Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia narrowly missed out on a third consecutive world title in 2024 to Jorge Martin, and former MotoGP team principal Livio Suppo thinks the loss continues to take ‘its toll’ on the Ducati rider.
Despite winning the majority of Grands Prix in 2024, Francesco Bagnaia ended the campaign with a 10-point deficit to eventual title-winner Jorge Martin. Following his championship feats in 2022 and 2023, it would have marked a third back-to-back title for the Italian.
However, consistency ended up being the deciding factor. Bagnaia registered just one more DNF than his Spanish title rival, and it had a swathe of consequences upon the chequered flag at the final round of the season.
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Bagnaia has been a shade of his former self since. After winning 11 of the 20 GPs that took place that year, the 29-year-old has won just two from his last 27 attempts.
Marc Marquez seemingly picked up where his Italian counterpart left off upon his arrival at Ducati last year, and dominantly asserted himself as Borgo Panigale’s lead rider.
Livio Suppo fears 2024 title loss has taken ‘its toll’ on Francesco Bagnaia
During a recent interview with Motosprint, former MotoGP team boss Livio Suppo shared his fears over Bagnaia potentially still carrying the weight of his title loss in 2024 with him.
He said, “Pecco is coming off a couple of years in which he won two world titles. He lost the 2024 World Championship despite having won far more races than the rider who actually won it, and in my view, that sort of thing really takes its toll.
How is Francesco Bagnaia’s downturn affecting his MotoGP legacy?
“Because the following year, you start out knowing you mustn’t make any silly mistakes because you won so much the year before. He took too many risks on the track and lost the world championship because of that, so, perhaps subconsciously, it cost him something.
“Then Marc’s season last year was devastating for anyone. He alternated between performances like those at Motegi or at the start of the season, because he was still riding very strongly, and others where he really seemed a bit lost.
“This year, however, he seems more on track, so I hope that, because he’s the one who brought the world championship back to Ducati after so many years, I hope that, given it’s now a foregone conclusion that he’s gone, he leaves them with fond memories.”
- READ MORE: MotoGP fans have never seen Pecco Bagnaia so angry as fan footage shows Le Mans crash reaction
Francesco Bagnaia is seeking MotoGP redemption at Aprilia in 2027
With 2026 currently shaping up to be a similar story for Bagnaia, his move to Aprilia for the 2027 MotoGP season appears to be his only hope of returning to full form.
The Noale-based manufacturer emerged as the best brand at the start of the current campaign, indicating that Bagnaia may have made the best decision in the rider market to gamble on a move to Ducati’s local rivals.
Of course, a brand new set of technical regulations for 2027 means Aprilia aren’t guaranteed to hit the ground running next year, but their improvements over the last 12 months suggest their current crop of engineering talent can ensure a competitive bike.
However, with Bagnaia currently in the midst of the worst form of his MotoGP career, it begs the question of whether Aprilia have gambled on striking a deal with him.
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