Carlo Pernat believes MotoGP team without a win since 2021 could ‘tempt’ Francesco Bagnaia to leave Ducati

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Francesco Bagnaia had another MotoGP race weekend to forget, with his retirement from the Sprint race and eighth-place finish in the Grand Prix ending a three-year winning streak at the Austrian Grand Prix.

The Red Bull Ring was tipped to be the site of Bagnaia’s revival in the 2025 MotoGP championship after a first half of the season being lived largely in the shadow of Ducati teammate Marc Marquez.

Bagnaia’s favoured 355mm brakes were fitted to his Ducati, which should have given the 28-year-old a lot more confidence in the GP-25.

However, confidence seemed to be the issue again for the two-time world champion. Despite qualifying ahead of his teammate in Saturday morning’s qualifying session, Bagnaia conceded that Marquez would most likely be leading by turn one in a strangely defeatist comment.

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

Honda’s ‘economic availability’ put them in a good spot to acquire Francesco Bagnaia’s talents

Speaking to GPOne following the conclusion of the Austrian Grand Prix, Carlo Pernat theorised about where we may find the Italian rider racing in the future if he decides to move on from Ducati after a 2025 season ridden with struggles.

“There’s still no light at the end of the tunnel, and the tension with Ducati, especially with Engineer Dall’Igna, is starting to be felt,” Pernat started.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if, despite his two-year contract, Pecco considers a change of scenery next year. That kind of situation is likely to be detrimental to both him and the team. And who knows if Honda, given the economic availability, might not tempt him.”

The words from Pernat come after another dire race weekend from Bagnaia, who added just eight points to his championship tally, as opposed to Marquez, who scored a perfect 37 points following his double victory in the Sprint race and Grand Prix.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Honda from the MotoGP team’s riders to leadership

The factory Honda team haven’t won a race since Marc Marquez’s win at Misano in 2021

Despite the fact that the factory Honda team haven’t won a race since 2021, they could still prove to be an attractive option for Bagnaia to explore if he is keen on getting away from Borgo Panigale.

Despite Luca Marini’s extension at Honda being reported as a ‘done deal’, the experience and insight that the two-time champion could bring to the team could be valuable as the Japanese manufacturer eyes a resurgence up the pecking order when the new MotoGP regulations come into effect in 2027.

The team also have the scope to move some riders around with the satellite team LCR. Both seats at LCR are yet to be decided for the 2026 season, with Somkiat Chantra looking unlikely to be retained and Johann Zarco facing uncertainty despite being the leading Honda rider in the current campaign.

In contrast to the factory team, the LCR satellite team have been more successful in terms of race wins over the last few seasons. Zarco won his home race earlier this season for their only win so far this year, with Alex Rins’ win in 2023 being the team’s first since 2018.