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The era of Ducati domination in MotoGP looks under fire more than ever after the Borgo Panigale manufacturer’s run of podiums finally came to an end at the Thai Grand Prix on Sunday.
Marco Bezzecchi’s victory for Aprilia, ahead of Pedro Acosta (KTM) and Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia), meant there was no Ducati on the rostrum for the first time since the 2021 British Grand Prix.
After Marc Marquez picked up a puncture whilst running fourth, Ducati’s best finisher at Buriram was Fabio di Giannantonio, who took sixth place for VR46.
That 2021 race at Silverstone had three different manufacturers on the podium, with Fabio Quartararo, Alex Rins and Aleix Espargaro representing Yamaha, Suzuki and Aprilia respectively.
Few could have imagined that day that it would be well over four years before the next podium without a Ducati rider on at least one of the steps. Ducati won the next four riders’ championships thanks to Pecco Bagnaia (2022 & 2023), Jorge Martin (2024) and Marc Marquez (2025).
Numerous sweeps underlined Ducati’s dominance during this period. In Australia in 2024, Marquez led a six-bike train of Ducatis across the line at Phillip Island. Marquez also headed a five-Ducati sweep in Argentina in 2025 – but such peaks have not been repeated since.
The podium finishers at Silverstone in 2021 – not a Ducati rider in sight
Photo by: Dorna
Ducati had its last four-bike lockout at Mugello last season, and its most recent podium sweep came in Germany last year. Continuing its run of podiums was looking ever more tenuous as the competition – particularly Italian rival Aprilia – began to pose a serious threat.
The run almost came to an end at last year’s Valencia finale, but Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) kept it alive by moving into third place with just two laps to go.
While Ducati has much to think about following its disappointing weekend in Thailand, Aprilia has extra cause to celebrate as Bezzecchi’s win represented the third in a row for the Noale manufacturer. The Italian began that run with his victories in Portugal and Valencia at the back end of last season.
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