Mat Oxley explains why Marc Marquez’s dominance at Ducati ‘must be so hard’ for teammate Francesco Bagnaia

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Following consecutive world champions in 2022 and 2023, Francesco Bagnaia has been unofficially demoted to the second rider role within Ducati due to Marc Marquez’s dominant showing so far in the 2025 MotoGP season.

The Italian rider has won just one Grand Prix this season, which only came at the Americas Grand Prix due to race leader Marquez crashing out on lap 18.

Alex Marquez has emerged as the best of the rest to his brother’s sheer dominance, holding a relatively comfortable 48-point gap in the riders’ standings to second-placed Bagnaia.

The win at the Circuit of the Americas added little respite for the Italian, with it being reported that Bagnaia has been ‘raging’ at Ducati over Marquez’s advantage in seemingly every aspect so far this season.

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

Mat Oxley believes it ‘must be so very hard’ for Francesco Bagnaia to have Marc Marquez celebrate in front of him in the Ducati garage

Speaking on the Oxley Bom MotoGP podcast, Mat Oxley and Peter Bom were discussing Marquez’s post-race antics when Oxley drew attention to how it must feel for Bagnaia to watch in the Ducati garage.

“That’s another thing from watching that video series [Inside Ducati Lenovo],” Oxley started. “You realise why it must be so hard for Pecco.

“[Marquez] is sitting in the garage while a few metres to the right, there’s Pecco sitting down, debriefing with Christian Gabarrini and his crew, having had another, not s— weekend, but not what they wanted.

“As the other side of the box is just going insane: glasses flying around, bottles of champagne flying around and people dancing. It must be so hard for Pecco, you know?

“Again, I don’t feel sorry for him because he’s still doing the best job in the world. But it must be very hard for him. Just having it rammed down your throat.”

Michele Pirro expressed his sympathy for Bagnaia, with the Ducati test rider noting that the team aren’t doing enough to try and help the Italian out of his rut.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy

Francesco Bagnaia needs a strong second half of the 2025 MotoGP season to keep his Ducati seat

Despite Bagnaia’s 2022 feat bringing Ducati their first riders’ championship since Casey Stoner’s heroic title win in 2007, the Italian’s future at the Italian constructor is far from certain.

It was recently reported that Ducati are currently eyeing Fabio Di Giannantonio as a replacement for Bagnaia for the introduction of MotoGP’s new regulations in 2027.

Di Giannantonio currently rides a Ducati for the satellite team VR46 Racing, where he sits fifth in the MotoGP standings, 71 points short of Bagnaia in third.

Both riders have contracts at their respective teams until the end of next season, making 2027 the more realistic option for when the teams might make a move.