Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia looks set to endure yet another miserable outing aboard his Ducati GP25 at the 2025 MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix to finish the Italian’s nightmare season.
The chequered flag this Sunday cannot come soon enough for Bagnaia, who has never been able to adapt to the Ducati GP25. He even arrived at the Valencia GP only fourth in the 2025 MotoGP riders’ standings, with Aprilia rival Marco Bezzecchi 35 points in front in third place.
Bagnaia scored 288 points over the first 21 out of 22 rounds, of which he took 51 in the past six rounds. But while Bagnaia won the Grand Prix and Sprint in Japan to record 37 points, he only also scored points by winning the Sepang Sprint and finishing P8 in the Portimao Sprint.
The Japanese GP in round 17 this September is the only Grand Prix that Bagnaia has finished across the past six rounds. Bagnaia crashed in San Marino, Indonesia, Australia and Portugal, and the two-time premier class champion even suffered a race-ending puncture in Malaysia.
Francesco Bagnaia’s reaction to finishing practice in Valencia in P14 shocked Pol Espargaro
This week’s season-closing Valencia GP may mark another tough outing for Bagnaia in 2025, too. The Turin native has to go through Q1 this Saturday after he finished the pre-qualifying practice session on Friday afternoon down in P14, having set a 1:29.833 as his best lap time.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Bagnaia was 0.593 seconds off the table-topping pace that Pedro Acosta of KTM set at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo this Friday and was only the fifth-best Ducati rider. And Pol Espargaro was alarmed when he saw how Bagnaia reacted in Ducati’s garage after practice in Valencia.
“Pecco’s face said it all,” Espargaro told DAZN, via quotes by Motosan. “It’s not the first time this season that we’ve seen him with that expression, and this is not a circuit where he has historically felt particularly comfortable.
“But Pecco is unpredictable. Nobody expected, for example, that race in Japan where he dominated from start to finish. It’s clear there’s something about the bike that isn’t making him feel comfortable.
“Even Alex Marquez, testing the 2025 aero that Pecco does not like, is doing well. It seems that everything goes beyond the purely technical.”
Nicolo Bulega was the only Ducati rider slower than Pecco Bagnaia in practice in Valencia
Gresini rider Alex Marquez will have a factory-spec Ducati in 2026 as his reward for finishing second in the championship behind works rider Marc Marquez. Alex will join Marc, Bagnaia and VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio as having factory bikes after racing the GP24 in 2025.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Nicolo Bulega from height to career
Alex enjoyed his first experience of what certain aspects of the GP25 that Bagnaia has never been able to adapt to are like during practice for the 2025 Valencia GP. Ducati awarded the Gresini star their 2025-spec front and rear aero, as he set the fourth-fastest time on Friday.
VR46’s Franco Morbidelli was the fastest Ducati family rider during practice for the Valencia GP with a 1:29.425 lap aboard his GP24, as he lapped within 0.185s of KTM ace Acosta. Alex was the second-fastest Ducati with a 1:29.473, while Di Giannantonio’s 1:29.593 put him P7.
Gresini rookie Fermin Aldeguer also finished practice for the Valencia GP in P8 after posting a 1:29.597 on his GP24. Bagnaia only managed P14 with his 1:29.833, while Marc’s stand-in Nicolo Bulega finished Friday in last place after posting a 1:30.552 on just his second outing.
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