Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia admits that he is “struggling” a lot aboard the Ducati GP26, but he is not sure why his issues only appear to develop during the races and not in practice.
The 29-year-old has endured a difficult start to the 2026 MotoGP season and ranks just 13th in the riders’ standings after the first two events. Bagnaia boasts a mere 10 points after trips to Thailand and Brazil, having not yet finished a race higher than his P8 in the Goiania Sprint.
Bagnaia finished ninth in the Buriram Sprint and the Thailand Grand Prix to start the season, but he crashed out of the Brazilian Grand Prix last Sunday. The Ducati rider fell out of P11 on Lap 11 whilst chasing LCR Honda rider Johann Zarco, who went on to finish the race in ninth.
Team manager Davide Tardozzi concedes Ducati have not yet given Bagnaia the “confidence he needs” on the GP26. The bike is capable of a lot more, as teammate Marc Marquez won the Goiania Sprint ahead of VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio, who sealed P3 in the Grand Prix.
Francesco Bagnaia has only finished two of the past nine Grands Prix – How many DNFs will he record in 2026?
Francesco Bagnaia finds it ‘strange’ that he only struggles on the Ducati GP26 during the races
Additionally, Bagnaia crashed during qualifying for the Brazilian GP, which put the two-time MotoGP champion on the back foot having to start both races from P11 on the grid. He fell early on during Q2 and failed to post a fast lap time, despite returning to the track later on.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Crashing out of the Brazilian GP has left Bagnaia with more questions than answers, as well, as he had felt comfortable aboard the Ducati GP26 during practice and even in the morning warm-up last Sunday. Now, he is eager to know why he struggles so much during the races.
Bagnaia outlined, via quotes by The Race: “From the start of the season – testing and here, apart from the races – I was always having a good feeling. I need to understand more, and I need to improve myself.
“FP2 I was in the front [group], this morning [in the warm-up] I was in the front. I just made a mistake in qualifying, but the pace was good. Strange that then in the race I was struggling like this yesterday, like this today. I just need to improve.
“[It] looks like we are struggling quite a lot to stop the bike and have a normal corner speed, and then also the rear grip, it’s not very constant. During the [practice] sessions, yes, I feel much better [with the Ducati GP26]. In the races, no.”
Marco Bezzecchi on top after two rounds 👀 Will he still be at the top by the end of the season, though? 🤔
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Bagnaia struggled throughout the 2025 MotoGP season with the Ducati GP25 as he did not adapt to how last year’s bike behaved under braking. It was said at one stage that Ducati’s front fork ruined Bagnaia’s confidence in 2025, as it was shorter than the one on the GP24.
It was also suggested throughout the campaign that Ducati’s 2025 ride height device was a major problem for Bagnaia, as it changed how the bike behaved under braking. Now, while the Italian was more comfortable during testing with the GP26, he is struggling once again.
All of the problems that arose last season ultimately saw Bagnaia admit he did not feel “very good” about his 2025 season after he realised that he could have done more to adapt to the GP25. It remains to be seen whether Bagnaia adjusts and makes the GP26 work in the races.
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