Pecco Bagnaia reveals a small detail to address the confidence issue at the front of the Ducati MotoGP 2025 in the UK.

Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia is facing fresh adversity in the 2025 MotoGP season, as the reigning world champion continues to wrestle with confidence issues on the new Ducati MotoGP bike. Despite some late progress at the British Grand Prix, Bagnaia admits the 2025 machine is fundamentally out of sync with his natural riding style.

With increasing pressure from rivals like Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez, the Ducati Lenovo Team’s golden boy finds himself in an unexpected position—playing catch-up with his own motorcycle.

A Small Breakthrough at Silverstone

Bagnaia’s performance at the British MotoGP Practice offered a glimmer of hope. In the final moments of the Friday afternoon session, the Italian ace discovered what he described as a “small detail” that began to restore some confidence in the front end of his Ducati.

“Finally, for the first time, in the last part of the session, we found something that worked in the front,” Bagnaia said after Practice. “It’s a small detail which made a little difference. It gave me a little more confidence. Tomorrow, we will try to go in that direction.”

While this incremental step was positive, it didn’t mask the broader issue: Bagnaia is still not comfortable on the 2025-spec Ducati GP25, and the problem lies not just in setup but in the bike’s core design philosophy.

The 2025 Ducati: Brilliant Yet Alien

Throughout the session at Silverstone, Bagnaia tested two completely different setups, including one identical to his victorious 2024 configuration. Shockingly, neither provided the front-end feel he expected.

“Two completely different set-ups gave me the same feeling in the front,” he explained. “The other set-up was exactly the same from last year’s race. But it didn’t work. I was a bit ashamed because I wanted the feeling but it didn’t work.”

This has led Bagnaia to a critical realization: the 2025 Ducati GP25 may simply not suit his riding style.

“It’s strange because I cannot feel the front. We need to enter the corner fast but we cannot do the same as last year with the brake,” he said. “We need to release it much before. It is completely different to my riding style.”

Bagnaia’s Signature Style is Under Threat

Bagnaia is renowned for his aggressive corner entry, combining heavy braking with deep lean angles—a style that has brought him multiple MotoGP victories and world titles. But the GP25’s new geometry and braking dynamics appear to be clashing with that approach.

“I always enter with more lean angle and brake. Now, I cannot,” he admitted with frustration.

This isn’t just a minor adjustment. It’s a fundamental departure from the riding behavior Bagnaia has honed over the years. And it’s not just the frame or geometry—even tyre compatibility is working against him.

Tyre Frustrations Compound the Problem

The front tyre allocation for 2025 has changed, further complicating Bagnaia’s efforts to dial in the GP25.

“Last season, we did the whole weekend with the medium front. This year the medium front is tough to use, with a lack of grip,” he said.

Curiously, Alex Marquez, who’s riding the 2024 Ducati GP24, is still able to effectively use the medium front tyre that Bagnaia favored last season. This has become a source of both confusion and inspiration for the factory Ducati rider.

“The only ones who used the medium front for the time attack were the GP24s. We need to understand what Alex Marquez is doing because he is much stronger than everybody else, and copy.”

Marc Marquez vs. Pecco Bagnaia: Different Struggles

While Bagnaia struggles with the GP25’s front end, he made sure to clarify that his issue is not similar to Marc Marquez’s challenges. The eight-time world champion has faced his own learning curve adapting to Ducati machinery after years on Honda, but Bagnaia’s situation is more technical than transitional.

“It’s not what has happened to Marc,” Bagnaia said, distancing his predicament from that of his championship rival.

Nonetheless, the performance gap between the Marquez brothers and Bagnaia at this stage of the season is a worrying trend. While Marc is inching closer to the front and Alex is thriving on the GP24, Bagnaia is still looking for answers.

Ducati’s Development Dilemma

The core issue may lie in Ducati’s aggressive evolution strategy. The 2025 GP25 is a radical departure from its predecessor, designed for more straight-line speed and quicker change of direction—possibly catering to a wider variety of riding styles at the expense of consistency.

This kind of innovation is typical of Ducati, a manufacturer unafraid to push the boundaries. However, it’s coming at a cost to their lead rider’s comfort.

“It’s completely different to my riding style,” Bagnaia reiterated, a sentence that underscores a growing rift between man and machine.

Is Copying Alex Marquez the Solution?

As ironic as it may sound, Bagnaia may need to learn from a satellite team rider in order to recover his form. Alex Marquez has looked fast and confident throughout the 2025 season so far, and Bagnaia is now openly stating that they need to analyze his approach.

“We need to understand what Alex Marquez is doing because he is much stronger than everybody else, and copy.”

This sentiment would have seemed unthinkable just a year ago. Bagnaia, the two-time world champion and Ducati’s flagship rider, is now taking cues from a fellow Ducati competitor just to keep up.

The Pressure is Mounting

With the championship battle heating up, Bagnaia cannot afford to remain on the back foot. Marc Marquez is growing more comfortable on the Ducati, and if Bagnaia can’t tame the GP25 soon, he may find himself slipping out of the title race.

Moreover, Bagnaia’s situation serves as a stark reminder of just how quickly fortunes can change in MotoGP. One year you’re dominating; the next, you’re battling your own bike just to stay relevant.

What Comes Next for Bagnaia?

The weekend at Silverstone will be pivotal. With a “small detail” finally providing some hope, Bagnaia and his crew must now dig deeper and build a setup that reconciles his riding DNA with the GP25’s characteristics.

There’s no magic bullet—just painstaking trial and error. But for a rider of Bagnaia’s caliber, persistence may yet yield rewards.

Final Thoughts: The Champion’s Test

The 2025 season has thrown Francesco Bagnaia a curveball, one that could either sharpen his legacy or shatter his dominance. How he responds to this technical and mental challenge will be a defining chapter in his MotoGP career.

From struggling with front-end grip to questioning his own riding fundamentals, Bagnaia is in uncharted waters. But champions are forged not in comfort, but in chaos. The next few races will tell us whether Pecco can adapt—or if the Ducati GP25 will be the machine that unseated a king.