Two crashes by Marc Márquez prove Ducati right, as it wants to protect its new flagship on and off the track.

At Marc Márquez's official debut as Ducati's flagship in Italy, the boos once again echoed in the stands. The resounding criticism from the Mugello crowd last week, a common occurrence since the feud between the Spanish rider and Valentino Rossi opened in 2015 , provoked anger and indignation among the Italian factory's top brass at their home Grand Prix. Friday's events at the start of the Dutch GP, with up to 25 crashes, several riders in pain, three red flags, and a burning machine, underscored the main argument of the Bologna-based brand's top brass in their complaints: fans should show more respect to these gladiators who risk their lives every day.

It was Márquez, precisely, who caused the scare at Assen. A solid leader of the World Championship as the championship approaches its halfway point, the eight-time world champion had been warning that any crash could change the script of the season. Fortunately, the two crashes he suffered this Friday resulted in considerable pain, several bruises, and a bloody chin. The number 93 rider fell at high speed in the opening stages of the day and was violently thrown onto the asphalt, leaving his left arm in pain and a numb nerve. In practice, another slide on the gravel sent him to the medical center for further examination. It all ended with several bruises that will require anti-inflammatories and some physiotherapy. Fabio Quartararo, with a time of 1:31.156 , led the timesheets on the Yamaha, with the favorite to take the title in sixth place at the end of the day.

Ducati, aware of the delicate relationship between the Italian fans and its new emblem, had already discussed privately before the previous round how to handle the potential public booing directed at the Cervera rider. “Davide [Tardozzi] reacted because he's all heart. He defends the riders as if they were his children,” acknowledged Artur Vilalta, the factory team's communications director, when reviewing the events on the Por Orejas de Motorsport podcast. The Italian team boss was caught on camera berating the crowd for their attitude after Márquez's sprint victory. “It's red, for God's sake, shut up,” Tardozzi shouted, gesturing incredulously to the stands.

The former driver later shared his views on the issue on Italian television. “I think the lack of sportsmanship is no longer justifiable when linked to the events of 10 years ago. The time has come to turn the page and look forward, especially for Marc and Valentino , and to send positive messages. If you don't like Marc, just don't clap, but in my opinion, whistling is absolutely unsportsmanlike,” the team boss argued. Márquez thanked him for the gesture after sweeping the track, but also lamented that his brother Álex was the target of whistling simply for sharing his surname.

At Misano, when Márquez defeated Bagnaia near Rossi's hometown of Tavullia last year, the boos were also noticeable. The current teammate from the 1993 season pleaded for calm from the podium and later commented that he felt it was a "lack of respect." Reigning world champion Jorge Martín was also blunt on the matter . "We're giving 100%, putting our lives at risk, and for me there should be more respect. Whistling makes no sense," he said. The CEO of the MotoGP factory, Claudio Domenicali, has also publicly criticized the behavior of some of the "tifosi" in the stands these days, recalling that they had already preached the same thing when Márquez and Honda snatched the title from them three times with Italian Andrea Dovizioso on the track.