Francesco Bagnaia’s difficult run in MotoGP has taken another turn, with the Ducati rider admitting that he and his team still cannot explain why his GP26 is performing so differently from other bikes in the manufacturer’s lineup.
The reigning champion has endured a disastrous stretch since the summer break, failing to score a single point and crashing out of three consecutive Sunday races. His latest setback came at the San Marino Grand Prix, where a disappointing weekend at his home circuit highlighted the growing problems surrounding his Ducati.
Bagnaia’s struggles appear to go beyond a simple loss of form. The Italian has pointed to major differences in braking and acceleration compared with other Ducati machines, while persistent rear-grip problems have made it difficult for him to ride with confidence.
Despite efforts from both the rider and his team, the source of the problem remains unclear. Bagnaia described his bike as behaving “very, very differently” from its counterparts, leaving the Ducati garage without a clear explanation for the performance gap.
Source: Crash.net
Misano was expected to offer Bagnaia an opportunity to recover. The circuit has been a successful venue for the two-time MotoGP champion, who has claimed three victories there. Instead, the weekend quickly turned into another disappointment.
Bagnaia was around half a second slower in qualifying than his best time from the previous year before finishing 17th in the Sprint. His main race ended on Lap 5 when he crashed from ninth position, adding to his difficult run since the summer break.
The result was particularly painful in front of his home crowd, with Bagnaia admitting that he felt “humiliated” by the experience.
Speaking about his difficulties, Bagnaia explained that he has struggled to maintain control of the bike, especially when dealing with rear-grip issues. He referred to footage showing his Ducati losing its rear at Turn 14 without any apparent input from him, highlighting how unpredictable the machine has become.
“Things are happening that I can't control,” Bagnaia said, while admitting that both he and his team remain “without any answers.”
The comments underline the scale of the challenge facing the Ducati factory team as it attempts to identify why Bagnaia’s bike is not delivering the same performance as other machines.
With solutions still out of reach, Bagnaia acknowledged that the team may need to reset its expectations. He suggested that their current performance could be enough for only a ninth- or 10th-place finish, making it necessary to rebuild from that level.
For a rider accustomed to fighting at the front, the situation represents a major setback. Ducati must now work to understand the problems affecting its reigning champion, while Bagnaia looks to regain confidence in a bike he currently finds increasingly difficult to predict.
