championship.
