Marco Bezzecchi
A decision regarding Francesco Bagnaia’s future at Ducati is expected at some point during the upcoming MotoGP campaign, and the Italian rider has been told what he needs to fix in order to potentially secure a new deal even if his struggles continue.
The recently concluded premier class campaign was Francesco Bagnaia’s worst of the five years he has spent racing in the famous red overalls of the factory Ducati MotoGP team.
After competing for a title in all four of the previous four years before the start of 2025, fans believed they would be treated to a blockbuster title fight following confirmation that Marc Marquez would be partnering with him at Borgo Panigale.
Unfortunately, an intense battle didn’t come to fruition. Instead, Marquez was in a league of his own at the front of the premier class pecking order.
Bagnaia spent the majority of the year in the bronze medal position of the riders’ championship, but slipped down to fifth place by the end of the season due to Marco Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta’s impressive results in the second half of the campaign.
- READ MORE: Francesco Bagnaia must return to his once ‘really angry’ state to save his Ducati seat in 2026
Francesco Bagnaia failed to score points in 18 of his 44 races in 2025.
Livio Suppo tells Francesco Bagnaia that he needs to get better at communicating his issues to the media
Former MotoGP team manager Livio Suppo recently spoke to GPOne and was asked a multitude of questions regarding the current landscape of the sport, including the woes of Bagnaia during the recently concluded 2025 season.
He noted the Italian rider’s demeanour in the media as an issue, highlighting that his words to the press have made him vulnerable inside the Ducati ranks, as well as opening him up to speculation from the outside.
Suppo said, “Pecco is an incredibly strong rider, but he should take a communication course. Many times this year, he has said things that created a lot of theories and conspiracies.
“Sometimes, when he speaks, he is a bit too cryptic and gives people the chance to interpret his words in many ways.
“From a romantic point of view, it is clear that he would like to stay because he has been in love with Ducati since he was a child, but then we will have to see what happens.
“If another manufacturer were to court him, offer him a great salary, and he struggled again next year, why should he stay? There are many variables.”
- READ MORE: The five MotoGP riders most at risk of losing their seats in 2026 including Francesco Bagnaia
Change our minds: Francesco Bagnaia will not fight for the championship in 2026
Livio Suppo also believes that MotoGP have made a ‘mistake’ by reducing engine sizes in 2027
After Bagnaia’s current contract with Ducati expires, he will be racing atop brand new machinery in 2027, no matter the team he is racing for, thanks to MotoGP’s new era of regulations that come into effect that year.
The biggest change in the new ruleset is the new engine formula. The current 1000cc power units will be downgraded to 850cc in a bid to make the sport safer, and sustainable fuels will also be utilised to reduce the carbon footprint of the global racing category.
Fans are already enamoured with the sound of Honda’s new engine, but Suppo isn’t convinced.
Continuing in his interview with GPOne, the former HRC boss said, “In my opinion, they have made yet another mistake.
“The decision to change the engine displacement at a historical moment like this for motorcycle manufacturers is not smart.
“If the goal was to reduce performance, there were a thousand ways to do it with current engines without having to design new ones from scratch.
“For example, it would have been enough to decrease the fuel tank capacity, perhaps in a gradual way.”
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
