Marco Bezzecchi
Amid the ongoing debacle between Francesco Bagnaia and Ducati, World Superbikes rider Danilo Petrucci has shared a new theory regarding the struggles that he’s having at the factory team.
Bagnaia is in danger of losing his spot as the third-placed man in the riders’ standings, with Marco Bezzecchi piling on the pressure behind him, as well as an outside shot of being leapfrogged by Pedro Acosta in fifth.
The situation between Bagnaia and Ducati has been ‘strange’, as described by Andrea Dovizioso, due to the fact that neither party are any closer to finding a solution to his difficulties, which have been present throughout the entirety of the current campaign.
As well as his position in the championship, the 28-year-old is also in danger of losing his status as a factory Ducati rider.
Where he would end up remains to be seen, but MotoGP manufacturers no longer see Bagnaia in the same light as they did during his successful periods in the premier class.
READ MORE: Francesco Bagnaia’s MotoGP rivals already know exactly what his biggest Ducati problem is in 2025
Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci shares a new theory on Francesco Bagnaia’s ‘terrible’ 2025 MotoGP season
Fresh off the back of taking Jorge Martin all the way down to the final race of the season in the 2024 MotoGP title fight, Bagnaia was expected to challenge Marc Marquez for the 2025 crown following the Spaniard’s move to the factory Ducati outfit.
Speaking to MOW, World Superbikes rider found the stark change in results difficult to explain, theorising that Ducati may have taken the feedback of Marquez more into account when finalising the spec of the GP25 in pre-season.
“What’s certain is that Pecco is a champion; you don’t win two world titles just because you have the best bike or are luckier than the others, so I would never question the rider he is and the talent he has,” Petrucci said.
“He definitely never really got on with the bike this year, and I don’t know if that’s because they listened more to Marquez after the winter tests on the base settings, or because of the differences, even if minimal, compared to last year’s Desmosedici.
“I have no idea: sometimes it feels like his steering is locked, but I really don’t know what to say other than that Pecco is, indeed, a champion.
“Maybe it was just a terrible year, one of those that can happen not for one reason, but for a combination of small reasons, circumstances, situations, and misfortunes.”
Ducati’s MotoGP rivals believe Bagnaia will continue to struggle next season as well, which will play the 2026 title nicely into the hands of Marquez for a second consecutive and eighth total MotoGP title.
READ MORE: Luigi Dall’Igna explains what ‘undoubtedly’ makes Marc Marquez a difficult Ducati teammate
Danilo Petrucci shares how Pecco Bagnaia’s 2025 MotoGP form made him speechless
Bagnaia looked to have returned to form at the Japanese Grand Prix, as he recorded a perfect weekend at the Motegi circuit that saw him take pole position and a win in the Sprint race and Grand Prix.
However, the Italian returned to his past 2025 form in Indonesia as he failed to score a single point over the entirety of the weekend.
Petrucci was speechless at the regression, as he added in his interview with MOW, “You want the truth? I’m speechless. I mean, Motegi destabilised me because that weekend of such overwhelming superiority swept away some of the doubts one might have had about a psychological breakdown and all that.
“Then the following week, he was last and on the ground with obvious riding difficulties. It’s really not something you can explain unless you’re familiar with all the dynamics. So I don’t know what to say.”
Petrucci’s sentiment was echoed in previous comments by Nicolo Bulega, a fellow Ducati rider in the WSBK category. The Italian also found it ‘difficult to describe’ the stark contrast in Bagnaia’s form from last season to the current term.
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