Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez would be forgiven for being blown away by his teammate’s electric performance at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Francesco Bagnaia dominated all weekend and didn’t look like surrendering his advantage once. After a gruelling season, he finally found a reward for his hard work, and it might have arrived at the perfect time for himself and Ducati.
Building any sort of momentum was going to be a crucial factor heading into the 2026 MotoGP season, and now Marquez has something to think about. Even though he didn’t have much competition this season, it looks as though his life will be harder in the future as his competition narrows the gap and his teammate returns to form.
Marquez ‘destroyed’ Jorge Martin’s season by forcing Ducati to give him a factory seat last year, before going on to annihilate his opposition. However, Neil Hodgson spotted an ‘unbelievable’ detail in Bagnaia’s riding, which confirms he is back to true form. He will be a force to be reckoned with once more.
Marc Marquez sees Francesco Bagnaia making progress ‘little by little’ at Ducati
After struggling for most of the weekend in Motegi, Marquez looked like Bagnaia had for the majority of the campaign. It was the fourth time that he had secured a title at the Japanese Grand Prix, and his clear aim was simply to make the end of the event on the podium.
Bagnaia’s resurgence cannot be ignored, despite Marquez’s celebrations. The Italian rider has clearly improved and, after drawing much criticism, has earned a nod from his competitors. Marquez has already noticed how he has come on recently.
“If he [Alex Marquez] gets second, he’ll improve on my result from last year with a satellite bike from the previous year,” he said. “So, Alex has enough speed to defend that place, but Pecco, it seems that little by little, he’s reacting and returning to his normal positions.”
Prior to that, Marc added how he feels that putting extra pressure on his brother to beat Bagnaia would not be the right thing to do currently.
“Obviously, the rival this year has been Alex, right? Now he has enough speed and talent to try to fight for that runner-up spot, I’m not going to put that pressure and responsibility on Alex,” he added.
“For me, Alex, if he finishes in the top three and can be at the MotoGP gala in Valencia, that would already be a great achievement for him personally. I’m not going to put any extra pressure on him. Hey, if he manages to finish third in the championship with the Ducati Gresini, he’ll equal my result from last year with that bike.
How Francesco Bagnaia managed to prevent a four-year feat at the Japanese Grand Prix
Not only was winning the Japanese Grand Prix important for Bagnaia’s confidence, but it was also a significant reminder for his team.
He has just reminded them exactly why he’s a two-time champion. Reaching the podium at Motegi prevented him from achieving his longest run without a podium since the 2021 season (six races).
Instead, that run stopped at five, which was still his most barren run of form in three years, but it’s behind him now.
Bagnaia avoided a repeat Ducati ‘disaster’ and can now begin to focus on making sure that his teammate isn’t completely comfortable over the winter. The more he can force him to do, the more likely he is to make mistakes and open the door in future title fights.
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