Marco Bezzecchi
Despite Marc Marquez’s injury issues in 2026, Francesco Bagnaia has continued to struggle in his attempts to replicate the reigning world champion’s pace on equal machinery.
Marc Marquez’s perfect weekend at Balaton Park last week further reinforced the notion that he is simply a cut above the rest of his rivals on the MotoGP grid.
Do you agree with Pedro Acosta’s verdict on Francesco Bagnaia losing to Marc Marquez at Ducati?
He was utterly dominant during the seventh round of the season, with his rumoured future teammate, Pedro Acosta, proving to be the only rider who could keep up with Marquez in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia still managed to score a third consecutive P3 finish in Hungary, but his pace was nowhere near as strong as the front two riders. He took the chequered flag some 11 seconds after his teammate.
While he has portrayed a more comfortable figure in 2026 compared to the height of his struggles last year, former MotoGP star Andrea Dovizioso is under the impression that #63 is still struggling to accept playing second-fiddle to his high-flying teammate.
- READ MORE: Jorge Lorenzo cannot imagine Ducati talking about Francesco Bagnaia like Aprilia do Jorge Martin
Andrea Dovizioso says Francesco Bagnaia ‘can’t accept’ he isn’t Ducati’s fastest rider anymore
Speaking via his official YouTube channel, the 15-time MotoGP Grand Prix winner voiced his thoughts on Bagnaia’s P3 finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix despite the obvious pace deficit to Marquez.
Here’s our rider ratings for the Hungarian Grand Prix! Which ones would you change?
He began by applauding the Italian rider’s performances, but highlighted how inconsistent he can usually be. “In my opinion, he’s absolutely brilliant – really brilliant when he’s on form, when he’s feeling it,” Dovizioso started.
“Above all, when he’s got a clear idea of what he wants to do, he can pull it off. Everything he’s done has always been clear. You could see he was well-organised, how he structured his sessions.
“In qualifying, in the race. He almost always had the situation under control, but since last year, certain things have changed.”
In the midst of Marquez’s dominance last year, Dovizioso detailed how Bagnaia’s ‘ego’ was ruined by the Spaniard’s ability to hop on Ducati’s factory bike and instantly find success with it. Atop identical machinery, Bagnaia endured a swathe of issues.
Having confidence in your own abilities is an integral part of being a premier class rider, and the Italian pundit believes that Bagnaia is still struggling to accept the fact that he is no longer Ducati’s fastest man.
- READ MORE: Luigi Dall’Igna saw ‘less than brilliant’ Francesco Bagnaia moment despite ‘morale-boosting’ podium
“It could be that in the years he won, he didn’t have many close battles, because when he won, he won because his strategy and speed made the difference,” he continued. “Perhaps this didn’t give him the chance to achieve much more, and gain more fans.
“That is the only thing that comes to mind, because his strength, his skill and his method is what it’s all about.
“I still see him, if I’m not mistaken, as a multiple world champion, but he just can’t accept that he’s no longer the fastest, which is something he’s never accepted in the past.”
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