Marco Bezzecchi
Mat Oxley thinks Francesco Bagnaia might have dropped a hint at the Thailand Grand Prix that Ducati have replicated some characteristics from their 2024 engine in 2026.
Ducati are subject to MotoGP’s freeze on engine development this year, as the series strives to cut costs in the final season of the 1,000cc era. But general manager Luigi Dall’Igna made sure to stress at Ducati’s 2026 bike launch that they could modify some engine components.
While the engine freeze prevented Ducati from introducing an entirely new unit this term, it does not prevent the Bologna Bullets from developing parts like their air intake and exhaust. Ducati might only be able to improve a few aspects, but they can yield a lot of performance.
And Oxley feels Bagnaia might have hinted at what effect Ducati’s engine development had on his GP26 at the Thailand GP, despite the two-time MotoGP champion failing to meet the expectations on his shoulders after showing promising race pace during pre-season testing.
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Francesco Bagnaia’s comments in Thailand suggest Ducati have replicated the GP24’s ‘friendlier’ engine
Oxley expected to see more from Bagnaia in Buriram than a pair of disappointing P9 finishes in the Sprint Race and Thailand GP from P13 on the grid. Bagnaia failed to progress from Q1 in Buriram, where he struggled more than any Ducati rider with Michelin’s hard tyre casing.
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But despite Bagnaia’s results, the 29-year-old said the GP26 is a better bike than the GP25 he only secured fifth place in the 2025 riders’ standings with, as it is more stable. And Oxley thinks Bagnaia’s claims suggest Ducati have replicated the GP24’s “friendlier” engine traits.
“Pecco Bagnaia had every reason to expect a great Thai Grand Prix,” Oxley told Motor Sport Magazine. “His Sprint simulations at the Sepang and Buriram tests were very fast, but it didn’t work out like that.
“’There’s less grip than at the tests, so Aprilia and KTM have the advantage in braking and entry’, he said.
“But Bagnaia still believes the GP26 is better than the GP25. ‘In braking and entry, you can brake later and stop [the] bike earlier. So, it’s a good improvement for me… more stability’.
“Does this suggest the friendlier inertia/engine-braking character of the GP24 engine?”
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Bagnaia struggled to adapt to the engine braking generated with Ducati’s GP25 unit, despite the Borgo Panigale outfit claiming throughout 2025 that the engine was largely the same as the GP24. The tweaks may have been small, but they were able to disrupt Bagnaia’s feeling.
So, after winning 11 of the 20 Grands Prix in 2024 en route to missing out on the riders’ title by 10 points to Jorge Martin on a satellite GP24 for Pramac, Bagnaia only managed two wins from the 22 Grands Prix in 2025. He also only reached eight podiums after taking 16 in 2024.
Only Bagnaia’s 2025 Japanese Grand Prix win was also truly on merit, as well as securing the Sprint victory at Motegi last September. Bagnaia won the 2025 Americas Grand Prix after his Ducati teammate Marc Marquez crashed from the lead while more than two seconds ahead.
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