Marc Márquez recently struggled significantly at Silverstone, finishing ninth in the sprint and seventh in the main race, with the MotoGP world champion failing to extend his title challenge—in fact, quite the opposite. “In the sprint, he pushed the tyre too hard in the early stages, and it then fell off completely for him. In the Grand Prix, he handled the situation better and was able to salvage good points,” says former rider Tom Lüthi, adding that the Spaniard ultimately had “no chance whatsoever” of matching the Aprilias’ pace. The Italian manufacturer claimed two hat-tricks at the British Grand Prix, completely dominating the weekend.
But now there is renewed hope—both for Márquez and for the excitement—as the action moves to Aragon, where a “completely different track” awaits the riders, according to Lüthi. “A track that’s almost tailor-made for Márquez,” says the Swiss, “with its technical sections, as well as elevation changes—uphill and downhill.” The circuit is “highly varied.” Lüthi expects Ducati to face fewer tyre issues in Spain than they did in England. Whether Márquez “can return to the front of the pack” there will “definitely be fascinating to see.”
Lüthi also has high hopes for Pedro Acosta. “He took another step forward, actually improving throughout the entire Silverstone weekend,” says the former MotoGP rider about the Spanish KTM factory rider. Acosta, who will join Ducati next season, is currently seventh in the championship. Defending champion Márquez sits behind the Aprilia trio of Jorge Martín (Spain), Marco Bezzecchi (Italy), and Ai Ogura (Japan) in fourth place.
