Francesco Bagnaia agrees with Jorge Lorenzo’s belief that a MotoGP rider is ultimately judged on their most recent results, even if that perception leaves him slightly undervalued heading into the 2027 rider market.
The two-time world champion and 2024 title runner-up endured his most challenging season since joining the factory Ducati squad, as he struggled to consistently unlock performance from the GP25.
While new team-mate Marc Marquez surged to the world championship, Bagnaia’s campaign was marked by inconsistency. He managed three race wins in the final 14 rounds but scored points only once outside of those victories, dropping to fifth overall in the standings.
Signs of a rebound emerged at the recent Sepang MotoGP test, where Bagnaia appeared far more at ease on Ducati’s revised GP26. In one Sprint simulation, he set a quicker pace than Marc Marquez and was only marginally slower than Alex Marquez, underlining his renewed confidence on the bike.
Despite this, uncertainty remains around his long-term future. KTM prodigy Pedro Acosta has been strongly linked with a potential move to the Ducati factory team for the 850cc era, raising questions over whether Bagnaia will have enough time to fully demonstrate that his 2025 struggles were an exception rather than the norm.
