Francesco Bagnaia has finally ‘realised’ why his 2025 season was a disaster, Davide Tardozzi says

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Francesco Bagnaia has to find a cure for his lack of speed in 2026, or he risks being thrown out by the Ducati team he has enjoyed so much success with.

This winter is a test of his mental strength and resilience, as he tries to come back from the most difficult period in his MotoGP career so far.

Bagnaia needs his team to design a better bike, and one that suits his riding style a little more. The GP25 was only really easy for Marc Marquez to manage.

Ducati aren’t a team that sit back. They’re going to push on, and the GP26 should be a strong evolution of the last two successful bikes they have produced.

Ducati haven’t opened talks with Bagnaia about a new deal, because they need to see whether his form has improved at pre-season testing.

Just a few days ago, Bagnaia summed up Luigi Dall’Igna’s biggest problem when asked what he’d like to see from a new bike. He gave a very different answer from that of his teammate.

READ MORE: What Ducati launch host wasn’t allowed to say about their 2026 MotoGP bike

Francesco Bagnaia has now ‘realised’ why his 2025 MotoGP season was a disaster

Bagnaia must ‘live with’ pressure in 2026, according to Davide Tardozzi, who has been working with him for five years now.

The Italian rider retired from six of the last seven races last season, winning in Motegi, but there won’t have been much satisfaction in that. He still needed answers.

Now, Tardozzi has revealed that Bagnaia has ‘realised’ what went wrong, after taking a bit of a break over the winter.

“We talked a lot with Pecco because we thoroughly analysed the situation he found himself in in 2025,” he told SPEEDWEEK. “The first thing we told him after the season ended was that he should spend time with his wife, rest, and not think about the past season for a few weeks.

“When he returned from his holiday, we reviewed the past season in detail. Gigi, Mauro Grassilli, and I talked with him a lot. In conclusion, I can say that he realised what his problems were.

“He’s a clever guy, and a lot of things became clear to him – for example, the many situations where Ducati pushed in a certain direction, and he didn’t understand it. Our strong relationship helped a lot in understanding what went wrong and what went right. We’re looking forward to the future.”

READ MORE: Ducati are now matching one MotoGP rider’s ‘very keen’ interest in being Marc Marquez’s teammate

Where might Francesco Bagnaia go if he leaves Ducati?

A two-time champion is always going to command a few offers, should he become available for the first time in a long while.

Bagnaia has been linked with a move to Yamaha, and his priority is a factory seat if he leaves, but VR46 may also be in the picture.

It all depends on what his aspirations are over the next few years. Maybe he wants a completely fresh start, and that involves getting away from Ducati altogether?

The MotoGP rider market is going to be chaotic, and he’s a big part of it. When it does unfold, expect it to do so quickly.