A potential explanation for Pecco Bagnaia’s troubled start on the 2025 Ducati GP25 has surfaced, as discussed on the Crash MotoGP podcast.
Bagnaia, who narrowly missed the championship last year, has been vocal about a lack of front-end feeling on the new bike. He currently trails Ducati teammate and title leader Marc Marquez by 51 points and is also behind Gresini’s Alex Marquez, who rides a year-old GP24.
The theory suggests that Ducati’s rider lineup changes over the winter may have impacted development. Peter McLaren pointed out that with the departures of Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini, Bagnaia is now the only rider to have transitioned from the GP24 to the GP25.
“Marc and Diggia came from the 2023 bike, which was more difficult to ride,” McLaren noted. “For them, the GP25 is a step forward. But for Pecco, the change hasn’t brought the same improvement.”
He further emphasized that Marc Marquez is an outlier in terms of adaptability:
“Marc is Marc… just like how you couldn’t compare other riders to Casey Stoner, you can’t base the Ducati’s development solely on what Marc can do.”
There’s also concern about the GP25’s engine. Ducati has reportedly shifted to a hybrid version of the power unit, which can’t be altered mid-season due to engine freeze regulations. Team boss Davide Tardozzi confirmed the engine difference from last year’s GP24, adding to the uncertainty.
Bagnaia’s Le Mans weekend was a disaster, crashing out in both the sprint and the grand prix. His post-race comments hinted at a growing frustration: “I’ve got to change because they can’t change the bike.”
Front-end issues are not exclusive to Bagnaia. Fabio di Giannantonio, also on the GP25, has expressed similar concerns. Still, it wasn’t until his crash in the sprint race that the severity of the problem became undeniable.
With all three GP24 riders having scored podiums this season, the contrast is becoming clearer. Pecco is now left to study his own 2024 data, compare it to the consistently competitive GP24s, and search for answers.
