Marco Bezzecchi
Alex Criville believes that Ducati are in trouble in MotoGP as they cannot figure out which of their bikes is ‘the best’ on the grid.
Ducati have dominated the sport since the turn of the decade, but while they did clinch every championship in 2025, last year raised some problems. It was clear that the GP25 was a regression from the GP24.
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The 2024 Desmosedici was arguably the best MotoGP bike ever made, winning 16 out of 20 races. However, the 2025 machine created issues for the riders, besides Marc Marquez, who managed to ride around them.
Pecco Bagnaia constantly complained about a lack of feeling for the bike, as did Fabio Di Giannantonio, while the GP24 riders appeared much more comfortable. Franco Morbidelli is now facing Bagnaia’s issues as he struggles on the GP25 this season.
Alex Criville worries Ducati no longer know what their ‘best’ MotoGP bike is
It has proved difficult for Ducati to replicate the success that they had with the GP24 with their latest bikes. In 2026, Alex Marquez secured their first win of the season at Jerez, with Aprilia now proving to be the class of the field.
Marc Marquez has not scored a podium on Sunday so far this year as he struggles with his physical fitness. But Criville has also pointed at Ducati for his problems, as they are no longer as consistent and are in crisis with their bikes.
He said via Mundo Deportivo: “Marc Márquez is struggling. It’s clear he has a physical limitation that prevents him from feeling completely comfortable, so we’ll see if he regains his feel for the bike, more mobility, and more strength in that limb.
“Add to that the fact that he barely had any preseason testing, that the Ducati no longer has the same consistency as before, and that doubts are arising about which version of the bike is the best.”
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Alex Marquez says all Ducati riders have the same problems with the GP26, especially on corner entry, due to how the bike behaves.
Ducati’s development has clearly regressed since the GP24, and it begs the question of whether they should go back to the bike’s foundations, given how dominant it was.
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Even Bagnaia claimed he would win races on the GP24 in 2026 as he continues to struggle to find a feeling for the GP26. Marc Marquez, and any Ducati rider for that matter, could go back to the bike if they so wished.
However, Marc Marquez insists the GP26 is better than the GP24, as Alex Marquez’s victory at Jerez proved. The Gresini rider was seven seconds quicker in his win in 2026 than he was last year, and his brother wants to move forward, not backwards, with development.
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