Pecco Bagnaia approaches the 2026 MotoGP season with a composed mindset, avoiding bold statements despite a difficult 2025 filled with inconsistency and setbacks. The Italian rider’s clear objective is to narrow the gap with Marc Marquez and consistently challenge him on the track.
Bolstered by positive experiences during the November Valencia test, Bagnaia arrives at the upcoming Sepang official tests with renewed confidence. Riding the GP26 prototype there, he felt a sense of smoothness and control that had eluded him throughout much of the previous year.
Feeling the Potential of the GP26 Prototype
Reflecting on his performance with the new bike, Bagnaia shared insights at the Ducati MotoGP team launch about the encouraging test in Valencia. He recalled,
“The prototype I tried in Valencia was good. I had a good day.”
He contrasted this with a recent difficult race weekend, noting,
“Fortunately, we had the race two days before. I struggled over the weekend, but during Tuesday’s practice session, I felt better and my pace was improving.”
This quick recovery was vital, allowing him to enjoy competitive pace once again. Though he couldn’t detail the technical changes implemented, he emphasized that the engineers focused on resolving key issues that hindered his performance during the 2025 season.
Without going into technical details — I can’t go into details because I don’t know them. It’s almost certain the new motorcycle will be competitive.
– Pecco Bagnaia, Ducati MotoGP rider
Addressing the Struggles and Inconsistencies of 2025
The past year was particularly challenging for Bagnaia, marked by four race wins overshadowed by persistent struggles to find harmony with the GP25. In contrast, Marc Marquez appeared to be in perfect sync with his machine, heightening the challenge. Even more concerning was the inability to steadily overcome these problems, as Bagnaia’s results fluctuated dramatically.
In the last fourteen races of 2025, Bagnaia failed to score points in ten events but managed to win three of the remaining four, a streak too inconsistent to mount a credible title defense.
Determined to Redeem and Compete Consistently
Bagnaia is determined to turn this trend around. He openly admitted on crash.net,
“I would simply like to compete more in the league, not like last year, and have the ability to make Marc’s life more difficult, not like last year.”
His approach for 2026 is not to promise a dramatic comeback but to restore a balanced rivalry at the front of the grid.
His challenge extends beyond Marquez, as other fast riders populate the field. Re-establishing competitiveness from the outset will be essential to fight for every point and close the losses from last year. With MotoGP tightening its hierarchy and teams already planning for 2027, no opportunity can be wasted.
Preparation Ahead of the New Season
In preparation for the Sepang tests scheduled from February 3 to 5, Bagnaia will attend Superbike training sessions at Mandalika with partners from the VR46 Academy. This intensive training aims to sharpen his reflexes and foundational skills, providing a strong platform before the new season begins.
While Bagnaia avoids grandiose declarations, his ambition remains crystal clear: to regain status as a credible contender and push Marc Marquez to constantly look over his shoulder during the races.
