Francesco Bagnaia experienced a notable decline with Ducati’s GP25 motorcycle in 2025 after a highly successful run on the GP24, where he secured 11 Grand Prix wins and just missed out on a third consecutive championship. While his podium rate on the 2024 model was a remarkable 80%, it dropped sharply to 36.3% with the GP25 last year. Bagnaia’s two victories came in Austin, capitalizing on Marc Marquez’s crash, and in Japan, where his dominating performance baffled even Ducati’s engineers.
The main challenge for Bagnaia was the contrasting success of Marc Marquez, who was exceptionally dominant on the identical machinery, winning 11 of the 18 races before a season-ending injury. This disparity highlighted the issues Bagnaia faced in matching Marquez’s pace despite riding the same Ducati bike.
Adjustments to Ducati Bikes Focused on Rider Preferences Rather than Separate Designs
In an interview with SPORT, Ducati’s technical director Luigi Dall’Igna addressed whether the factory team would develop two distinct bikes for its leading riders in 2026. He clarified that Ducati does not plan to produce entirely different motorcycles for Bagnaia and Marquez, opting instead to tailor “certain details” of the GP26 to meet the individual requirements of each rider.
Meanwhile, VR46 rider Franco Morbidelli is expected to compete on the older GP24 model instead of the problematic GP25, demonstrating Ducati’s willingness to allow riders to choose machines that best suit their style. However, within the factory team, the focus remains on refining a single bike platform rather than splitting development efforts.
“There won’t be two different bikes,”
Luigi Dall’Igna said.
The GP26 is the same, although with certain details adapted to the needs of each rider. We are prepared and have the resources to do it.
Dall’Igna Defends GP25 and Looks Ahead to GP26’s Potential
Dall’Igna affirmed that the GP25 represents the best bike he has developed so far at Ducati, with Marquez and Bagnaia collectively securing 13 wins out of 22 races during the season. Despite that, the GP24, in the hands of riders like Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, and Enea Bastianini, won 16 of 20 races, showcasing Ducati’s considerable advantage over rival manufacturers except for Aprilia, which prevented a complete sweep.
Rejecting the notion that Ducati peaked with the 2024 bike, Dall’Igna expressed confidence that the upcoming GP26 will raise the bar even higher. Early evaluations from preseason testing, especially at the upcoming event in Sepang from February 3 to 6, are expected to confirm the bike’s capabilities and refine its design.
Ducati is also celebrating its centenary in 2026, making the pursuit of another world championship especially meaningful for the historic marque based in Bologna.
“The number 24 bike had a significant advantage over the rest of the grid and was very dominant. But, from my point of view, the GP25 was better, and the goal is for the GP26 to surpass it.
On paper, it should be; the numbers indicate as much, although we’ll have to go to Sepang, test it, and decide which ideas are confirmed and which are discarded. For now, I’ll just say that I really like the design and the centenary colours.”
The Future of Marquez and Bagnaia Riding as Teammates on the GP26
Marc Marquez’s contract renewal with Ducati appears to be near completion, setting the stage for him and Francesco Bagnaia to share the same Ducati GP26 bike in the 2026 season. This pairing solidifies Ducati’s strategy to build a unified machine platform that can be adapted to fit the riding styles of two of their most valuable assets, leveraging Marquez’s proven dominance and Bagnaia’s talented but fluctuating form.
The upcoming preseason tests, notably in Valencia and Sepang, will provide crucial insights into how the GP26 performs and how effectively Ducati can balance the technical preferences of both riders. The results will play a significant role in shaping their campaign as they target a world championship during Ducati’s 100th anniversary year, a milestone that adds extra weight to their ambitions on the racing circuit.
