Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia is facing a disastrous situation at Ducati as he faces pressure from Pedro Acosta to finish in the 2025 standings.
The Italian is at a loss to explain his struggles on the GP25. He has failed to score points in the last two races on the same bike he used to claim a double win at Motegi.
Bagnaia ‘wouldn’t even engage’ with questions about the issues with his bike, after it was seen shaking violently during the Australian GP. The 28-year-old has been frustrated with Ducati as they cannot find a solution to his problems.
Ducati have stopped showing Bagnaia’s complaints in their ‘inside’ videos from the garage. The two parties now have a tense relationship as the rider sits fourth in the standings.
Marco Bezzecchi leapfrogged him for third at Phillip Island, and he could now come under attack from Pedro Acosta. The KTM rider sits 41 points behind Bagnaia with three events to go.
Pedro Acosta would ‘trade’ places with Francesco Bagnaia at Ducati
Acosta has seen improvements from the RC16 in recent months, having grabbed three podiums in the last eight races. He topped the timesheets in free practice at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
But the Spaniard says that he has ‘never competed’ this season, as he wants to get to the top of MotoGP. Speaking via AS, Acosta would happily ‘trade’ places with Bagnaia, even with how much he is struggling on the GP25.
Discussing the Italian’s woes, Acosta said: “Yes, maybe when you’re young it’s easier to lose yourself and easier to find yourself. When you’re older, maybe it’s harder to lose yourself, but when you lose yourself…
“It was hard for me to understand that I had to give up something I wanted, or a goal I had in mind, to focus on something else and start building again from scratch. It was hard.
“80% of the things that happen in sports, especially in more physical sports, are closely linked to the mind. Here in MotoGP, there are two things: whether the bike is going well or badly, and the mental aspect.
“Sooner or later, Pecco will leave. It can’t be that he had a great race in Japan and is struggling now. There must be something to it.”
Asked if he would switch places with Bagnaia, he replied: “The problem is that I’ve never competed this season, so… Of course I would trade it right now. He’s won races, right? And for having competed. I haven’t competed at any point this year.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Pedro Acosta from net worth to girlfriend
Pedro Acosta is a top target for Ducati in 2027
It is no secret that the KTM rider is a target for Ducati in the future. Acosta was linked with VR46 earlier in the year as he sought to leave his contract.
However, KTM rejected Acosta’s buyout offer, thus denying a move to Valentino Rossi’s squad. But with the Spaniard unwilling to sign a new contract with the Austrian manufacturer, he could become available on the MotoGP rider market in 2027.
Ducati are looking at Acosta ‘first and foremost’ as a potential replacement for Bagnaia. The Borgo Panigale outfit may run out of patience with the two-time MotoGP champion if his results do not improve.
Acosta wants to ride a Ducati and become a world champion in the premier class. If Bagnaia cannot find answers to his struggles, the door could open for the Spaniard to ride in red.
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