Ducati boss backs Australia MotoGP cancellation despite impact on title battle

Davide Tardozzi feels MotoGP made the right call in cancelling the Phillip Island MotoGP race despite track conditions being okay.

The Phillip Island MotoGP was cancelled due to poor visibility for the medical helicopters, rather than because of excessive water on the track surface after hours of rain throughout Sunday morning and into the early afternoon in Australia.

Championship leader Marc Marquez said after the cancellation that the track conditions were “acceptable” and Tardozzi had a similar opinion, adding that the situation regarding the helicopters made the choice to cancel the “most safe” one.

“I think that, on the race track side, we raced in the past with even worse conditions,” Ducati Lenovo Team manager Tardozzi told TNT Sports.

“But in the end, safety first, so I think that in the worst condition I think the race direction made the most safe decision.”

The cancellation meant Marquez was denied the chance to race without Jorge Martin on the grid, the Aprilia rider having been declared unfit with a broken wrist after his Sprint crash.

“That’s true, but at the end we have to take care about the safety of the riders and if the helicopter is not here it means that the race can’t be started,” Tardozzi said about the implications for the championship battle.

“I know that it was a huge opportunity to gain points but, at the end, that’s racing, it can happen, and we are already looking forward to Malaysia.”

Phillip Island has been a good track for Marquez in the past, but it is also one that suits the RS-GP. As such, to leave Australia 10 points to the good over Martin having entered two points behind is a kind of win for Marquez and Ducati, which locked out the Sprint podium.

“Unfortunately, Jorge [Martin] made a mistake, but in the end I was happy having three Ducatis on the podium,” said Tardozzi.

“That means the competitiveness is still there, but we knew that our opponents would be stronger than us in some race tracks and it will be like this in at least two or three of the next four. 

“I guess that yesterday there was really proof that Marc [Marquez] was managing the race in the proper way.”