Marco Bezzecchi
Danilo Petrucci does not like that Ducati appear to have “sidelined” Francesco Bagnaia in 2026, as the team no longer seem to want to help the two-time MotoGP champion.
Bagnaia entered the 2026 MotoGP season looking confident after enjoying a strong showing during pre-season testing, particularly in Sepang. But the hope the Italian held before racing resumed has already disappeared after underwhelming performances in Thailand and Brazil.
The 29-year-old started the season as he did not mean to go on by failing to get out of Q1 in qualifying for the Thailand Grand Prix, which he turned into a P9 finish. A three-week break did not help, either, as he crashed in qualifying and in the Brazilian Grand Prix last weekend.
Bagnaia crashed during his first Q2 run in Brazil and ultimately only qualified in P11, despite returning to the circuit. A P8 finish in the Sprint in Goiania would also only precede Bagnaia crashing out of P11 in the Brazilian GP, for his seventh retirement over the past nine rounds.
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Danilo Petrucci does not like that Francesco Bagnaia seems ‘sidelined’ at Ducati in 2026
Bagnaia does not understand why he struggles in the races on Ducati’s GP26 bike, as he felt comfortable in practice in Brazil yet had no pace in the Sprint or Grand Prix. Davide Tardozzi admits that Ducati have not been able to help Bagnaia find his confidence on the GP26, too.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Former Ducati MotoGP racer Petrucci finds Bagnaia’s situation in Borgo Panigale “very sad”, as it seems to him that the Bologna Bullets have already given up on the Turin native. It has been said since December that Ducati have already decided to replace Bagnaia after 2026.
Petrucci told MOW: “Let’s just say that from the outside, it seems like Bagnaia isn’t even a topic anymore. And that honestly makes me very sad.
“I don’t know if they’ve already gone their separate ways. But having led Ducati to world championships and races, and now being sidelined a bit, doesn’t really make me happy.
“I don’t know what’s behind it, but last year they were at least trying to figure out what to do to solve the problems. This year, it seems to me that it’s not even a topic of discussion anymore. They’ve probably already made different choices, I don’t know.”
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Bagnaia is out of contract at Ducati after the 2026 MotoGP season and he is widely thought to be heading to Aprilia in 2027, as KTM rival Pedro Acosta is expected to take over his ride. Ducati saw Bagnaia finishing fifth in the 2025 standings as the last straw for his future there.
No moves have yet been finalised amid the reports that Bagnaia will sign a four-year deal to join Aprilia ahead of Ducati signing Acosta on a two-year contract from 2027. But Bagnaia’s expected departure has set up an awkward farewell tour for the Italian with Ducati in 2026.
The Ducati GP26 is also clearly capable of more than Bagnaia managed across the Thailand GP and Brazilian GP. Ducati teammate Marc Marquez finished P2 in the Buriram Sprint, was in the Thailand GP podium fight before his puncture and also won the Sprint Race in Brazil.
Also, VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio fought Marquez for the victory in the Goiania Sprint and then won the Brazilian GP aboard the same Ducati GP26 as the Spaniard and Bagnaia. Gresini ace Alex Marquez also finished P6 in the Brazilian GP aboard his factory-spec GP26.
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