Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia had won seven Grands Prix by the time that MotoGP staged the San Marino GP last term, but he returns to Misano with one win in 2025.
MotoGP held its first of two visits to Misano in the 2024 season in round 13 of last year’s 20, at which stage Bagnaia had already won the Qatar, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Dutch, German and Austrian Grands Prix. Yet the Italian’s only win from 15 rounds in 2025 came in America.
Bagnaia also returns to Misano for the San Marino GP this weekend only third in the riders’ standings with a whopping 250-point deficit to his Ducati teammate, Marc Marquez. It was even only after Marquez crashed in the lead of the Americas GP that Bagnaia won in Austin.
Marquez has proven what is possible riding the Ducati GP25 in the 2025 MotoGP season by winning 10 of the first 15 Grands Prix. He has also scored 13 podiums, along with eight pole positions and 14 Sprint wins. Bagnaia boasts seven podiums, one pole and zero Sprint wins.
Marco Melandri warns Francesco Bagnaia that ‘very little’ will change with Ducati’s 2026 bike
Also, like in Austin, Bagnaia earned pole at Brno after Marquez crashed while on a faster lap than his Ducati teammate during Q2 for the Czech Grand Prix. And Marco Melandri does not feel the future looks bright for Bagnaia, as “very little will change” with Ducati’s bike in 2026.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Bagnaia has complained all year about Ducati’s 2025 bike not suiting his riding style, and has rarely shown progress adapting to the Desmosedici GP25. The hope the 28-year-old felt he found at Balaton Park of a breakthrough about his set-up has also proven to be a false dawn.
Melandri has told Motosprint: “In my opinion, very little will change. The bike will remain practically the same as this year.
“He has difficulty braking because Marc has a completely different style. [Marc] manages to keep the rear wheel on the ground at all times, while Pecco always leans only on the front.
“To improve this aspect, he’s now worsened his mid-corner and corner exit performance compared to last year. He can certainly improve, but Marquez is on another level right now.”
Pecco Bagnaia’s hope for a breakthrough at Balaton Park proved to be a false dawn
Bagnaia had one of his worst weekends of the 2025 MotoGP season so far at Balaton Park in August, when the two-time premier class champion only qualified P15, finished the Sprint in P13 and ended the Hungarian GP in P9. Marquez won both races at Balaton Park from pole.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy
Yet, despite his results, Bagnaia left Balaton Park believing Ducati had found a breakthrough with his set-up after drastic changes gave him a better feel under braking. But that hope did not last even one round, as Bagnaia suffered yet further misery at the Catalan GP last week.
Bagnaia produced his worst qualifying result for 70 rounds in Barcelona, as he only managed P21 on the Catalan GP grid. His bleak starting position even resulted in finishing the Sprint in P14, before showing some progress in the Catalan GP with P7 yet 14.308s off Marquez in P2.
Now, Bagnaia travels to Misano with Melandri fearing what is to come next year for the 30-time MotoGP Grand Prix winner. There are also suggestions that Ducati are likely to replace Bagnaia for 2027, with the 25-time MotoGP polesitter out of contract after the 2026 season.
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