Francesco Bagnaia realised he gave off ‘bad vibes’ when he did one thing at Ducati MotoGP team

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Francesco Bagnaia has established himself as one of MotoGP’s top talents with Ducati.

After winning the Moto2 title in 2018, the Italian moved to the premier class with Ducati’s satellite team Pramac, whom he spent two years with.

Pecco Bagnaia achieved one podium with the team – coming at Misano in 2020 – before he joined the factory Ducati team the following year. It was here that the 27-year-old found an extra gear.

Almost immediately, Bagnaia became a title contender, finishing second behind Fabio Quartararo in 2021. The Italian got the better of his rival the following year to win his maiden MotoGP title.

He became a back-to-back champion in 2023 by beating Pramac rider Jorge Martin. But the Spaniard prevented Bagnaia from winning three consecutive championships by becoming the first independent team rider to win the title in 2024.

Francesco Bagnaia gave Ducati ‘bad vibes’ when he felt nervous and pressured

It did not take long for Bagnaia to show his potential in MotoGP with Ducati, having won 29 races with the team on his way to two world championships.

But racing with the strongest bike and team on the grid comes with pressure, and the Italian certainly felt that in 2024 with costly errors across the year – including three retirements – denying him the title over Martin.

But Bagnaia remained calm throughout his troubles, and speaking with Serbian outlet SportKlub, he shared how he learned to keep his cool after he gave Ducati ‘bad vibes’ with unhelpful feedback.

When asked how he keeps calm, he replied: “Because I know how much effort my team puts into all these seasons, into all that they do. I’m incredibly proud and happy for my team, and being calm helps them too.

“Because if I get nervous, if I feel pressure, everything I say is not helpful. And that is not something that can help us progress.

“I learned something because a few years ago I was more nervous and just gave bad advice to the team, maybe gave off bad vibes, so we didn’t progress. Being calmer is very helpful.”

Can Francesco Bagnaia win his third title in 2025?

Heading into the 2025 season, Bagnaia will be keen to get his crown back from Martin after missing out last year by just 10 points.

Martin opted to leave Pramac after being snubbed of the factory Ducati seat next to Bagnaia. The defending champion will be an Aprilia rider this season, which will make his title defence extremely challenging given he is no longer on a Ducati bike.

The Italian manufacturer won all but one race in 2024 and with Martin now on slower machinery, Bagnaia is arguably the favourite in 2025.

The 27-year-old will face tough competition from his new teammate – six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez. But Roberto Rolfo thinks Marquez is more ‘error-prone’ than Bagnaia despite displaying more pace than the Italian.