‘Ducati people’ have given Francesco Bagnaia strange advice after Argentina Grand Prix beating

Add as preferred source on Google

Francesco Bagnaia has fallen 31 points behind Marc Marquez after the Argentina Grand Prix. Bagnaia lost his podium streak in Sunday’s race.

Bagnaia had finished third in the first three events of the year, trailing the two Marquez brothers. But Franco Morbidelli proved he wasn’t ‘finished’ by surging through on the soft rear tyre and demoting him to fourth in Termas de Rio Hondo.

This was Marquez’s first appearance in Thailand since 2019, with injuries and the pandemic contributing to his absence. But Bagnaia, who had an underwhelming record in Argentina himself, wasn’t able to capitalise.

After just two rounds, the Italian’s chances of regaining the title he lost to Jorge Martin last year already look bleak. Carlo Pernat says Marquez has reached a ‘galactic’ level after graduating from Gresini to the Ducati factory team.

Francesco Bagnaia told to ‘wait’ – but can he afford to against Marc Marquez?

Bagnaia is considering a step back to the GP24 given his discomfort with its successor. But Ducati’s hierarchy may caution him against such a step.

Speaking on the Tank Slappers podcast, journalist Oriol Puigdemont relayed the message from inside the Bologna outfit. They don’t want Bagnaia to ‘overreact’, instead preaching patience.

This advice is somewhat strange given that Marquez is already opening up a gap. While Bagnaia may be able to strike back in Qatar and Spain, having won at both venues last year, it could already be too late by that point.

“I spoke with a few Ducati people, and they say that what Pecco needs to do is try to wait, don’t make any huge mistakes,” Puigdemont said. “Keep your coolness. Don’t overreact. Wait for your opportunities.

“That’s what Pecco needs to do. We’ll find out soon if he’ll be able to do it.”

As it stands, the performance difference between the GP24 and ’25 looks slight. Alex Marquez has been close to his older brother on the older machinery, but the gap should open up in theory.

Bagnaia’s plan may be to jump back onto the latest spec once Ducati improve it. But that would require a fresh round of adaptation.

Luigi Dall’Igna had stern words for Francesco Bagnaia after Argentina Grand Prix

One journalist who was on site in Argentina insists Bagnaia doesn’t look ‘lost’ as one might expect. The external panic may not reflect the mood inside the team.

Still, Davide Tardozzi doubts Bagnaia’s chances at the Grand Prix of the Americas at the end of the month. Marquez has racked up seven victories in Austin, making it one of his best circuits.

But the Spaniard’s record is such that Bagnaia will simply have to beat him at a few of these venues over the course of the year. Otherwise, he’ll be a distant second at best.

Contrary to some other ‘Ducati people’, Luigi Dall’Igna had stern words for Bagnaia post-Argentina, telling him he ‘must not strive for third place’. It seems the team are divided on which management style unlocks the best performances from their 28-year-old rider.