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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1538605
Marc and Aldeguer aside, there was little else to cheer for Ducati. By the race's end, Bagna- ia showed his first real signs of losing patience with the Bologna factory. Alex was blunted once he served the long-lap penalty for taking Joan Mir (HRC Cas- trol) out of the previous race. And the VR46 Ducati duo of Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio never looked ca- pable of troubling the top six. And like Brno, KTM showed Aprilia is not alone in bridging the gap to the Bologna factory. Even if Maverick Vinales (Tech3 KTM) withdrew due to injury to drop Bagnaia and Acosta in the fight for third, quickly dis - posed of Bezzecchi for second, and then began reeling in Marc with laps to spare. Most eye-catching of all was how Aldeguer was faster than Marc all weekend through the track's third sector, which fea - tures two left-handers, usually the domain of the eight-time champ. His elder compatriot was so puzzled by this that he called Aldeguer's crew chief, Frankie Carchedi, with whom Marc worked in 2024, to under - stand how the rookie was mak- ing the difference. MARQUEZ'S PAY CUT Just how badly did Marc Mar- quez want to return to winning ways? He admitted that he went without a salary from the Gresini team in 2024 so he could get his hands on a Ducati. The eight-time champ was believed to be on a base salary of $23.4 million when he was a Repsol Honda rider, which he claims he gave up to be on a year-old Desmosedici. "[I gave up] 100 percent [of my salary]," he said when asked. "Last year, I was riding for free on the team. Then, it has been covered about my personal sponsors. But that was my bet; it was my investment for my career." Did he receive win and podium bonuses from Gresini Ducati? "From my personal sponsors," he said. TRACK SAFETY CALLED INTO QUESTION Several MotoGP riders were of the opinion a disaster was nar- rowly avoided off the Sprint start as Pecco Bagnaia and Fermin Aldeguer spun up wildly from third and sixth on the grid, caus- ing many names behind to take avoiding action. Neither rider was sure what caused the huge slide, with Bagnaia heavily hinting his rear Michelin was at fault. But Luca Marini believed it was an issue with the cleanliness of the track. "Everybody was super lucky," he said. "We also need to talk about this topic with the Safety Commission, because on Thursday they asked us not to put the tear-off on the grid to try to avoid these kinds of things. Briefly... ROUND 13 / AUGUST 15-17, 2025 RED BULL RING / SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA ROAD RACE I FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP P82 It just goes from bad to worse for Francesco Bagnaia, with a pair of eighth places—at a track he's dominated at in the last three years—depressing for the double World Champion.