Ducati chief Davide Tardozzi is adamant Marc Marquez was not the reason for Francesco Bagnaia’s regression at the Italian constructor, instead naming the Spaniard’s brother, Alex Marquez, as the catalyst.
After the heartbreak of losing out on the 2024 MotoGP title by just 10 points, Francesco Bagnaia had a year to forget in the ensuing season of racing in 2025. As Marc Marquez dominated the grid, the Italian simply failed to record a similar calibre of results.
MotoGP fans were thoroughly disappointed at the lack of competition that Bagnaia offered Marquez, with pre-season expectations suggesting that the two factory Ducati riders would produce an explosive spectacle for the 2025 crown.
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As the gap between Bagnaia and his high-flying teammate continued to grow throughout the year, many theorised that Ducati had favoured Marquez during the initial stages of their bike development.
However, Davide Tardozzi has now revealed that Bagnaia’s woes stemmed from him becoming too focused on Alex Marquez’s step up to championship contender during a recent interview on the Misterhelmet podcast.
Davide Tardozzi names Alex Marquez as the reason Francesco Bagnaia ‘lost his focus’
The Gresini ace was arguably one of the biggest surprises in 2025. After spending the majority of his premier class career up to then in the midfield, he immediately hit the ground running last year with three consecutive P2 finishes.
According to Tardozzi, Bagnaia couldn’t work out how the Cervera-born rider made such a step up, saying, “In my opinion, [Bagnaia] focused too much on Alex’s performance; he couldn’t understand how Alex could be so fast.
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Marc Marquez has dominated Francesco Bagnaia through the first 11/22 rounds
“I kept saying that, after all, Alex is a two-time world champion. Because he won a Moto3 world title and a Moto2 world title; besides, Alex’s track record speaks for itself. It took him a few years to win the Moto3 world title, and four to five years to win the Moto2 world title!
“He’s a diesel engine. It took him 4–5 years to really hit his stride in MotoGP, but when he got there, he was right up there at the top. So what I’m saying is, Alex isn’t rubbish; it’s just as you say, he’s a slow burner.
“Then when he gets there, he gets there and, if the conditions are right, he performs exceptionally well. So you have to give him his due: Alex Marquez is fast,” Tardozzi concluded.
- READ MORE: Francesco Bagnaia can get revenge on Luigi Dall’Igna’s ‘underwhelming’ remark with first win of 2026
Due to his impressive performances atop older-spec machinery last year, Marquez was rewarded with factory support from Ducati for this year’s campaign.
The Spaniard returned to the top step of the podium at Jerez in April, and was on course for another home victory at the Catalan Grand Prix before a horror crash saw him ruled out for three rounds of racing.
Davide Tardozzi also admitted that he is ‘afraid’ of Francesco Bagnaia’s move to Aprilia for 2027
Looking ahead, Bagnaia now has just 11 race weekends remaining as a factory Ducati rider. At the end of the term, he will be swapping Borgo Panigale for Noale as Bagnaia joins Marco Bezzecchi at Aprilia.
Despite admitting that Bagnaia has “lost his way”, Tardozzi is still confident that the Italian could burn his former team next year: “That said, I still think Pecco is a very fast rider; at the moment, he’s lost a bit of confidence in his bike.
“That said, it doesn’t mean he isn’t still a champion, or that he isn’t a very strong rider, and I’m definitely afraid of him on his new bike next year, so I reckon he’ll be one of the riders to watch.”
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