Francesco Bagnaia says Ducati GP26 feels same as flawed GP25

Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images

Francesco Bagnaia has said the Ducati GP26 doesn’t feel any different from last year’s bike, raising familiar concerns about the bike’s development.

The Italian rider had ongoing complaints throughout 2025, mainly focused on a lack of feedback from the GP25, especially when braking and entering corners. It was a clear departure from how he felt on the GP24, which had brought him 11 wins in 2024.

Fast forward to 2026 and Bagnaia is calling for Ducati to revisit what made the earlier model so successful, saying this season’s machine feels no different to last year’s problematic one. He spent much of that season asking Ducati to fix those issues, but little seemed to change.

He failed to finish six of the final seven races and dropped down to fifth in the championship standings. This year had started on a more positive note – Bagnaia even looked quicker than Marc Marquez during pre-season testing, though Marquez wasn’t fully fit at that time.

Pecco Bagnaia adopts braking overhaul as Ducati GP26 mirrors past struggles

Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images

Bagnaia hasn’t managed a top-eight finish through the first three rounds of the 2026 season, and those issues haven’t gone away. He explained to Sky Italia how the problems with the new bike are a continuation of what he experienced with its predecessor.

“I know my potential very well, I know exactly where I can be,” he said. “Whenever I’ve had the chance, I’ve always been at the front, and the results speak for themselves.

“I’ve been struggling for two years: The DNA of the GP25 and GP26, which is the same, doesn’t allow me to express myself fully. I always ride very defensively and can’t fully trust the bike, and that doesn’t allow me to be fast.