MotoGP - Marc Marquez & Francesco Bagnaia have to report back - and praise the MotoGP stewards for it!

Even though it only lasted for the first six laps, the highly anticipated duel between Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez , with his brother Alex also involved, took place for the first time at Mugello . During the heated opening phase, there was even slight contact. As a result, the two Ducati factory riders reported to race control. Their conclusion is clear.

"It was about the contact with Marc in turn five on lap three," Bagnaia confirmed on Thursday before the race in Assen . After several maneuvers, the Italian had moved onto his teammate's rear tire. The situation offered Alex Marquez the opportunity to overtake 'Pecco' around the outside. In the end, however, it didn't prove to be decisive.

Nevertheless, Bagnaia and Marc Marquez had to go to the MotoGP stewards . Since 2025, they have been led by former rider Simon Crafar, who replaced the ever-controversial Freddie Spencer. "It was just a matter of them understanding what happened. From my point of view, this is clearly a racing incident. There was nothing I could do. If we intervene in something like this now, it will be difficult. This was the first duel this season because I was able to overtake Marc. We only had a little contact, so for me, this is completely a racing incident," Bagnaia explained.

Teammate Marquez also didn't even think there would be a penalty. "For me, those were some of the best six laps of the year. It was a really nice battle between me, Alex, and Pecco," he said, celebrating the great show at Mugello. So, were both summoned to the stewards' office completely unnecessarily? "The stewards saw it the same way, but they wanted to ask us how we viewed the situation," Bagnaia said.

What might at first glance be considered petty was met with approval by the two MotoGP world champions. "I've always had a good relationship with Simon. Compared to before, it now seems like we can talk to each other first before making decisions. Before, you'd go there, discuss things, but still always get a penalty. It's much better now. Simon wants to understand things first before making a judgment," 'Pecco' praised the New Zealander's new signing.

Marquez pointed to a kind of 'getting to know you' phase: "I think this exchange was fine because it allows them to get to know the situations. Simon is new to the stewarding job, and he's new to the riders too. This way you can define where the limits lie." Therefore, the championship leader could only agree with the approach: "He's the referee. You can agree or disagree, say yes or no. But in the end, these discussions can help make things a little easier for the future. That was a constructive conversation." It seems as if the riders have finally found someone they trust in Simon Crafar.

While Bagnaia and Marc Marquez enjoyed their duel, there were some voices that Alex Marquez was holding back too much against his brother. We took a look: