Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia was brought right back to reality at the Indonesian Grand Prix as he suffered a nightmare weekend.
It looked like the Italian had made a breakthrough in 2025 as Bagnaia dominated at Motegi last weekend, taking pole position and a double victory. The Italian had tested numerous changes to his bikes at the Misano test, but Ducati took a ‘vow of silence’ over said changes.
It was rumoured that the 28-year-old had ridden the GP24 – the bike he won 11 out of 20 races on last season – at Misano, but Bagnaia deflected questions about the matter. It was then reported, although unconfirmed, that Bagnaia raced the GP24 at Motegi.
It would explain why he appeared more comfortable as he beat teammate Marc Marquez on pure merit for the first time in 2025. But just a week later at the Indonesian Grand Prix, Bagnaia was back struggling on his bike as he had arguably his worst weekend of the season.
Francesco Bagnaia says he will try to finish third in 2025 after Mandalika woes – he has admitted defeat for P2
The Ducati rider scored points in one of the last five Sprint races before Mandalika. That became one in six races as he finished 14th and last on Saturday after qualifying in P16.
Bagnaia demanded an explanation from Ducati as he slammed his ‘unacceptable’ situation. Things did not improve on Sunday as he ran last in the race before crashing out.
The factory team suffered a double retirement as Marc Marquez was taken out by Marco Bezzecchi at turn seven. With Alex Marquez finishing third, Bagnaia is now 88 points behind in third, and he made a worrying admission about his fight for P2.
The Italian did not conduct his usual media interviews after the race, but speaking via GPOne, he said that he would try to fight for third in the standings after he and his engineers find a solution to his woes.
“We have no answers about what happened this weekend,” he said. “We’ll check the data, and the engineers will try to find a solution for the upcoming Grand Prix so we can fight for third place in the championship.”
Clearly, Bagnaia has admitted defeat to Alex Marquez in the battle for second, only a week after he looked like he might have a chance to overtake him in the final races. It is a worrying situation for the Italian as he goes from first to last on the grid in two races – Ducati need answers.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Ducati must act as Francesco Bagnaia was slower than Somkiat Chantra at Mandalika
Bagnaia’s pace during the Indonesian GP was truly alarming. At the time he crashed, he was running four-tenths slower than Honda rider Somkiat Chantra on average, who has been consistently at the back of the grid in 2025.
He was two seconds down on race winner Fermin Aldeguer before falling. It highlights just how much work Ducati have to do with Bagnaia, but things could be getting frosty behind the scenes.
Bagnaia allegedly gave Ducati an ‘ultimatum’ to give him the GP24. If it is true that he raced with it in Motegi, many will be wondering what has happened in just a week, as he found himself last at Mandalika.
Everyone is wondering what Ducati are saying to Bagnaia, with his blunt media debriefs sparking questions over the two parties’ relationship. With this latest disaster, the cracks may be beginning to show.
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