Ducati’s dominance slipping? Francesco Bagnaia says rivals are closing in

Francesco Bagnaia opens up about Ducati’s ‘nervous’ bike

Bagnaia picked up podiums in the USA and Spain Sprints, but his Grand Prix finishes so far read P9, DNF, P10, DNF. His most recent retirement was down to a technical issue, but the bigger concern is how much the character of the bike has shifted.

Back when he was contending for championships – and winning them – he relied on being able to push hard through corners. Now he says that approach no longer works.

“It’s a pretty difficult time for Ducati in general, which is definitely not working as we expected,” he said.

“Unfortunately, I’ve been in this situation for over a year, so I’m struggling quite a bit, and it’s strange because this year I feel better on the bike, I have more feeling, especially at the front, but I still can’t do what I want.

“We have a pretty nervous bike under braking. You could see that in my crash in Jerez [during practice]. You have to be extremely precise because it tends to move a lot, and it’s no longer the Ducati where you brake really hard, come in really hard, and stay there.

“A bit like Alex Marquez managed to make it work in Jerez, he managed to do that.

“So it’s a complicated moment, but, as I’ve said more than once, I’m a romantic, and honestly, I always believe in arriving at the Grand Prix and going up front. I always believe in that, I know we have the potential to stay up front, and we just need to find the right balance.”

Pecco Bagnaia has no reason to worry about Ducati’s recent struggles

Ducati spent years ruling MotoGP, but now the general feeling is that Aprilia have overtaken them. Alex Marquez did win the Spanish Grand Prix on a Gresini, but if you look at the standings, it’s hard to argue against Aprilia’s rise.

Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin are sitting first and second in the riders’ championship, and their teams already have an 89-point advantage over satellite squad Trackhouse in the team standings.

Bagnaia is expected to join Aprilia next season once the sport finalises its new commercial agreement. While his departure from Ducati might not end on a high note, the timing of his switch could work out well – especially with rule changes on the horizon that might shake up how teams stack up.