Francesco Bagnaia experienced a tough downturn in performance throughout the 2025 MotoGP season with Ducati, attributing part of his slump to an overwhelming amount of questioning from the team’s staff. After consistently finishing first or second in the world championship since joining Ducati’s factory squad in 2021, Bagnaia slipped to fifth place last year, struggling to adapt to the new GP25 bike.
Despite securing two Grand Prix wins and two Sprint victories, Bagnaia’s season was marred by six retirements in the last seven races and failure to reach Q2 on four occasions, reflecting an uncharacteristic struggle for the Italian rider.
Increased Pressure from Ducati Staff Hampered Bagnaia’s Focus
In a candid discussion on ‘The BSMT’ podcast recorded in 2025, Bagnaia revealed that the supportive relationship he previously enjoyed with crew chief Cristian Gabarrini and engineer Tommaso Pagano was disrupted by excessive scrutiny from Ducati management. The rider described how frequent and intense questioning created a “noise” in the garage that hindered his ability to concentrate and find solutions.
Bagnaia explained,
“In situations like this, everyone wants to have their say, making more noise than you need to,”
– Francesco Bagnaia, MotoGP Champion. He added,
“When we were doing well, I went back to the garage, spoke with Cristian and Tommy, and the engineers listened to me. This year, however, I arrived at the garage, and everyone was asking questions, making more noise than we needed. This year, 1,000 questions arrived in the box, and we no longer understood anything.”
This atmosphere made it difficult for Bagnaia to get the clear guidance he needed, and even Ducati’s General Manager Luigi Dall’Igna could not provide effective advice during the challenging period. Bagnaia admitted he was largely left to ‘learn on his own’ as the pressure mounted.
Reflection on Past Success and Mechanical Efforts
Bagnaia identified his biggest mistake last season as attempting to replicate the performance of his previous bike, the GP24, which had earned him 11 victories and 16 podiums during his title fight against Jorge Martin. Unfortunately, the GP25’s fundamental changes meant that trying to make it perform like the ’24 was futile.
He said,
“My mistake was probably to convince myself that my potential with the GP24 was at the top, so I took it for granted that I would do the same again. Instead, the bike changed and I tried in every way to make that bike look like the ’24 again, without success. So that was a bit of a waste of time.”
Despite the setbacks, Bagnaia expressed heartfelt appreciation for his mechanics, praising their relentless efforts.
“I’m very happy with my team, my technicians. My mechanics deserve a statue for the number of times they assembled and disassembled everything.”
Looking Ahead: End of an Era and New Teammate
Bagnaia is reportedly set to join Aprilia ahead of the 2027 season, marking the last year of his historic tenure with Ducati. He will be replaced by Pedro Acosta, who will become Marc Marquez’s teammate moving forward.
At the Thailand Grand Prix, Bagnaia’s struggles persisted as he qualified 13th and finished ninth in both races, reflecting ongoing challenges not only for him but for Ducati as a whole during a difficult weekend.
This turbulent season underlines the complexities faced by top riders adapting to evolving machinery and internal team dynamics. For Bagnaia and Ducati, these experiences may shape strategies and communications for upcoming campaigns as they aim to regain their competitive edge.
