Francesco Bagnaia is facing significant difficulties at the start of the 2026 MotoGP season, as his struggles at the Thailand Grand Prix closely resemble those from his disappointing 2025 campaign. The Italian rider’s ongoing issues with the Ducati GP26 bike have left him unable to replicate the pace he showed during preseason testing, raising concerns about his ability to contend for the championship this year.
Michele Pirro, Ducati’s test rider, expressed concern that the problems witnessed in Buriram align with the setbacks Bagnaia faced in 2025 when he dropped from consistent title contender to fifth place overall, famously failing to finish six of the last seven races. The difficulties primarily revolve around Bagnaia’s discomfort with the bike’s handling under braking and a lack of front-end feel, which hinders his pace and confidence on race weekends.
Michele Pirro Highlights Unclear Causes Behind Bagnaia’s Performance Issues
At the Thailand GP, Bagnaia struggled to advance beyond Q1 qualifying, ending the session in thirteenth position and limiting his chances throughout the rest of the event. Despite improving to ninth place in both the Sprint Race and the main Grand Prix, it was clear he was competing with significant handicaps compared to his rivals.
Pirro, who was in Buriram substituting for the injured Fermin Aldeguer at the Gresini team, closely monitored Bagnaia’s situation and admitted bafflement over the rider’s inability to reach Q2 and find competitive speed. Although the Ducati GP26 should have supported better results, especially considering Bagnaia’s initial positive feedback during the Sepang preseason testing, the reality of race conditions revealed persistent problems.
He stated,
“I followed the whole situation and there were some particular problems. The feeling was missing, [and] the passage to Q2 was missing. These are situations that we saw on a few occasions last year, but there is no obvious explanation.”
— Michele Pirro, Ducati test rider
Pirro emphasized that the bike used during testing and races remains the same model, and Bagnaia had judged it favorably at the start of the year. To address this, Pirro plans to participate in a private Yamaha test at Jerez on March 12, aiming to gather more insights into why the Thailand weekend unfolded so poorly for Bagnaia and Ducati.
Tyre Performance May Be Key to Bagnaia’s Potential Recovery
A critical factor possibly influencing Bagnaia’s struggles is Michelin’s introduction of a harder rear tyre casing, which is only used in hot-weather races such as in Thailand and Indonesia. This modified tyre’s characteristics seem to disrupt Bagnaia’s performance, something that did not appear during preseason tests in different conditions.
With Yamaha organizing a private test on March 12 at Jerez, Pirro will also attend, hoping the session will reveal solutions or adjustments to help Bagnaia regain his pace. If the tyre choice is the primary issue, Bagnaia could quickly rebound at the next round, the Brazilian Grand Prix scheduled for March 20-22.
He remains apprehensive, however, about Ducati’s current advantage on the grid. The strong showings by Aprilia, which capitalized on the harder tyre with four riders finishing inside the top five and Marco Bezzecchi winning the Thailand GP on the RS-GP machine, underline the possibility that Ducati’s dominance in MotoGP is now under serious threat.
What Bagnaia’s Early Season Difficulties Mean for Ducati’s Title Hopes
Francesco Bagnaia’s ongoing issues reflect broader concerns about Ducati’s competitive edge this year. After years of battling for championships, his inability to quickly adapt to the GP26’s nuances and the effects of Michelin’s tyre selection could jeopardize his standing within the factory team and the championship fight.
Michele Pirro’s involvement in upcoming testing emphasizes the urgency within Ducati to identify and solve these technical and setup challenges. The team must quickly adapt if Bagnaia is to recover his form and reenter the battle for the MotoGP title, especially as rivals like Aprilia continue to flourish in conditions unfavorable to Ducati.
This early season pressure highlights a critical phase for Bagnaia and Ducati, where the next few races and tests will shape the trajectory of their 2026 campaign and determine if they can return to their previous heights or risk further decline amid intensifying competition.
