How Francesco Bagnaia’s Australian Grand Prix lap times compared to the fastest Moto2 riders

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Francesco Bagnaia seemed to have an opportunity at the Australian Grand Prix in the absence of injured teammate Marc Marquez. In the end, he walked away without a single point.

Bagnaia himself didn’t expect to benefit from Marquez’s absence, but his strongest rival – the rider with 25 total victories this season – had been removed.

The 28-year-old made it to Q2, which hasn’t been a given this season, but was the second-slowest runner in that session. He would then lose eight places in an abject Sprint, where he finished behind Somkiat Chantra, the lowest ranking full-time rider in the premier class.

Bagnaia impeded Marco Bezzecchi in qualifying, which earned him a three-place penalty for the race. That mattered little in the end as he crashed out to complete a fourth scoreless weekend of 2025 and a third in four outings.

Francesco Bagnaia was less than a second off Moto2 times in Australian Grand Prix Sprint

Bagnaia only finished ahead of one rider in the Sprint – his Ducati factory teammate Michele Pirro, who was standing in for Marquez. It was perhaps alarming in itself that Pirro was only three seconds behind.

The #63 bike lost over 32 seconds to race winner Bezzecchi in just 13 laps. His average lap time was around a 1:30.5.

Meanwhile, Senna Agius won his home Moto2 race with an average time of a 1:31.3. That means Bagnaia was only eight-tenths per lap quicker than the fastest intermediate class rider.

There are some caveats here. Bagnaia was considerably faster on Sunday, and Ducati clearly struggled at Phillip Island. That’s why their 100% Sprint podium record, stretching back to the format’s 2023 introduction, came to an end.

But it’s still inescapably noteworthy that a two-time world champion was barely running at MotoGP pace for a sustained stint where he was supposed to be pushing flat out. For reference, Bezzecchi’s average time was a 1:28 flat, so the deficit should be around three seconds.

Ducati already know their number-one choice to replace Pecco Bagnaia

It’s clear that Ducati won’t ‘accept’ Bagnaia struggling this much. Even the best riders on the grid have disastrous weekends, but there have simply been too many for the Italian, and it’s reaching a point where the brand is being damaged.

It would surely be naive to suggest that Ducati aren’t at least considering possible replacements for 2027, with Bagnaia’s contract up for renewal next year. A continuation of 2025 trends would surely lead to a termination of the relationship.

Indeed, early reports suggest Pedro Acosta is Ducati’s top option if they opt to sign a new teammate for Marc Marquez. Fermin Aldeguer, already contracted to the manufacturer at Gresini, is also on the list, along with Moto2 ace David Alonso and Yamaha superstar Fabio Quartararo.