Why is Bagnaia’s season going so badly? (ad-free)
Added 2025-05-19 16:17:39 +0000 UTCMost people predicted that Marc Marquez’s arrival in the factory Ducati MotoGP team was going to be bad news for Pecco Bagnaia, but this bad?
Ducati’s lead title hope for the last four seasons (and twice world champion for it) hasn’t beaten his new team-mate in a straight fight at all yet or even looked like doing so.
Val Khorounzhiy and Matt Beer put Bagnaia’s disappointing 2025 form centre stage in the latest episode of The Race MotoGP Podcast.
Is Bagnaia tinkering with the ‘GP25-ish’ too much searching for something that will prove impossible to find and does he just need to get on with riding it?
Does Bagnaia now have to start thinking about a move away from Ducati?
And is Fermin Aldeguer already poised to take his place? We let long-time Aldeguer advocate Val go suitably nuts about the Gresini rookie’s rise as he starts to prove Ducati right for committing to him so early.
Comments
Val pitches it every winter and by the time he's managed to explain it to me in a way I understand, the next season seems to have started - Matt
Matt
2025-05-21 05:42:44 +0000 UTCWait we’ve been missing out on a draft episode??
Annie
2025-05-20 22:05:59 +0000 UTCI do whole heartedly agree the grid are seeing a fully fit Marc The only one who probably knows just how good he is, is the rider who has spent his whole life as #2
Amanda Kirchner
2025-05-20 19:08:13 +0000 UTCI’ve no idea why people are surprised by both Marc’s and Pecco’s current form and championship placings. Marc really is that good, anyone that watched him race through the 2010’s will understand. Until he’s on a bike that’s only function is out right murder, Marc can and will win on anything. Don’t get me wrong, Marc will crash more on a poorer bike because he’ll be pushing that much harder. Pecco hasn’t been up against a fully fit MM93 on a semi competitive bike. Now’s Pecco’s finding out and it shows clearly in his comments and his behaviours towards Marc. Pecco is almost in awe of Marc, he’s not putting up any fight in interviews. Statements like ‘Marc could win on a tractor’ or ‘Marc’s quick and tried to follow him to see where I can get better’. Pecco is a very good rider but he is the new Pedrosa. He’s there to sit in 2nd or 3rd and pick up podiums and occasionally wins. Ducati will not want to disrupt that team. Pecco is a wingman now.
Stuart Edwards
2025-05-20 18:19:07 +0000 UTC
