Marco Bezzecchi
Andrea Dovizioso thinks there is something ‘strange’ happening at Ducati with Francesco Bagnaia after seeing interviews from the team regarding his struggles.
With just four rounds of the 2025 MotoGP season left to compete, Ducati aren’t any closer to solving the issues that Bagnaia has experienced atop the world-beating GP25 than they were at the start of the season.
Bagnaia’s recent feat at the Japanese Grand Prix prompted many to believe that he was back to his previous form, but the verdict was deemed to be premature following the continuation of his struggles at the following round in Indonesia.
The relationship between the Italian constructor and their two-time world champion is becoming increasingly fractured with every passing race weekend that he fails to perform, but Bagnaia insists that Ducati are still his ‘family’.
READ MORE: Francesco Bagnaia’s MotoGP rivals already know exactly what his biggest Ducati problem is in 2025
Andrea Dovizioso thinks there is something ‘strange’ between Francesco Bagnaia and Ducati
However, the frustrations seem to go both ways. Bagnaia was furious with Ducati in Mandalika following his ‘unacceptable’ result in the Sprint race that saw him finish last with a near 30-second gap to the leading riders.
In a sit-down interview with MotoGP journalist Cosimo Curatola, former Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso gave his opinion on the matter, highlighting his scepticism over who is to blame for the situation.
“They know what happened at Ducati. It’s never just one side that’s to blame, but something did happen. And from the interviews, it’s all a bit strange,” Dovizioso said. “Engineers often say there’s no difference, but there is.
“Then if this difference exists but they haven’t understood it, or don’t want to say so, that’s another matter. Engineers sometimes think they have control over things they don’t actually have.
“But don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the rider is almost always right; on the contrary, the rider is almost always wrong.”
Following the outburst by the 28-year-old in the media room following the Sprint, former MotoGP rider turned pundit Ruben Xaus saw Bagnaia engaged in a dispute with Ducati personnel in the paddock.
It remains to be seen whether the Italian rider will end up seeing out the entirety of his contract with the factory Ducati team, which expires at the end of the 2026 season.
Francesco Bagnaia’s 2025 struggles have hurt his stock on the MotoGP grid
Ducati are now at the end of their tether with Bagnaia after his poor performances in Indonesia ended up overshadowing their clinching of the 2025 teams’ championship.
The feat marked the fifth time in the factory outfit’s history that they were crowned as the best team on the grid.
With tension now at an all-time high, his status as a rider for the Borgo Panigale-based team is in jeopardy, which isn’t the only thing that could make things interesting in the MotoGP rider market.
Bagnaia’s stock has also taken a tumble on the grid, with manufacturers no longer seeing him as the enigmatic world champion that he once was.
His form has made him vulnerable to falling off the MotoGP grid altogether.
Whilst the possibility of that is highly unlikely, given the fact that he is a two-time premier class champion, he may find it more difficult to find a factory ride in the future.
Ducati have a swathe of up-and-coming talents on the rise, and they may look to favour them in the future.
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