Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia believes Ducati are “going around in circles” trying to improve the electronics on the GP26, but they may have finally found a solution at the Jerez test.
Ducati did not set the pace during the first in-season test of the year at Jerez this Monday as Aprilia locked out the top three – led by the Trackhouse pilots, Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez. Marc Marquez was the lead Ducati rider in fourth place with a 0.333s deficit to Ogura’s time.
Bagnaia only set the ninth-fastest lap on his GP26 with a 0.727s deficit to Ogura’s effort. But the two-time MotoGP champion was generally pleased with his improvements, with Ducati’s latest aerodynamic package helping him carry more speed through the corners than before.
Ducati’s electronics are another problem, however, as Bagnaia is not fully convinced that the Borgo Panigale crew have found the solution for his biggest problem so far this year. Bagnaia is only ninth in the 2026 riders’ standings, after his second non-score of the season in Spain.
Davide Tardozzi thinks Marc Marquez is happier with Ducati’s development than Francesco Bagnaia – Are Ducati doing enough to help Pecco?
Francesco Bagnaia feels Ducati are ‘going around in circles’ to improve their electronics
Bagnaia has lacked a positive feeling on the Ducati GP26 so far this year, leading to him only finishing ninth in the Thailand GP, crashing in Brazil and coming 10th in the United States GP. A technical issue forced Bagnaia to retire from the Spanish GP while he was only running P9.
READ MORE: Spanish Grand Prix results as Alex Marquez wins after Marc Marquez’s crash
Monday’s test at Jerez was thus vital for Bagnaia to find a better feeling on the GP26, which he thinks Ducati’s aero upgrades helped him to get. But Ducati still need to check their data to see whether they have finally got a better setting for Bagnaia’s electronics under braking.
“Testing is almost always very important, especially in the situation we’re in now,” Bagnaia said, via Motorsport.com. “We tried different aerodynamic solutions and some electronics.
“I’m happy with the aerodynamics, so I hope they can bring it to us as soon as possible. It helped me a lot, especially in carrying speed through the corners without losing the line.
“The electronics part, on the other hand, is a bit more complicated, because we’re going around in circles a bit. But today, we did a test that probably led us towards improvement.
“Now, they’ll analyse everything to ensure that at Le Mans we can have something that can help me more in stopping the bike and entering corners, which remains the most complicated thing for me.
“For me, it was an important test – especially because we saw improvements after a long time of being pretty inactive. With the pace and the tyres we had, I think we were fast.”
Bagnaia has often struggled with braking when it matters most during the early stages of the 2026 MotoGP season, and his issues also continued during the Jerez test. The 29-year-old largely struggles the most in the heaviest braking zones, such as the hairpin Turn 6 at Jerez.
Marc Marquez agrees with Pecco Bagnaia that Ducati’s aero upgrades at Jerez have ‘helped’
Have Aprilia proven they are still the team to beat despite Alex Marquez winning the Spanish GP on a Ducati? 🤔
Aprilia's bikes locked out the top three in MotoGP's test at Jerez 💨
Marquez shared Bagnaia’s positivity about Ducati’s aero updates after the Jerez test, as the seven-time MotoGP champion believes their new parts have also helped him to improve his feeling for the front end on the bike. He also found improving his pace easy once he pushed.
Marquez said, via Motorsport.com: “It was important to try and regain the feeling with the front tyre, which is what has caused us the most problems this year. We’ve made some progress, and the aerodynamics have also helped me when riding.
“To know if things are working, lapping in the 1:37s doesn’t tell you anything. And when I wanted to test things in the best way, I got down to 1:36s. I was in the high 1:37s all day, but when it came time to make decisions, I pushed.”
Motorsport.com notes that Ducati used a new aerodynamic fairing during the Jerez test this Monday, as well as a new rear swingarm. Ducati’s latest swingarm features a combination of a metal section with a carbon fibre fairing, which contributed to their two riders’ positivity.
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