Francesco Bagnaia’s recent MotoGP performance slump continued at the Catalan Grand Prix, despite a determined comeback during the race on Sunday. Starting the weekend, Bagnaia found himself unusually far down the grid, highlighting the severity of his qualifying troubles amid his broader challenges this season.
Excluding the exceptional case of his 2022 crash at the Portuguese Grand Prix on slick tyres in wet conditions, Bagnaia recorded his worst qualifying rank in MotoGP on Saturday, starting 21st. This was lower than even his rookie season with Pramac in 2019, when he never began a race outside 18th place. Ducati’s team leader Davide Tardozzi’s disappointed reaction during qualifying reflected just how unexpected and concerning this setback was for a rider with 25 career pole positions.
Qualifying Troubles and Sprint Race Woes
Throughout the race weekend in Barcelona, Bagnaia struggled to find a competitive pace. On Friday, he failed to crack the top 20 in practice sessions, putting himself under immediate pressure. Despite improving overnight by six tenths of a second, he could only secure a place on the seventh row, underscoring his ongoing difficulty in maintaining early pace.
Bagnaia’s sprint race on Saturday did little to inspire confidence, with his 14th place finish in a field where only 18 riders completed the race. Sprint races have long been a weak point for him, and this result wasn’t sufficient to boost his weekend standing or morale.
Race Day Recovery Highlights Bagnaia’s Remaining Potential
Sunday’s Grand Prix told a slightly different story as Bagnaia surged from 21st on the grid to 12th by the first lap. He capitalized on incidents ahead of him to climb into the top 10 and managed to hold his ground despite excessive wear on his rear tyre. Engaging in close battles with Ai Ogura and Luca Marini, Bagnaia eventually finished seventh. Although not a podium result, it was a respectable effort given his starting position.
Comparison between the sprint race and the grand prix shows a stark contrast. Bagnaia trailed race winner Marc Marquez by 14.4 seconds in the sprint after 12 laps, losing over a second per lap on average. However, in the longer 24-lap race, he finished just 16 seconds behind, despite encountering traffic and losing time fighting through the field. This improved pace suggests that Bagnaia’s race craft remains intact, even if qualifying and early pace falter.
Mechanical Adjustments and Equipment Factors at Play
Ducati’s technical director Gigi Dall’Igna revealed that a new swingarm fitted to Bagnaia’s bike before the race contributed to his improved race pace. Additionally, Bagnaia pointed to the mandatory lower-capacity fuel tank used in sprints as a drawback affecting his sprint performance, indicating that he naturally performs better during the full Grand Prix on Sundays.
Declining Form Contrasts Itself Against Past Successes
Despite the relative success in the race, Bagnaia’s overall form paints a worrying picture. Barcelona has traditionally been a strong track for him—he won the last three iterations spanning 2023 and 2024. Yet, this time, it was Alex Marquez who took victory, and Bagnaia’s teammate Marc Marquez secured second on a circuit usually unfavorable to him. This outcome only deepens concerns about Bagnaia’s current season trajectory.
More statistically telling is Bagnaia’s recent streak of results. He has failed to reach the podium in the last four rounds, and while he started on pole at Brno, the best he could manage was fourth place. For a rider who previously stood on the podium in nearly every race he completed during 2024, these results mark a significant downturn.
Persistent Struggles Since Mid-Season Break
The exact point when Bagnaia’s decline began is unclear, but it is evident his form worsened after the summer break. What initially looked like a return to form at Balaton Park quickly faded at Barcelona, where he again appeared to be off the pace. Conversely, rival Marc Marquez made a marked advance in recent tests and has minimized crashes, showcasing dominant performances throughout the year.
The Weight of Expectations and Psychological Barriers
Dall’Igna has praised Bagnaia as Ducati’s most important rider after Casey Stoner, acknowledging his role in sparking Ducati’s current dominance in MotoGP and his strong 2024 campaign when he won more than half the races despite losing the title to Jorge Martin. However, this season, signs of progress are noticeably absent.
Theories explaining Bagnaia’s slump vary. Bagnaia himself cites problems with the bike, particularly issues with braking and corner entry. His team boss Davide Tardozzi also highlighted the rider’s lost confidence as both a cause and effect of his results, creating a difficult cycle for the Italian rider.
It’s more about the confidence you have in the bike, which is completely different,
—Davide Tardozzi, Ducati Team Manager
Marc has been doing very well since the beginning of the year, and so his confidence is growing race after race. The other two [Bagnaia and Fabio di Giannantonio] had some difficulties, especially at the start of the world championship, and they still need to find the confidence.
—Davide Tardozzi, Ducati Team Manager
This makes them struggle a bit more, especially in the early sessions.
—Davide Tardozzi, Ducati Team Manager
Tardozzi has also expressed that Bagnaia needs to make more effort to adapt his riding style to overcome current limitations.
As much as we can help him, he must also help us to help him,
—Davide Tardozzi, Ducati Team Manager
We need him to focus more on overcoming the difficulties, which are there, so we need him to think more about the rider he is and how good he is.
—Davide Tardozzi, Ducati Team Manager
Dall’Igna described the situation more diplomatically, attributing Bagnaia’s decline to the lack of the same “feeling” he enjoyed on last year’s GP24 bike, which he believes is the root cause of his lack of performance.
It’s difficult to have an explanation because the riders don’t perform like you expect,
—Gigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Technical Director
For sure the feeling that Pecco has at this time is not the same that he had last year. So I think this is the main reason for the lack of performance. We are working on it. We trust him and he trusts us. So this is the only thing that I can tell. I can promise you that we try our best in order to improve Pecco’s performance, to give him exactly the same feeling that he had last year, and if possible better.
—Gigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Technical Director
Challenges of the GP25 and Looking Ahead to Misano
Bagnaia has been reluctant to compare the new GP25 to the GP24 he previously rode to numerous victories, though he acknowledges the GP25’s potential, as evidenced by Marc Marquez’s strong showings. The mismatch between Bagnaia’s riding style and the GP25’s characteristics seems to be a major obstacle this year.
The upcoming test at Misano represents a possible turning point in addressing this gap, though even Bagnaia remains cautious in his expectations. He prefers to validate any improvements in the next race rather than prematurely celebrating progress.
Honestly, I don’t want to do the same as Balaton. I arrived here convinced that I could be competitive,
—Francesco Bagnaia, MotoGP Rider
So, I will take a step back, wait until Misano and see what happens.
—Francesco Bagnaia, MotoGP Rider
Unfortunately for Bagnaia, Misano’s high-grip asphalt may not provide an accurate indicator of long-term form. By the time he potentially takes a significant step forward, Marc Marquez could have already secured his seventh premier class championship. This situation forces Bagnaia to accept a paused season and begin planning for a comeback in 2026.
Urgency for Ducati to Rekindle Bagnaia’s Competitiveness
While Bagnaia flourished during periods when Marquez faced injury or rode an uncompetitive machine, current conditions expose his struggles. Most observers agree that his true ability is far greater than what recent results show. For Ducati, the immediate challenge is to find ways to restore confidence and performance to their second-most important rider in the team’s history, ensuring he can return to podium contenders and sustain the brand’s dominance in MotoGP.
