Francesco Bagnaia can see the positives from a strong start to the 2026 season, as he is confident that the situation at Ducati will be better than in 2025, despite a struggle for form.
Two-time MotoGP champion Desmosedici had a torrid time in 2025 with GP25, finishing fifth in the riders’ standings, missing four successive title fights. Such a fall from grace is thought to have occurred. Ducati Choose to replace Bagnaya For 2027.
However, after pre-season testing, particularly in Sepang, it looks like Bagnaya could return to form in 2026. Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola suggested that Ducati’s rivals might “go home” after seeing Bagania’s pace. But on trial, the Italian could not turn that potential into results.
Bagnaia scored only 10 points in the opening two rounds of 2026 MotoGP season in Thailand and Brazil. He enters this week’s United States Grand Prix in just 13th place in the standings: his Ducati team-mate Marc Marquez is fifth with 34 points.
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Francesco Bagnaia says 2026 is ‘better’ than 2025 as he can improve on GP26.
However, with Bagnaia dropping from P11 at last week’s Brazilian Grand Prix to record his seventh crash in the last nine rounds, the 28-year-old feels he can improve on the Ducati GP26 at the weekend, saying the “situation” in 2026 is “better” than 2025.
Read more: Everything you need to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to seed number
Bagnaia realized that he could do more to adapt to the Ducati GP25 Especially after the end of the season when the bike struggled to adapt to how the braking works. Now that is the case. Bagnaya doesn’t understand why he is fighting racially. On the Ducati GP26.
“(The situation) is different, because last year it was always very difficult to stay consistent in the sessions, work in the session and improve,” Bagnaia said, via quotes. Moto.it. “Now I can improve during the session.
“I can feel the difference between the different formations, the problem is only in the race, where you struggle a lot. So the situation is better, but we have to know what to do.”
Team manager David Tardozzi said after the Brazilian GP. Ducati has yet to give Bagnaia “the confidence he needs”. On the GP26. The native of Turin crashed during qualifying and then at the Brazilian Grand Prix, where he only managed P8 in the sprint race.
While Bagnaia now feels he can improve throughout the weekend, he didn’t show it in Brazil and will be looking to deliver this week in America. Bagnaia finished P9 in FP1 in Goiania, P9 in pre-qualifying practice, P4 in FP2, P11 in Q2, P8 in Sprint and crashed the race.
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