Michele Pirro ‘amazed’ by the change he’s noticed from Francesco Bagnaia behind the scenes this year

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Michele Pirro has had a front row seat to a season of frequent misery for Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia that cannot end soon enough for the two-time MotoGP champion.

The 28-year-old started the term on the back of fighting for the title through each of the last four years. Yet Bagnaia watched Marc Marquez lift the 2025 title with five rounds to spare in his first year in the factory Ducati team, having left Japan with 267 points more than his 274.

Gresini star Alex Marquez on a year-old Ducati GP24 also sealed second place in the riders’ championship in Malaysia with two rounds to spare. Bagnaia even left Sepang sitting fourth in the standings, with Aprilia rival Marco Bezzecchi on 291 points to his 286 after 20 rounds.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali claims Bagnaia taking third in the 2025 championship would be “acceptable”, given the difficulties he has endured this term. The Italian has struggled to adapt to the GP25 throughout the 2025 MotoGP season, despite Marquez’s successes on it.

Francesco Bagnaia’s mood changes behind the scenes have ‘amazed’ Michele Pirro

Positive moments have been extremely rare for the 2022 and 2023 champion in 2025. Over the first 20 rounds of this season’s 22, Bagnaia won the Americas Grand Prix after Marquez had crashed, did the Sprint and Grand Prix double in Japan and won the Sprint in Malaysia.

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

Yet even after the rare triumphs, Bagnaia “amazed” Ducati test rider Pirro with how quickly the Turin native’s mood soured behind the scenes in the days that followed. Pirro also feels Bagnaia is still hurting from losing the 2024 MotoGP title to Jorge Martin in the final round.

Pirro told MOW: “I was amazed by his ability to win big in certain situations, and then fall into a negative mood in the space of a few days. Athletes also have periods when things seem more complicated. We’re human, and not all seasons are the same.

“Throughout the year, you change, you grow. I understand that, they’re young guys under a lot of pressure. Pecco won two world championships, but he lost one in the final race last year. It’s not always as easy as it seems from the outside. You blame yourself.

“But, in the end, there are many factors involved. And in any case, all riders deserve respect. You have a responsibility, the pressure [and] you represent the company.”

Losing out on the 2024 MotoGP title to Jorge Martin haunted Pecco Bagnaia

Martin became the first rider to win the premier class title with an independent team in the MotoGP era with Pramac last year, as the Spaniard beat Bagnaia to the title by 10 points. He won just three of the 20 Grands Prix and seven Sprint Races, but his consistency proved key.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati test rider Michele Pirro from age to stats

Bagnaia won 11 Grands Prix and seven Sprint Races last term, but Martin’s 10 second-place and three third-place finishes plus two retirements ensured he outdid the Ducati racer who finished second just once and third four times, while even retiring during three Grands Prix.

Speaking in January, Bagnaia admitted that Martin winning the 2024 MotoGP title haunted his honeymoon, too, as he could not forget the mistakes he made throughout the year. The Italian now faces another difficult winter following his campaign of endless woe this season.

But Pirro believes Bagnaia will fight Marquez for the 2026 MotoGP title, as the Ducati GP26 should let the Turin native return to his best next year. Marquez left Bagnaia in his wake this year with 11 Grand Prix wins and 14 Sprint Race wins from the 18 rounds that he contested.