Francesco Bagnaia’s 2025 campaign was overshadowed by his championship win. Now, former MotoGP rider Marco Melandri has pointed to Marquez’s first test with Ducati as the reason for the two-time world champion’s downfall.
Although different figures in Borgo Pangale Mark Marquez Reaching out Ducati He didn’t get in the way. Francesco Bagnaia Progress, the results speak for themselves.
After being a title contender in all four of his campaigns with the factory Ducati team, Bagnaia was nowhere to be seen in the final season as Marquez laid down the gauntlet on the rest of the MotoGP grid.
The GP25 was understood to be the biggest thorn in the Italian rider’s side during his disastrous season, and Valentino Rossi’s assessment of his arch-nemesis didn’t help either..
- Read more: Luigi D’Aligna has revealed that Peco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez will ride ‘different bikes’ in 2026.
Did Francesco Bagnaia receive unfair criticism last season?
Let us know in the comments below!
Join the debate; Share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to make a comment
Marco Melandri thinks Francesco Bagnaia has created his own problems by comparing himself to Marc Marquez.
During the interview with Moto.itfive-time premier class grand prix winner Marco Melandri has fielded set-up questions based on Marx’s comments about how Bagnaia has caused his own problems in the 2025 campaign.
The Italian said: “I think the problem was that Bagnaia based everything on Márquez, he was always looking at Márquez.
“If you remember, after the first test in Malaysia in February, Peco was happy because the opinions were the same, the questions of the bike were the same, but Marquez never considered Peco.
“I’m at this point, I’m doing this, I’ve got to improve here, I’ve got to improve there,” he was just going his own way.
“When we got to Thailand for the tests, Marquez started to be fast, and Marquez always thinks only about his own way.
“It’s true, he looks at everyone’s information to understand but he didn’t say it. Instead, since Bagnaia announced Ducati, he’s always said it and compared himself to Marquez.
“In my opinion, this was a mistake because he didn’t think enough about his feelings.”
In the year Following the completion of his term in 2025, he left Marquez had delegated the development choices to Bagnaia. A new bike specification for Ducati, the GP26.
However, it has been suggested that the Italian constructor will not allow the 29-year-old to fully control the direction of the GP26, given Marquez’s ability at the helm.
Complete the sentence: In 2027, Francesco Bagnaia b…
Join the debate; Share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to make a comment
Gianluca Nannelli has highlighted Francesco Bagnaia’s biggest ‘mistake’ ahead of the 2025 MotoGP season.
In the same interview with Melandri, 2003 Italian Supersport Champion Gianluca Nanelli revealed what he felt was the #63’s biggest mistake in the 2025 pre-season.
He added: “For me, Peko’s biggest mistake was at the beginning of the season, because he was world champion for two years, he was second, and he attacked Marquez at the front.
This guy said ‘I’m your equal’ without thinking that eight world championships was enough.
“The error of judgment was Peko, not knowing how strong that guy who came to the garage was. Maybe he could have handled things differently, cooperated and immediately tried to keep some secrets or stay on that train.”
MotoGP fans felt they were. A spectacular title fight between Marquez and Bagnaia has taken place The Italian was unable to find his footing in GP25.
Bagnaia will have another chance this season, but his Ducati exit may already be sealed by his romance with Pedro Acosta at Borgo Panigale.
