Francesco Bagnaia explains why 2026 has been ‘better’ despite ‘different’ issues to dire 2025 season

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Francesco Bagnaia can see the positives from a tough start to the 2026 season, as he is confident that his situation at Ducati is better than 2025 despite struggling for form.

The two-time MotoGP champion endured a torrid time with the Desmosedici GP25 in 2025, as he fell away from four consecutive title fights to finishing just fifth in the riders’ standings. Such a fall from grace is even thought to have seen Ducati elect to replace Bagnaia for 2027.

It seemed after pre-season testing, particularly in Sepang, that Bagnaia could return to form in 2026, though. Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola suggested Ducati’s rivals could “go home” after seeing Bagnaia’s speed in testing, but the Italian has failed to turn that potential into results.

Bagnaia scored just 10 points across the opening two rounds of the 2026 MotoGP season in Thailand and Brazil. He arrived in America for this week’s United States Grand Prix only 13th in the standings, as well, while his Ducati teammate Marc Marquez ranks fifth on 34 points.

Francesco Bagnaia says 2026 has been ‘better’ than 2025 as he can improve on the GP26

Yet while Bagnaia recorded his seventh crash through the past nine rounds when he fell out of P11 in the Brazilian Grand Prix last week, the 28-year-old claims his “situation” in 2026 is actually “better” than 2025 as he feels able to improve on the Ducati GP26 over a weekend.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number

Bagnaia realised that he could have done more to adapt to the Ducati GP25 after the season finished, after he especially struggled to adapt to how the bike behaved under braking. Now, the issue is that Bagnaia does not understand why he struggles in races on the Ducati GP26.

“[The situation is] different, because last year it was always very difficult to stay consistent during the sessions, to work and improve throughout the session,” Bagnaia said, via quotes by Moto.it. “Now, I can improve during the session.

“I can feel the differences between the various set-ups. The problem is only in the race, where I struggle a lot. So, the situation is better, but we need to figure out what to do.”

Team manager Davide Tardozzi claimed after the Brazilian GP that Ducati have not yet given Bagnaia the “confidence he needs” on the GP26. The Turin native crashed during qualifying and also then in the Grand Prix in Brazil, where he only achieved P8 in the Sprint Race, too.

While Bagnaia now feels he can improve throughout a weekend, he did not show it in Brazil and will want to deliver in America this week. Bagnaia started out with P9 in FP1 in Goiania, P9 in pre-qualifying practice, P4 in FP2, P11 in Q2, P8 in the Sprint and crashed in the race.