Ducati may have hidden one critical piece of information from Francesco Bagnaia at Americas Grand Prix

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Francesco Bagnaia got off the mark in 2025 as he claimed victory at the Grand Prix of the Americas. Sunday’s race was the first time he had beaten his Ducati teammate Marc Marquez.

In fact, it was the first time the Spaniard was not on the top step in 2025. Marquez had taken pole position and won every race up until the Americas Grand Prix.

The six-time MotoGP champion had won the Sprint but crashed out on Sunday. On lap nine, he ran too high on the wet curb at turn four and slid off the circuit, handing the lead and win to Bagnaia.

It has been a tough start to the season for the Italian, having struggled to compete with Marquez and younger brother Alex in Thailand and Argentina. Neil Hodgson does not believe Bagnaia when he says he feels comfortable on his GP25.

Bagnaia suffered vibrations during the race whereas Marquez did not. Despite the issue, he still cruised to victory in Austin.

Bagnaia is now back in the championship picture with his race win, but it did not come without controversy. Amidst the chaos of the start, Ducati may have hidden something from the Italian.

Ducati may have hidden Marc Marquez’s strategy from Francesco Bagnaia at the Americas Grand Prix

With an early rain shower hitting Austin, riders and teams were indecisive about which tyres to start the race on. Three riders went for slicks while the rest lined up on wets.

However, just before the sighting lap, Marquez darted into the pits for his second bike with dry tyres. Several riders – including Bagnaia – followed suit, causing an aborted start.

The rules should have penalised the riders as exactly 10 went into the pits to change bikes – more than 10 riders permits an aborted start. Race direction delayed the start on safety grounds.

Bagnaia spoke with Marquez on the matter after the race, with the Italian saying he followed his teammate as he is ‘usually smart’. This backs up Oriol Puigdemont’s theory, after speaking with Ducati, that the 28-year-old ‘did not know anything’ about his teammate’s plans.

“Davide Tardozzi, OK, he knows Marc has something up his sleeves. We have spoken with Ducati, I have spoken with Ducati,” he said via Motorsport Espana.

“But at that moment on the grid, Davide Tardozzi knows that Marc is plotting something. Not only that but you can imagine why he does and what Marc does to him, what they have in mind and the plan that they are going to put into practice.

“Is to say that one minute, two, three, before they go out to the war they are going to go out, they are going to run for the second bike.

“As team manager, I know what Ducati tells me and I am convinced that they are not lying to me, is that Pecco did not know anything about the strategy that Marc Marquez is carrying out.

“I am convinced that it is true, that Pecco did not know anything.”

READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number

Francesco Bagnaia cannot afford to get carried away after his first 2025 win

Ducati potentially hiding strategy from Bagnaia gives proof to the theory that his teammate is being favoured. Engineers are leaning more towards Marquez after his start to the season.

Bagnaia’s win in Austin will help swing momentum back in his favour. He is now 12 points off championship leader Alex Marquez heading into Qatar – a track that suits the Italian.

Bagnaia will be boosted by Valentino Rossi’s appearance next weekend. The legendary MotoGP rider has close ties to the Ducati star after he came through his VR46 academy.

Many will see the Italian’s season has officially started now, but he cannot get too carried away after his win in the US. Bagnaia says he must be calmer during celebrations – he wants to take things one race at a time as he challenges the Marquez brothers.