Francesco Bagnaia ‘not allowed’ to discuss one problem he’s had with Ducati’s MotoGP bike in 2025

Add as preferred source on Google

Francesco Bagnaia’s MotoGP season managed to go from bad to worse at the Austrian Grand Prix.

The Ducati rider lies third in the standings, but is currently on his longest streak without a victory since he joined the Italian manufacturer’s factory operation back in 2021.

Bagnaia is starting to lose patience, as is his team, with his lack of performance. Finding answers has not been easy.

There are nine more MotoGP races for him to find some form and take some momentum into 2026, otherwise, he could be in for another rough year.

Bagnaia is set to receive a ‘big hit’ at Ducati if he fails to hold on to third place in the standings, with financial permutations looming.

His Austrian Grand Prix was plagued with issues and a lack of pace, leading Luigi Dall’Igna to issue a damning verdict.

READ MORE: MotoGP bosses warned they’re ‘playing with fire’ after Francesco Bagnaia encountered a ‘dangerous’ Austrian GP issue

Francesco Bagnaia is ‘not allowed’ to discuss Ducati’s GP25 bike and its issues in 2025

Jorge Martin issued a ‘guarantee’ about Bagnaia and says that he hasn’t seen the same version of him throughout the year.

Particularly with the front of the GP25, he has battled with a lack of confidence under braking, which has cost him a lot of time.

If the problem is mechanical, it will have to wait until the winter, when the bike can finally be stripped back and a solution can be found.

MotoGP journalist Mat Oxley believes that his team have forbidden him from talking about any issues with the current bike for the entire season.

“It’s obvious. You look at Pecco Bagnaia, having a complete nightmare of a season and I know he had a bad tyre yesterday [Austrian GP Sprint]. But generally he’s up and down, up and down,” he said.

“It’s the same with Fabio Di Giannantonio and we spoke to both of them today. Basically, they’re not allowed to speak about the GP25. No engineer will tell you what’s going on, no rider will tell you what’s going on. The true level of the GP25 is not what Marc is doing on it.”

READ MORE: Casey Stoner explains why Francesco Bagnaia will ‘benefit’ from Marc Marquez’s presence despite Ducati struggles

The conclusion Francesco Bagnaia reached about Ducati during the summer break

The real reason Bagnaia has lost his way could be that his engine crank casing has changed the characteristics of his bike compared to 2024.

In motorsport, the smallest of things can make a difference, but overhauling such a critical part of the bike would be costly and take time.

It’s part of the reason why Ducati haven’t stripped the bike back already. It’s simply not worth doing at this stage in the season.

Bagnaia has reached a ‘conclusion’ at Ducati and doesn’t believe that he suits this year’s bike, after thinking about it for weeks over the summer. His results suggest that he’s correct.