Alex Marquez has addressed the fluctuating Bagnaia MotoGP performance swing that Francesco Bagnaia has experienced throughout recent races. Speaking ahead of the Indonesian leg of the 2025 MotoGPseason, Marquez noted that such ups and downs are not uncommon for riders adapting to different tracks and conditions.
Bagnaia’s Challenges During the 2025 Season
Francesco Bagnaia has faced difficulties during much of the 2025 MotoGP season aboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP25. In the final Europeanround before the Asian events, Bagnaia failed to score points—finishing 13th in the Sprint race and crashing out from seventh place during the main race. Although a post-race test in Misano, involving support from the VR46 team and Franco Morbidelli, seemed to bring technical improvements, leading to Bagnaia’s victory at the Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi, his struggles reemerged in Indonesia.
At Mandalika, Bagnaia did not achieve a top-10 finish in any session throughout the weekend. He finished last among the 14 classified riders in the Sprint race, trailing race winner Marco Bezzecchi by 29 seconds. This drastic performance drop from a win at Motegi to a low finish in Mandalika has left Bagnaia himself unable to pinpoint the cause.
Marquez Compares His Own Experience to Bagnaia’s Form Shift
Alex Marquez, who trails Bagnaia by 66 points in the championship standings, remarked that he has faced similar sudden performance swings. Reflecting on his own experience after the MotoGP Sprint in Indonesia, Marquez said,
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“It happened to me in Motegi,”
Alex Marquez explained. He recalled coming off strong performances in Misano and Montmelo, along with a fast test session in Misano, only to start Friday in Motegi in 15th place.
Marquez highlighted the unique challenge of racing outside Europe, where many riders and teams are based. He said,
“At the end, we came to tracks that are really different compared to Europe, that you have more or less the base more or less under control in other circuits,”
continuing,
“Here [in Asia], when you arrive in Motegi or here [Mandalika], always it’s like a really strange feeling, you never know where is the feeling, where is the limit, and it’s so difficult.”
Tyre and Track Conditions Impacting Performance
Marquez also pointed out that the specific tyre and track conditions at the Indonesian round may have contributed to Bagnaia’s renewed struggles. The Michelin rear tyre used in Mandalika features a harder, heat-resistant construction tailored to the circuit’s layout, which Marquez believes is not suited to Bagnaia’s riding style. He said,
“Also that rear tyre I think didn’t help his [Bagnaia] riding style,”
Marquez noted that Bagnaia’s issues in Indonesia have been consistent over recent years, adding,
“We saw it also in 2023 and 2024, Pecco suffered quite a lot here, and in the end he arrived, but late, or not enough.”
Marquez compared Bagnaia’s situation to the 2023 race, when Bagnaia began far back on the grid and struggled to make up ground as championship rival Jorge Martin performed strongly. Citing his own difficulties, Marquez said,
“Like in 2023 he was starting from the back, like 12th or I don’t know where, and Martin was flying.”
He also acknowledged his own slow pace in Hungary that season, emphasizing the challenges riders face in varying circuits.
He summarized the reality of a long championship calendar by saying,
“So, at the end, during a season of 22 races, you just need to survive in the circuits that you are not great.”
What This Means for the Remainder of the Season
Bagnaia’s unpredictable performance swings pose ongoing challenges for his championship aspirations, particularly as non-European tracks like Motegi and Mandalika continue to test his adaptability and equipment. The feedback from Marquez underlines how demanding these race venues can be, requiring riders to constantly recalibrate their approach to cope with unfamiliar conditions.
Moving forward, Bagnaia and the Ducati team will need to address the technical and tyre-related factors impacting his results, especially outside Europe. How well he manages these challenges could influence his standing in the 2025 MotoGP title race as the season progresses into its later stages across diverse circuits in Asia and beyond.
