Ruben Xaus has seen a sign Francesco Bagnaia is involved in ‘deeply personal’ dispute at Ducati

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Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia is scratching his head once again after a seismic fall back down to earth, from the highs of his double win in Japan to crashing out in Indonesia.

The end of the 2025 MotoGP season cannot come soon enough for Bagnaia, who is fighting just to retain third place in the riders’ championship ahead of the final four rounds. Bagnaia has even seen Ducati teammate Marc Marquez win the title having scored 271 more points.

Marquez has scored almost double the points that Bagnaia has recorded through the first 18 rounds, with the Spaniard posting 545 to the Italian’s 274. But Ducati now have to hope that Bagnaia can carry their team, with Marquez’s injury ruling him out in Australia and Malaysia.

Ducati require the Bagnaia who mastered Motegi to win the Sprint and Japanese Grand Prix from pole position. Yet that version of the 28-year-old has rarely been on show in 2025, and was missing last time out at the Indonesian Grand Prix in arguably his worst weekend so far.

Ducati’s reaction to Francesco Bagnaia’s Indonesian Grand Prix woes alarmed Ruben Xaus

Bagnaia demanded answers from Ducati after the Mandalika Sprint, after he finished the 13-lap dash dead last. The Turin native crossed the finish line in P14 and was 12.634 seconds from the pack. Bagnaia crashed out of the Indonesian GP while running in last place, as well.

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

It has since been claimed that Ducati are at the end of their rope with Bagnaia, as his woe at Mandalika overshadowed the Bologna Bullets winning the teams’ title. His woe at Misano in September also dwarfed Ducati winning the constructors’ title at the San Marino Grand Prix.

Ruben Xaus believes he saw a clear sign of the tension between Bagnaia and certain figures in the Ducati team at Mandalika, too. So, the former MotoGP rider believes Bagnaia’s inner circle need to blame the Italian for his problems, rather than looking for alternative excuses.

Xaus said on Duralavita: “Why did this happen, since in Japan he showed his strength to his people? He relaxed, right? No. It showed him that he was capable of doing this. But when we got here [in Indonesia], he wasn’t up to the task.

“Surely, deep down, his inner circle blamed him again for this situation, just like when he raised his head in Japan, to say that there’s an emotional, deeply personal internal war at Ducati between the two of them.”

Pecco Bagnaia feels he proved himself to Ducati in Japan when given a bike he can ride

Bagnaia sent Ducati a pointed message with his comments at Mandalika when the two-time riders’ champion hinted at having nothing more to prove after his double win at Motegi. The Italian thinks his performance in Japan showed what he can still deliver when his bike works.

Ducati’s ride height device has caused Bagnaia endless problems this term, but it is believed that the Borgo Panigale crew adapted his bike at Motegi and it unlocked his performance. It has even been claimed that Bagnaia raced on a Ducati GP24 instead of the GP25 at Motegi.

Last year’s Desmosedici suits Bagnaia’s riding style more easily than the GP25 has. The ride height device especially causes him problems as it changes the overall balance of the GP25 under braking. The extra rear grip denies Bagnaia the feeling he requires from the front tyre.