Marco Bezzecchi
With MotoGP’s first pre-season test of the 2026 season now underway, all eyes are on Ducati to see if they have been able to develop a more friendly bike than the GP25, which saw both Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio struggle for consistency.
The friendliness of Ducati’s 2025 factory-spec bike was one of the biggest talking points of last year’s campaign, due to the contrasting results it provided for the Italian constructor’s star-studded line-up.
Marc Marquez showcased his finest form on the prototype, returning to his former dominance and finally claiming a seventh world title in the premier class.
However, Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio struggled massively to replicate the results of the Spaniard.
Despite competing for a title in all four of his previous seasons at Borgo Panigale, Bagnaia was nowhere near Marquez for the majority of the year, ending the campaign down in fifth place, with almost half of the points tally that his counterpart had accrued.
- READ MORE: Marc Marquez gives his instant reaction after riding Ducati’s 2026 MotoGP bike for the first time
Why should Luigi Dall’Igna design a bike that suits anyone other than Marc Marquez?
Peter Bom saw all four Ducati riders ‘smiling’ after their first test with the new GP26 factory bike
During his recap of the first day of MotoGP’s 2026 pre-season test in Sepang, expert Peter Bom noted the ‘positive surprise’ that he saw in the press room from Ducati’s factory-supported riders after the day’s running concluded.
He said, “The positive surprise of the first day, which we can be sure of, and this is a big thing, the Ducati GP26 is a lot better than last year’s crappy GP25, which only Marc Marquez could master, and it was a disaster for everybody else.
“There are [four] GP26 riders and all of them came to us smiling all over the place because the bike is as good as a GP24 and it has some potential to become even better.
“So Ducati, as you could expect, came with a GP26 that is not so extreme and a very, very friendly bike.”
Marquez picked up where he left off on the first day of testing, setting the fastest time of the day with a lap that was only a hundredth of a second off pole position at last year’s edition of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Despite being seven tenths down from Marquez’s benchmark, Bagnaia highlighted how he found what he was ‘looking for’ on the GP26 following his disappointing campaign last season.
While it is obviously still early days to cement the Italian as a championship candidate, it certainly bodes well for him to offer a more competitive season in the upcoming term.
- READ MORE: What Marc Marquez told Ducati staff about his injury recovery just before the Sepang test
True or false? Ducati’s dominance will come to an end in 2026.
Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments!
Francesco Bagnaia’s future in MotoGP is yet to be decided
A better feeling on the Ducati’s new bike is more favourable for Bagnaia than it is for Marquez, given the Italian’s track record for the GP25 last year.
In fact, it is through the 2025-spec factory prototype that Bagnaia is currently looking at losing his place at Borgo Panigale.
Pedro Acosta is understood to have already finalised a deal with Ducati for 2027, so it remains to be seen how much time the two-time world champion actually has to prove to Davide Tardozzi and Luigi Dall’Igna that he is still capable of competing for the best team on the grid.
Bagnaia isn’t short of suitors if Ducati do pull the plug on his project, but he has stated multiple times in the past that he plans on retiring in Borgo Panigale, which highlights his infatuation for the team even in his lowest moments.
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