Franco Morbidelli thinks he knows the real reason why Francesco Bagnaia is struggling at Ducati in 2025

Add as preferred source on Google

Franco Morbidelli has shared his opinion on the difference between Ducati’s current spec of bikes, which could pinpoint the reason why Francesco Bagnaia has found it so difficult to adapt to the GP25 this season.

Morbidelli currently rides atop the older spec GP24 for VR46, whilst his teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio enjoys the factory spec GP25 that Bagnaia and the championship-leading Marc Marquez currently utilise.

The GP25 is clearly the dominant bike when looking at the sheer dominance that Marquez has shown throughout the season. The Spaniard has won a remarkable 78% of the 32 races across all formats in 2025.

It has aided Marquez in his quest to become a seven-time MotoGP champion, and he currently holds a match point over the second-placed man in the riders’ standings and fellow Ducati rider, Alex Marquez.

However, it’s also clear that the factory spec bike is a difficult set of two wheels to adapt to. Bagnaia has failed to replicate the success of his high-flying teammate, winning just one race atop the GP25 this season, whilst Di Giannantonio is yet to score any.

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

Franco Morbidelli highlights the ‘feeling’ you need to have to succeed on Ducati’s bikes

Even with the difference in bikes, both iterations of the Italian constructor’s 2025 entries have been competitive all season long. The top eight riders in the standings house all six Ducati riders, with the allocation of bikes being split 50/50 between them.

Speaking to journalists, including GPOne, following the final in-season test of the 2025 MotoGP season, the Italian rider was asked about his thoughts on Ducati’s bikes and how it has translated into Bagnaia’s struggles throughout the current campaign.

“The category is at a stellar level,” says Morbidelli. “The difference between being in front or behind is very, very small. All it takes is a small lack of feeling from the bike to lose the time needed to stay up there.

“In my opinion, this is the factor that determines the current situation. Even with less competitive bikes, I remember when I was at Yamaha, you could set incredible times and performances; the problem is having the confidence to do it always and especially when it counts.

“So, to have that kind of consistency, you need a very high level of confidence in the bike. This is the thing that can change from year to year, even with small changes.”

Bagnaia has been trying everything in his power to overcome his woes with Ducati in the current term. However, it hasn’t stopped the frustrations flowing from the Italian team, with Luigi Dall’Igna recently stating that he’s ‘lost patience’ with Bagnaia.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Franco Morbidelli from net worth to career stats

Franco Morbidelli has previously expressed his interest in riding the factory Ducati bike in the future

Previously in the season, there were rumours surrounding VR46’s status as a satellite team to Ducati and the possibility of the team, owned by Valentino Rossi, receiving two factory bikes for the 2026 season instead of just the one that they have this season.

The rumours have since been squashed, after VR46 boss Uccio Salucci confirmed that they declined the deal.

The reasons why were not delved into, with it being speculated that the decision was made as a cost-saving measure for the independent team.

However, that didn’t stop Morbidelli from expressing his interest in riding the factory spec bike in the future. The Italian rider was clear in his comments that he wants to ride the bike with the best possible performance, with it clear that the GP25 is superior due to the results recorded by Marquez.

Morbidelli may have to wait a little longer for his wish to come true now that there isn’t any chance of him riding atop a factory Ducati next season.