Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia suffered one of the worst races of an already quite desperate MotoGP season at the Austrian Grand Prix.
After showing some promising pace in qualifying, the reality that would await him and Ducati couldn’t have been further from the truth in both races.
There was some hope that a return from the summer break would offer Bagnaia the chance to really kick on and find some form again.
But from the first moments of the Austrian Grand Prix sprint, everything went downhill, as he managed just eight points from the entire event.
MotoGP riders plan serious talks after a Bagnaia accident nearly caused chaos on Saturday, as he slid off the line into the path of his rivals.
Bagnaia made a surprisingly defeatist comment ahead of Sunday’s race and felt that it would be inevitable that Marc Marquez would be leading at turn one, no matter what, in Austria.
READ MORE: Jorge Martin issues a ‘guarantee’ about Francesco Bagnaia amid baffling MotoGP drop-off
MotoGP bosses warned they are ‘playing with fire’ after Francesco Bagnaia’s Austrian GP holeshot device issue
Bagnaia will benefit from Marquez and his experience of developing top-tier bikes in the future. For now, he must continue to struggle with a bike he cannot gel with.
His terrible start during the sprint in Austria is the latest issue he has encountered this season, and left him strewn in front of his rivals.
The holeshot device, aimed at reducing the chance of a wheelie and boosting acceleration, is due to be outlawed for 2027.
However, Sylvain Guintoli mentioned on TNT Sports that the ban may arrive too late to prevent a rider from getting hurt.
“Eventually, this could become a problem, though, because spinning up on the grid like that with 20 people behind you. That is a very, very dangerous thing to do,” he said.
“We are playing with fire with this. Neil [Hodgson], you’re completely right in saying that the development is not finished. They will go further because it works. It’s really an issue.”
Mat Oxley knows the real reason Francesco Bagnaia has lost his way in 2025
Now trailing his teammate by 197 points with nine rounds to go, any chance of Bagnaia claiming a third title in 2025 is long gone.
He needs to spend the last third of the season trying to find any improvements that he can, to take into 2026.
The real reason Bagnaia lost his way is down to his engine crank casing according to MotoGP journalist Mat Oxley.
It’s a problem with a solution that can only be tested in the winter, when the bike is stripped right back to its basics again.
No one in the paddock believes that Bagnaia has lost any speed himself. Reverting to the GP24 could fix everything.
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