Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia has lost his signature strengths on Ducati’s bike, Valentino Rossi says. Bagnaia entered 2026 off the back of the toughest MotoGP season.
The two-time premier-class champion entered a tailspin last year that perplexed everyone at the team. Bagnaia said there were ‘too many voices’ at Ducati pitching their theories, which clouded his thinking.
He slipped to fifth in the championship, over 250 points behind Marc Marquez even though his teammate missed the last four races through injury. With more DNFs (nine) than Grand Prix podiums (eight), he was also beaten by Gresini’s Alex Marquez, Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi and KTM’s Pedro Acosta.
Did Francesco Bagnaia receive an unfair amount of criticism last season?
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Valentino Rossi breaks down Francesco Bagnaia’s problems at Ducati
Rossi discussed Bagnaia with his fellow MotoGP Hall of Famers in a video posted on the championship’s official YouTube channel. It’s worth noting that the conversation took place last autumn.
Still, Rossi’s perspective is valuable given that he acts as a mentor to Bagnaia, a graduate of the VR46 academy.
Last year, Rossi even sought a meeting with Bagnaia’s crew chief to try and work out why his form had nosedived.
Ultimately, he put the sudden decline down to ‘difficulties’ on corner entry and excessive tyre wear. Previously, Bagnaia was stronger than many of his rivals in these areas.
“Pecco is unfortunately a bit lost,” said Rossi. “Braking and entering, where he was so strong last season, now he has some difficulties.
“I think when Marquez arrives in the box and goes that fast, psychologically it’s not easy.
“He’s a very precise rider. Do you know what his biggest problem is? That his rear tyre drops a lot.
“During the last laps, Pecco is slower, and last season, he was very strong in the last laps. Last season, Pecco was the rider who arrived to the last laps with his tyres in a better condition, and during the last laps, he was faster than the others.”
Were Pecco Bagnaia’s MotoGP titles handed to him by Ducati?
Having outscored Bagnaia last season, Acosta is poised to take his Ducati seat for 2027. Luigi Dall’Igna has made a ruthless call on his team’s most successful rider.
Bagnaia is heading to Aprilia, where he will share a garage with another VR46 product in Marco Bezzecchi.
Livio Suppo, a decorated former MotoGP team boss, says Bagnaia must prove that he earned his titles, rather than relying on the dominance of Ducati’s bike.
That underlines how much the Italian’s reputation has been damaged in the past 12 months. He started the 2026 season poorly with a P9 in Thailand but, in mitigation, Ducati struggled across the board.
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