Marquez: Bagnaia Possesses Ample Talent to Overcome Current MotoGP Struggles
MotoGP championship leader Marc Marquez has voiced his unwavering belief in the capabilities of his Ducati teammate, Francesco Bagnaia, despite the latter's struggles throughout the 2025 season. Marquez, who has enjoyed a successful transition to the factory Ducati team this year, recognizes the immense talent within Bagnaia and remains optimistic about his eventual return to peak performance.
While Marquez has thrived in his new environment, Bagnaia, a celebrated two-time champion for the squad, has faced one of his most demanding seasons to date. Following the Hungarian Grand Prix, Marquez initially suggested that Bagnaia needed to regain his self-assurance to compete at the forefront. However, the pressure on Bagnaia has only intensified, particularly after his ninth-place finish in Hungary and a disappointing 21st in qualifying for the Catalan Grand Prix.
Marquez acknowledges the immense difficulty of navigating such a challenging period, especially with constant media scrutiny. He states, \"I'm not the best person to give advice to Pecco, because he has his team and his people around him, and they have a lot of experience here and they will help him.\" Despite leading Bagnaia by a significant 250 points after 15 rounds, Marquez prioritizes the team's overall success. \"I want the best for Ducati, and for Ducati, we need both riders there on the top and fighting for the top positions, because it will be better to develop the bike for the future,\" he emphasized. He further clarified his competitive yet supportive stance: \"In the end, I want to beat everybody. I want to beat my team-mate and I want to beat my brother [Alex Marquez, second in the standings] and I want to beat everybody. But I don't want to see that somebody is suffering like Pecco [is] right now.\"
Bagnaia's current predicament is unprecedented in his career. Marquez commented, \"It's something that is not easy for riders when they are in a difficult moment. It’s difficult to forget, because every day you are [talking to] journalists. Every day, you [the media] are doing your job and asking the same question. And this is something [that is] hard for us, for the athletes, but we need to accept.\" Nevertheless, he firmly believes, \"But it's the first time in his career that he's in that situation. But he has enough talent to go up from that hole.”
Various theories attempt to explain Bagnaia's downturn, but he maintains that his difficulty stems from adapting to the fundamental characteristics of Ducati's GP25 motorcycle. Ducati initially intended to use the 2024 engine across all six of its bikes. However, a late modification resulted in Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, and Fabio di Giannantonio receiving an updated power unit specification.
When questioned about the possibility of Ducati reverting to the 2024 unit, Marquez affirmed his commitment to the team's best interests. He noted, \"Check your notes from Thailand and Malaysia [testing]. We were saying, me and Pecco, that we follow the same direction, with the same comments, and we choose the same direction.\" This shared perspective on bike development is crucial for Ducati's future. Marquez concluded, \"So, in the end, what I understand by the engineers is that we are riding with the base of the GP24, with some evolutions that you see on the aero package. But in the end, I want the best for Ducati. And with Pecco, we have a very similar comment. And if it's working for me, it will work for him, and the opposite.”
Marquez's unwavering support and belief in Bagnaia's inherent skill underscore a strong team dynamic. Despite the individual challenges, the collective goal of advancing Ducati's performance remains paramount, and both riders are expected to contribute to this endeavor.