Francesco Bagnaia admits he has “struggled” a lot on the Ducati GP26, but is unsure why the issues only develop during races and not in practice.
The 29-year-old has had a rough start to 2026 MotoGP season And after the first two events, he was ranked 13th in the riders’ standings. Bagnaya Boasting just 10 points after trips to Thailand and Brazil, he has yet to finish higher than P8 at the Goiania Sprint.
Bagnaya finished ninth in the Buriram Sprint. Grand Prix of Thailand But to start the season, he fell inside Brazilian Grand Prix Last Sunday. of Ducati The rider dropped from P11 on lap 11 to chase down LCR Honda rider Yohan Zarco, finishing the race in ninth.
The manager of the team, David Tardozzi, admitted Ducati has yet to give Bagnaia “the confidence he needs”. On the GP26. The bike has plenty more ability as team-mate Marc Marquez sealed P3 in the Grand Prix ahead of the Goiania Sprint ahead of VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio.
Francesco Bagnaia has completed just two of his last nine Grands Prix – how many D’s will he record in 2026?
Francesco Bagnaia finds it ‘strange’ to struggle during races on the Ducati GP26.
in addition, Bagnaia crashed during qualifying for the Brazilian GP.The two-time MotoGP champion is on the back foot, having to start both races from P11 on the grid. He crashed early in Q2 and was unable to post a fast lap time, although he later returned to the track.
Read more: Everything you need to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to seed number
His exit from the Brazilian GP left Bagnaya with more questions than answers, and he felt comfortable aboard the Ducati GP26 during practice and even in the morning warm-up last Sunday. Now he is curious as to why he struggles so much during the race.
Bagnaia is listed, through quotes The competition: “From the beginning of the season – testing and here, outside the competition – I always had a good feeling. I need to understand more, and I need to improve myself.
“FP2 I was at the front[of the group]this morning (in the heats) I was at the front. I just made a mistake in qualifying, but the pace was good. It’s amazing that I struggled yesterday in the race like today. I just have to improve.
“(It) seems we struggle a lot to stop the bike and have a normal cornering speed, and also the rear grip, it’s not very stable. In (practice) sessions, yes, I feel very good (with the Ducati GP26). In the races, no.
Marco Bezecchi is on top after two rounds 👀 but will he still be on top at the end of the season? 🤔
Let us know in the comments below!
Bagnaia struggled with the Ducati GP25 throughout the 2025 MotoGP season as he was not used to how last year’s bike was braking. It was at one level. Ducati’s front fork has ruined Bagnaya’s confidence in the 2025.Being shorter than the one on the GP24.
It was suggested during the campaign Ducati’s 2025 ride height kit was a big problem for Bagnaia.How the bike performs under braking has changed. Now, while the Italian is more comfortable during testing with GP26, he is struggling again.
All of the problems from last season finally showed up. Bagnaia admitted that he did not feel “very good” about the 2025 season After realizing that he could do more to adapt to the GP25. It remains to be seen whether Bagnaia will tweak and make the GP26 work in the races.
Receive competition news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
