Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia’s 2025 campaign was a shadow of his championship-winning self. Now, former MotoGP rider Marco Melandri points towards Marquez’s first test with Ducati as the catalyst for the two-time world champion’s downfall.
Despite various figures within Borgo Panigale asserting that Marc Marquez’s arrival at Ducati didn’t hinder Francesco Bagnaia’s progress, the results speak for themselves.
After being a title contender in all four of his previous campaigns with the factory Ducati squad, Bagnaia was nowhere to be seen in the most recent season of racing, while Marquez laid down the gauntlet on the rest of the MotoGP grid.
The GP25 was understood to be the biggest thorn in the Italian rider’s side throughout the abysmal season, and Valentino Rossi’s assessment of his arch-nemesis probably didn’t help either.
- READ MORE: Luigi Dall’Igna reveals whether Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez will ride ‘different bikes’ in 2026
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Marco Melandri thinks Francesco Bagnaia caused his own problems by comparing himself to Marc Marquez
During an interview with Moto.it, five-time premier class Grand Prix winner Marco Melandri outlined how Bagnaia caused his own issues during the 2025 campaign by making setup requests based on Marquez’s feedback.
The Italian said, “In my opinion, the problem was that Bagnaia based everything on Marquez; he was always looking at Marquez.
“If you remember, after the first test in Malaysia in February, Pecco said he was happy because the comments were the same, the requests about the bike were the same, while Marquez never considered Pecco.
“He always just went his own way, saying, ‘I’m at this point, I’m doing this, I have to improve here, I have to improve there.’
“When we got to Thailand for the tests, Marquez started to be fast, and Marquez was always thinking only about his own path.
“It’s true that he looks at everyone’s data to try to understand, but he doesn’t say it. Instead, Bagnaia, from the moment Ducati announced Marquez, has always talked and compared himself to Marquez.
“In my opinion, this was a mistake because he didn’t think enough about his feelings.”
Following the conclusion of the 2025 term, it had emerged that Marquez had delegated development choices to Bagnaia for Ducati’s new spec of bike, the GP26.
However, it was also suggested that the Italian constructor wouldn’t let the 29-year-old have total control of the GP26’s direction, given Marquez’s prowess on its predecessor.
- READ MORE: Pedro Acosta names the three riders who will challenge Marc Marquez for the 2026 MotoGP title
Finish the sentence: In 2027, Francesco Bagnaia will be racing for…
Gianluca Nannelli also highlighted the big ‘mistake’ Francesco Bagnaia made ahead of the 2025 MotoGP season
In the same interview with Melandri, 2003 Italian Supersport champion Gianluca Nannelli also chimed in with what he felt was #63’s biggest mistake of the 2025 pre-season.
He added, “For me, Pecco’s biggest mistake was at the start of the season, because he was world champion for two years, runner-up, and he attacked Marquez head-on.
“He said, ‘I’m on par with you,’ not considering that this guy has won eight world championships, with less than ideal means.
“The error of judgment was Pecco’s, in not realising how strong that person who arrived in his garage was. Perhaps he could have handled things differently, collaborating and trying to immediately glean some secrets or something to stay on that train.
MotoGP fans felt like they were robbed of a fascinating title fight between Marquez and Bagnaia through the Italian’s inability to find his footing on the GP25.
Bagnaia will have another chance this season, but his Ducati exit may have already been sealed through Borgo Panigale’s infatuation with Pedro Acosta.
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