Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia comes into the 2025 Dutch TT hoping to bounce back from a disappointing result at Mugello.
It was thought that the Italian had finally made a breakthrough on the GP25 after he installed new brake discs on the bike at Aragon. Bagnaia stopped complaining to Ducati about lacking a feeling in the front end as he looked quite competitive over that weekend and in the test.
Coming into his home race at Mugello, where he had won the last five races, including Sprints, many felt he would start to challenge the Marquez brothers. Bagnaia put on a great show with Marc and Alex Marquez in the opening stages as the trio battled for the lead.
However, it was not to be for the two-time MotoGP champion as he faded away in the final few laps. Bagnaia ‘suddenly’ suffered from understeer as Fabio Di Giannantonio passed him and left the Ducati rider finishing fourth.
Teammate Marc Marquez dominated the weekend with a clean sweep, despite Mugello not yielding much success for the Spaniard in the past. With Bagnaia now being convincingly beaten on his stronger tracks, he is looking to ‘reset’ ahead of the Dutch TT this weekend.
Francesco Bagnaia has been watching back old races at Assen to prepare for the Dutch TT
Bagnaia is a staggering 110 points behind his teammate in the standings as his 2025 title chances look all but over. His new brake discs have done little to combat the pace of Marquez.
But the Italian is keeping a positive mindset as each race presents a new opportunity. Speaking to Sky Italy ahead of the weekend at Assen, he revealed that he has been watching back old races to prepare.
“For me it’s like the others. I’m able to reset and start from scratch every time with the same enthusiasm as always. This is a stroke of luck and I can’t wait to ride here in Assen, which is a wonderful track,” said Bagnaia.
“I’ve watched a few races from the past, the Sprint Races, and in general it’s a track that I’ve always been quite good at. We’re ready to go.
“In any case, in the negative result at Mugello there were some positive things and we need to start from those”.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Francesco Bagnaia has won the last three races at Assen – can he make it count in 2025?
Like Mugello, Assen is another track that suits Bagnaia. The Ducati rider has won the last three events and also took victory in the Sprint last season.
But as Marquez continues to have the upper hand, the Italian is desperately searching for answers. Jorge Lorenzo hinted Bagnaia is suffering the same problems he did at Ducati back in 2018, when he could not understand the bike until modifications are made.
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali admits Bagnaia needs more support as they look to turn his form around. Davide Tardozzi says Ducati are ‘really focusing’ on Bagnaia amid Marquez’s dominance, hoping that the team can help ‘regain his confidence’.
Marquez has been reassuring Bagnaia behind the scenes at Ducati, dispelling rumours of any bad blood between the two riders. Marquez and Bagnaia showed great sportsmanship at Mugello as the latter looks to challenge the former.
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