Francesco Bagnaia has his sights set on building momentum heading into the Qatar MotoGP, following a critical and confidence-boosting win at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). After being overshadowed in the opening rounds by the Marquez brothers—especially Alex Marquez’s string of second-place finishes—Bagnaia finally responded with a performance that reminded the paddock why he’s the reigning world champion.
The turning point came during the COTA Grand Prix when Bagnaia made a decisive overtake on Alex Marquez on lap four. From that point forward, the Italian looked in full control. The drama heightened when Marc Marquez, who had taken the lead early on, crashed after clipping a kerb, eliminating one of Bagnaia’s fiercest challengers and opening the path for Ducati’s star rider to seal his first win of the 2025 season.
That result tightened the points gap in the championship standings and sparked a new wave of confidence for Bagnaia, who spoke positively about improvements made to his Desmosedici GP—especially in terms of corner entry, a key performance factor.
Speaking ahead of the Qatar GP, Bagnaia acknowledged the upcoming challenge while expressing optimism:
“Getting back to work on track after a win is always a good feeling. The ending in Austin was amazing, and I was pleased with the progress we made in terms of riding feel compared to previous rounds. There’s still plenty of work to be done, but this track [Losail] is well known for highlighting the strengths and full potential of our Desmosedici GP.”
Historically, Qatar has been a strong hunting ground for Ducati. The Italian manufacturer has claimed victory in the last five MotoGP races held at the venue, with different riders showcasing the bike’s strength: Enea Bastianini in 2022, Jorge Martin in the 2023 Sprint, Fabio di Giannantonio in the 2023 Grand Prix, Martin again in the 2024 Sprint, and finally Bagnaia himself in the 2024 full race.
Despite the recent pressure from the Marquez brothers and other Ducati satellite teams like Gresini and VR46, Bagnaia seems determined to reassert his dominance. Whether Marc Marquez’s COTA crash was a rare misstep or a sign of shifting dynamics in the title race remains to be seen. What is certain is that all eyes will be on the reigning champion as he looks to build on his recent success and turn one strong result into a championship resurgence under the lights in Qatar.
