Mat Oxley shares what Ducati privately told him about Francesco Bagnaia’s bike after Mandalika struggles

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Francesco Bagnaia might have followed the best weekend of his MotoGP season with the worst at the Indonesian Grand Prix.

The Ducati rider failed to progress from Q1, finished dead last in the sprint race, and crashed out of the main race while miles behind any competitor. It was the exact opposite of what everyone expected him to deliver after a miraculous turnaround at Motegi.

It poses questions as to whether Bagnaia was truly back to his old form. The Indonesian Grand Prix suggests that wasn’t the case, and any chance of finding a way to finish in the top two of the MotoGP standings feels long gone by now.

‘Everyone’ is talking about Bagnaia’s bike, but it’s an issue that his team have tried to prevent by refusing to talk about it. Bagnaia admitted third is his goal for 2025 after Mandalika, and that he won’t be pushing himself to achieve any more in the final four races.

READ MORE: ‘High-level whispers’ in MotoGP paddock claim that Ducati have breached regulations with Pecco Bagnaia

Ducati privately said Francesco Bagnaia changed his ride height device to spark improvement

Understandably, Bagnaia called his performance ‘unacceptable’ and had no answers for his lack of pace in Indonesia. With his teammate absent over the next few rounds, there could have been a significant opportunity for some good results, but now he feels like a bit more of an underdog again.

Alex Marquez admitted Bagnaia was ‘really fast’ before he hit a roadblock again, suggesting that even his rivals don’t know what to expect from him. The two-time champion has put a lot of energy into trying to explain what has gone wrong for him in 2025, but remains empty-handed.

Speaking on the Oxley Bom Podcast, Mat Oxley revealed how Ducati staff privately told him what sparked Bagnaia’s improvements at Motegi in the first place, confirming suspicions that a different ride height device had helped.

“When I finally asked what is the difference between Bagnaia’s bike at Misano and his bike at Motegi – ride height device. That’s what they told me,” he said. “Which is what we were kind of speculating last weekend, wasn’t it?

“The whole chassis [is concerned]. But, they’ve been using a sort of GP24 chassis all year anyway, haven’t they? But obviously, they’ve had to use even more of a GP24 chassis, I suppose.

“But then you come here and we’re back to where we were before. He dominated so much, so massively at Motegi. So, to go from that to where he was this weekend, it just doesn’t make any sense.”

READ MORE: ‘Everyone’ in the MotoGP paddock is now wondering ‘what on Earth’ Ducati have said to Pecco Bagnaia

Why Francesco Bagnaia’s Mandalika struggles couldn’t have come at a worse time

After Marc Marquez had a nasty crash, Ducati now need a rider who is going to step up and score consistent points for them.

Right now, it doesn’t feel like Bagnaia can be that man, unless the upcoming race at Phillip Island suits his bike all of a sudden. Although the championships are wrapped up, they still want to be represented well.

His issues may be track-dependent, but his team would prefer a little more consistency. Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer look like the strongest two Ducati riders on pace.

However, the GP24 has proven itself to be a little easier to handle, which explains a lot. It doesn’t take away from the idea that Bagnaia has hit a new low at the worst point in the season.