Ducati boss Davide Tardozzi has shed light on the incident that led to Marc Marquez’s dramatic crash at Turn 4 during the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas. The crash forced the Spanish rider to retire early from the race, marking a significant turning point in the championship battle.

Marquez, who had been leading the race comfortably, made a costly mistake that ended his chances of securing another victory at the Circuit of The Americas. Although he managed to remount his bike, the damage sustained was too severe for him to continue. This misstep not only cost him 25 crucial points but also saw him relinquish the championship lead to his brother, Alex Marquez.

Speaking to the media post-race, Tardozzi provided insight into what happened:

“Yeah, he said sorry to the team. But he cut a bit too much the corner, and he touched the apex, and it was a bit wet.”

Marquez himself took full responsibility for the error, acknowledging that it was an unnecessary risk taken at a time when he had complete control over the race. He admitted:

“We did the most difficult thing in the easiest moment of the race. When I was controlling the distance, I cut a bit too much of that kerb in Turn 5, and I lost the front. It was completely my mistake.

“Sorry to the team, I can say only this.”

Despite the disappointment, the six-time MotoGP champion tried to take away a positive outlook from the situation:

“The positive for us – because I always try to find the positive – is that we are equal in the championship, one point behind Alex, so we restart the championship.”

Marquez went on to analyze the crash further, revealing that he had been taking the same racing line for several laps before the mistake occurred.

“The kerb, I already cut some laps before. So, I just cut it too much – I was too optimistic.

“I was fully concentrated, I was not overly confident, I was just riding, taking care of the hard braking points where you can make mistakes – like at Turn 12.

“But for the rest of the track, I felt super safe. I cut the kerb too much.”

Marquez acknowledged the impact of losing a potential race win but remained determined to keep up his form throughout the season:

“There was the mistake, I lost 25 points, but we need to keep going in the same way, keep the same speed because I feel fast everywhere. Now, tomorrow is a new week.”

Looking ahead, Marquez remains optimistic about the championship battle, especially given that both he and his brother Alex are now at the top of the standings.

“We will have a good atmosphere in the family, in training, because we are first and second in the championship.

“We had that margin that we used in the worst way because we used it in an easy race. But at the moment, we were there in the championship.”

The crash at COTA serves as a reminder of how unforgiving MotoGP can be, even for a rider as accomplished as Marquez. While the mistake proved costly, his confidence in his speed and racecraft suggests he remains a formidable contender for the 2025 MotoGP title. With the championship race now tighter than ever, the coming rounds promise intense battles and redemption opportunities for the Spanish superstar.