Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia is currently on one of his worst runs of MotoGP form across his entire career with Ducati.
The two-time champion has retired from five of the last six Grands Prix, and urgently needs to address a lack of consistency on Ducati’s GP25 machine. Fortunately, he has just one weekend left to go before he can turn a blank page and focus on the 2026 season.
Bagnaia has the backing of his team for the time being, but the MotoGP rider market looms large if he fails to find any improvements in the first few months of next year. Ducati are notoriously strict when it comes to expectations for the performance of its stars.
Davide Tardozzi thinks Ducati have tried everything this year, from changing parts to changing setups. There are no longer any solutions. Ducati need to give Bagnaia a new bike, according to Michael Laverty, which could be their last resort at this stage.
READ MORE: Michele Pirro ‘amazed’ by the change he’s noticed from Francesco Bagnaia behind the scenes this year
Davide Tardozzi doesn’t think Francesco Bagnaia has ‘a lack of motivation’ at Ducati
Michele Pirro thinks Bagnaia will ‘battle’ for the 2026 title and expects him to be able to challenge teammate Marc Marquez next year. The test rider knows exactly how difficult it can be to have to step up and ride the GP25, having done so this year, with limited success.
Earlier in the season, the Americas Grand Prix felt like a crucial turning point. Kevin Schwantz thought Bagnaia was back, only to be proved wrong by his struggles in the following months. He hadn’t quite mastered his new bike yet.
In fact, he still hasn’t now. With Marquez sidelined by injury, the expectation would have been that the two-time champion would pick up the slack, but he hasn’t. He continues to make costly mistakes.
But Davide Tardozzi doesn’t question Bagnaia’s motivation, telling Sky Sport Italia that he believes that he’s lacking confidence more than anything.
“Pecco’s speed has never been in doubt,” he said. “What’s complicating things for him is this lack of confidence with the bike.
“We’re not talking about a physical problem or a lack of motivation, but rather a lack of feeling. When a rider doesn’t feel completely comfortable with his bike, he can’t ride with the necessary freedom.”
READ MORE: Francesco Bagnaia may soon have the perfect opportunity to leave Ducati and revive his MotoGP career
Where could Francesco Bagnaia go if he decided to leave Yamaha?
Seeing Bagnaia don colours other than the iconic Ducati red would be strange to see, but it’s a real possibility in the future.
With his contract set to expire at the end of 2026, there’s a real chance that he looks for a new project at the start of the new regulations in 2027.
Yamaha could be on the search for a new number one rider if Fabio Quartararo decides to jump ship in pursuit of another title.
KTM or Honda could also be on the table, if they’re looking to make a statement, but Aprilia seem content with their current line-up.
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