Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia’s struggles in the 2025 MotoGP campaign have continued at the Catalan Grand Prix, with the rider qualifying 21st for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Bagnaia didn’t look committed in his qualifying laps, with TNT Sports commentator and former rider Neil Hodgson pointing out that the Italian rider looked like he was on an out-lap during his flying laps.
The 28-year-old has been trying out a multitude of different styles in hopes of rekindling his title-challenging form, but nothing has seemed to work for him as his factory Ducati teammate continues to dominate the premier class.
The basis of his woes has come from the GP25, after putting up a championship challenge last season with that year’s iteration of the bike. Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez is currently second in the championship atop the GP24.
Many in the MotoGP paddock believe Bagnaia would be more successful atop the GP24. However, the factory Ducati rider would be in danger of losing his ride at the team if he conceded to not being able to bring home results on the current edition of their bike.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Davide Tardozzi has been telling Francesco Bagnaia to start enjoying MotoGP again
Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of the Sprint race for the Catalan Grand Prix, Ducati chief Davide Tardozzi was asked about the current situation regarding Bagnaia following his worst qualifying session of the season on Saturday morning.
“It’s a very, very difficult situation,” the Italian responded. “We are struggling a lot, and we were quite confident after Hungary, but now we have realised that we face a bigger problem than before, and now we are struggling a lot.
“The only thing that we are doing today is trying to gain some information, to try to set up the bike in the proper way for tomorrow, and try to collect some points.”
Tardozzi was then asked what he has been telling his rider in order to get him out of his current rut and bring home some results for the Ducati stable, to which he replied, “Just enjoy it, like when you are in Misano with your Panigale.
“Even if you are confident or not, whatever, just enjoying setting some laps, and do the same here with the MotoGP. We have nothing else to do. We have tried everything on the technical side so far, we need to bring back his brain to enjoying his job and life.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy
Francesco Bagnaia called Friday at the Catalan Grand Prix his ‘worst day of the season’
The Italian rider revealed his dismay with how his weekend started in a Friday afternoon media session with journalists. Bagnaia failed to make it into the top 10 in Friday’s time-attack practice session for the second consecutive race weekend, and stays puzzled as to why he can’t get things together.
“I’ve tried everything. I’ve changed everything. Riding differently, managing the bike with a different style, doing what the team tells me, and yet the result is always the same,” Bagnaia fumed, via MOW.
“I’m still trying to adapt and understand how to do better, but I can’t ride like the others. I have my own riding style that has always worked, except this season.
“Even if I try to do different things, I lose time, so we have to find other solutions that we don’t have right now. We have to look elsewhere, but it’s also difficult for me and the team to understand the situation.”
Before leaving the media session, a defeated Bagnaia told journalists, “Yes, maybe this is the worst day of the season.”
Bagnaia could end up being coached by Valentino Rossi, with the Italian rider already being part of the VR46 Riders Academy since 2014. Rossi would be motivated to improve the results of Bagnaia, as his Ducati teammate and Rossi’s fierce rival, Marc Marquez, closes in on the MotoGP legend’s records.
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