The 2025 MotoGP season proved to be unexpectedly difficult for Francesco Bagnaia, marking a significant downturn after his dominant 2024 campaign. While Ducati continued to lead the field overall, the new GP25 bike introduced in 2025 did not meet expectations for all riders. Marc Marquez was the only Ducati rider who consistently extracted top performance from the GP25, securing the championship with 11 Grand Prix victories and 14 Sprint wins. In contrast, Bagnaia struggled notably, without the front-end feeling he needed to succeed.
Bagnaia’s results reflected his challenges on the GP25, as he managed only two wins and finished fifth in the riders’ standings. He trailed his own teammate Alex Marquez, as well as rivals Marco Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta. Throughout the year, Bagnaia was vocal about his dissatisfaction with the bike’s handling and frequently called for changes, eventually demanding a return to the previous GP24 parts. Ducati agreed to his request, which led to his victory at Motegi, but he was unable to finish the final five races after switching back to the older machine.
Ducati’s Perspective on Bagnaia’s Performance Difficulties
Luigi Dall’Igna, Ducati’s technical director, openly acknowledged the team’s shortcomings in adapting the bike to Bagnaia’s needs. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Dall’Igna reflected on the 2025 season and conceded that the team had not managed to provide the right setup or environment for Bagnaia to perform at his best.
“All of our riders this year managed to reach the podium, and four of them won a race. It is definitely a wonderful year.”
– Luigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Technical Director
Despite the overall success, Dall’Igna admitted there were problems specifically regarding Bagnaia’s situation:
“We weren’t able to get Pecco into the conditions where he could have performed at his best. Sometimes things don’t turn out the way you want, but rather the way they want to.”
– Luigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Technical Director
Nonetheless, the engineer remained optimistic about the outcome of the season:
“Nobody does everything perfectly all the time. The overall result is absolutely positive.”
– Luigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Technical Director
Bagnaia’s Own Reflections and Plans Moving Forward
Francesco Bagnaia has acknowledged that he made errors in judgment during 2025, particularly in not appreciating his strong start to the season, which included seven podium finishes. After the summer break, his performance waned, with only one podium finish—a win at Motegi. He has discussed his challenges openly and taken personal responsibility for the downturn.
Throughout the winter, Bagnaia engaged in internal conversations with Ducati aimed at resetting and improving collaboration. For the upcoming 2026 season, Ducati is introducing the GP26, and early pre-season testing suggests this new bike may better align with Bagnaia’s riding style. Positive developments in testing have provided him with renewed confidence and motivation.
Signs of Improvement and Hopes for 2026 and Beyond
During recent tests at Sepang, Bagnaia showed encouraging progress, improving his one-lap pace and outperforming teammate Marc Marquez in race simulations. According to former racer Manuel Poggiali, Bagnaia has become more focused on optimizing the GP26, demonstrating a strong desire to correct the mistakes of the previous season and return to winning form.
As Bagnaia prepares for the 2026 season with the GP26, he appears determined to overcome the setbacks experienced in 2025. The changes may provide the conditions needed for him to contend once again at the highest level, potentially securing additional victories for Ducati in the future.
