Photo via Crash.net

Marc Marquez rejects Ducati set-up blame at Mandalika MotoGP: “It’s me”

Marc Márquez took full responsibility for Ducati’s struggles with traction at the Indonesian MotoGP, dismissing suggestions that the bike’s setup was to blame. Despite the team’s efforts—including input from manager Davide Tardozzi on body position and adjustments—Márquez insisted the issue lay with his own performance, telling his crew, *“It’s not the setup… it’s me.”* His words came after a mixed weekend where he secured a hard-fought Sprint win, capitalizing on misfortune for rivals Raúl Fernández, Marco Bezzecchi, and title contender Jorge Martín, but finished sixth in the main race after a grueling battle with Pedro Acosta.

Acosta, who will join Márquez as his Ducati teammate in 2027, later joked about their duel, revealing his own tyre-pressure woes had forced repeated concessions to let Márquez pass. Márquez’s two-point deficit to Martín remained unchanged, but he hailed the result as a breakthrough for Ducati at Mandalika, calling it *“a dream”* to match Martín’s points and outscore Bezzecchi despite the track’s challenging conditions.

The Spaniard now turns his focus to the next round at Phillip Island, where he’ll aim to extend his title lead into the final third of the season.

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