Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali is confident that Pecco Bagnaia will soon turn his MotoGP 2025 season around, predicting a stronger performance from the Qatar Grand Prix onwards. The double world champion has faced a challenging start to the season, struggling to match the pace of his new teammate Marc Marquez, who has dominated the opening rounds. Marquez has won both the sprints and grands prix in Thailand and Argentina, while Bagnaia has finished third and fourth without ever appearing to be a serious contender for victory.
Despite Bagnaia’s difficulties, Domenicali remains optimistic that better results are coming. Speaking at a recent Ducati event, he acknowledged that the opening two races were not ideal for Bagnaia and highlighted issues during winter testing that affected his performance. Domenicali expressed confidence that Bagnaia’s true potential will emerge in the coming rounds, even though the upcoming Americas GP at the Circuit of the Americas is expected to favour Marquez. However, he believes that from Qatar onwards, Bagnaia will be in a position to fight at the front again.
Bagnaia has been vocal about his struggles with the Ducati GP25, even considering reverting to last year’s GP24 in a bid to regain his form. Meanwhile, Marquez’s seamless adaptation to the Desmosedici has intensified the pressure. With his back-to-back wins and commanding performances, Marquez has already built a 31-point lead over Bagnaia in the championship standings.
The Circuit of the Americas, where the next round takes place, is known to be a strong track for Marquez, leaving Bagnaia with an uphill battle. However, Ducati is pinning their hopes on a turnaround in Qatar, a venue where Bagnaia has shown both promise and inconsistency. While he won the Qatar Grand Prix last season and finished second the year before, his previous visits have been less successful, including a retirement in 2022 following a collision with Jorge Martin.
Despite the tough start, Bagnaia’s results this season show a level of consistency that he has not previously achieved in the sprint era. His third and fourth-place finishes mark the first time he has avoided a non-score in the opening two rounds and represent his best start to a season since 2021. With Ducati’s support and the belief that his true form is yet to emerge, Bagnaia could soon begin to mount a serious challenge against Marquez as the season progresses.
