Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati racer Francesco Bagnaia has now finished back-to-back Grands Prix outside of the podium places for the first time in 68 rounds after his P8 in the 2025 Austrian GP.
The 28-year-old had not finished successive Grands Prix off the podium since he started the 2022 MotoGP season without a rostrum in the first five rounds. His bleak start to 2022 even saw Bagnaia finish four races off the podium before kickstarting his debut title-winning year.
Bagnaia has failed to get a podium in back-to-back Grands Prix four times through this 68-round stretch. Yet those incidents included at least one retirement, including earlier in 2025 when the Italian only took P16 in the French GP before crashing out of P13 in the British GP.
His P4 finish in the Czech GP and P8 in the Austrian GP also means Bagnaia trails his factory Ducati teammate and 2025 champion-elect, Marc Marquez, by 197 points after 13 of the 22 rounds. Alex Marquez of Gresini is also second with a 55-point margin over Bagnaia in third.
Marc Marquez’s Ducati crew chief offers to help Francesco Bagnaia out of his struggles
Bagnaia faces a pay cut if he drops to fourth in the riders’ standings, as well, with Aprilia star Marco Bezzecchi now 43 points behind his compatriot after finishing P2 in Czechia and P3 in Austria. Bagnaia has not finished higher than third since his P2 in the Qatar GP in round four.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Even Luigi Dall’Igna thinks every race is a “wasted opportunity” for Bagnaia after his “below par” Austrian GP, which the two-time champion also finished 12.486s adrift of Marquez. So, Marco Rigamonti, Marquez’s crew chief, has offered to help Bagnaia if the Italian asks for it.
“We, as a team, always work together, and it helps each other,” Rigamonti told AS. “Yes, I would help [Bagnaia] because what I’ve seen over the years is that in the end, on the track, the difference is made by the riders.
“It helps improve the level of the bike. If Ducati are at this level, it’s because they have relied on everyone’s information to get to this point. If there were secrets between Ducati bikes and riders, Ducati would be at a lower level.
“We have to remember when the Ducatis were far from the top positions, which is why it’s important that we’re at the top now. And if your rival is your teammate, there will be rivalry on the track, but nothing more.
“It’s important that everyone on the team, including Pecco’s technicians, maintains a good relationship and helps each other as much as possible.”
Pecco Bagnaia sounded defeated as Marc Marquez dominated at the Austrian Grand Prix
Such have been his struggles so far this season that Bagnaia sounded defeated by Marquez in Austria, even after qualifying in front of his factory Ducati teammate at the Red Bull Ring. He set the third-fastest lap time in Q2 while the Spaniard qualified in P4 by 0.018 seconds.
Bagnaia’s holeshot device destroyed his start to the Sprint Race in Austria, with the 25-time polesitter and also Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer in P6 suffering excessive wheelspin off the line last Saturday. But his pace struggles in the actual Austrian GP were then far more worrying.
As Marquez built on winning his 12th Sprint Race this season by sealing his sixth successive double with glory in the Austrian GP, Bagnaia faded the more the race wore on. He also cut a puzzled figure after the race, as the Italian could not fathom why he lacked speed all race.
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