Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia has been experimenting for months to try and find a way out of his Ducati crisis. And ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix, he’s embraced his most radical solution yet.
Bagnaia has disagreed with Ducati all season. He feels the GP25 is significantly different to its predecessor, which is why he’s lost his ‘feeling’.
However, the team maintain that the motorcycle has hardly changed. Outwardly, there was little incentive to alter the concept after Jorge Martin and Bagnaia finished one-two in the championship.
Bagnaia can’t go back to the GP24, even though that may be what he desires in private. But what he can do is revert to some parts used last year.
Francesco Bagnaia is the ‘only rider’ using a shorter fork
According to Sky Italy, Bagnaia is the ‘only rider’ on the current grid using a 2024-style shorter fork. He was optimistic after the recent test at Misano that he’d made a breakthrough.
In an interview with the same broadcaster, Ohlins technician Giacomo Massarotto explained the precise difference between the two parts. Bagnaia’s latest move ‘completely changes the bike’s setup’.
Thus, if it fails to deliver a solution, the cycle of woe will deepen. There have been numerous occasions this year where the Italian has found renewed hope and then sank to a new low.
“The only difference between the two forks is that the 2025 forks allow for an extra 15mm of travel,” Massarotto explained at the Grand Prix of Japan.
“Otherwise, the internals are practically the same; they have the same settings and the same hydraulic force. It doesn’t seem like it, but 15mm is a lot; it completely changes the bike’s setup.”
The podium stat that shows how deep Pecco Bagnaia’s problems really are
Davide Tardozzi believes Ducati have ‘found something’ that will bring Bagnaia back to his best. But the rider, along with his fans no doubt, are understandably cautious – this is the kind of language the team have used before.
Bagnaia has only won one race this year, and even then his Americas GP victory came after Marquez crashed in the lead. His current five-race podium drought is his longest since the start of the 2022 season.
Intriguingly, Bagnaia sought the help of Casey Stoner, his fellow Ducati legend, at the previous round in Misano. Stoner apparently spotted details that the engineers couldn’t.
Giacomo Agostini says MotoGP needs Bagnaia to fight Marc Marquez, who has strolled to the title this year. The gap between the two heading to Motegi was a colossal 275 points.
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