“HE’S WRONGED UP” Ducati boss Gigi Dall’igna strongly criticized Bagnaia’s poor performance at the Italian rider’s home track Misano. Ducati immediately made a surprising decision for Pecco.
The San Marino Grand Prix at Misano was supposed to be Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia’s chance for redemption—his home crowd, Ducati pennants fluttering, and the roar of Italian expectation fueling him. Instead, it became another painful reminder of how far Bagnaia has fallen from the extraordinary form that once made him a two-time MotoGP champion. And now, with Gigi Dall’Igna, Ducati’s general manager, openly chastising his performance, the pressure has tipped into public territory. Ducati has delivered a verdict—one that could reshape the final stretch of Bagnaia’s season.
Misano was brutal. On Saturday’s Sprint, Bagnaia qualified only eighth, dropped spots quickly, and limped to a 13th place finish—far from anything resembling the sharp attacking style fans expect. On Sunday, while his teammate Marc Márquez thundered toward the front and sealed a booming home victory, Bagnaia’s race ended in disappointment. Midway through the GP, holding eighth, he lost the front end of his GP25 at Turn 10 and crashed out. He left Misano empty-handed—no points from one of the most important rounds for an Italian at home.
The response from Ducati was swift and unambiguous: enough is enough. Gigi Dall’Igna formally stated that he has lost patience with Bagnaia. He admitted that the situation has become “delicate,” and that both the team and the fans are growing frustrated. When pressed, he said it felt “normal” to express impatience when results are so far off expectations.
What exactly led to this breaking point? Bagnaia has been struggling through a slump this season—ongoing issues with the GP25, especially with corner entry and front-end grip, have haunted him for many races. He has now gone five consecutive Grands Prix without a podium, and several without any score at all over an entire weekend. The gap in performance, especially when compared to Márquez, has become glaring.
In light of the Misano weekend, Ducati’s “surprising decision” (the verdict) is to use the in-season test scheduled immediately after the race as a point of inflection. Bagnaia is being given one final opportunity—at least for the moment—to help engineer a turnaround. The test at Misano will be critical; Ducati’s engineers will try numerous setups and components, striving to rediscover the feeling that once made Bagnaia dominant. It’s clear: there will be no more excuses, no more waiting for miracles. If the test fails to yield improvements, Ducati may have to consider more drastic actions—whether technical revisions, changes in strategy, or even reallocation of internal resources and focus away from Bagnaia.
Bagnaia himself has spoken of living through a “nightmare,” of needing someone to “explain what is going on.” He insists he is still mentally strong and will not lose confidence, but the gap between words and results is widening. Ducati’s bosses are no longer simply reassuring; they are demanding accountability.
What happens next could define Bagnaia’s 2025 legacy. If he responds in the Misano test, regains momentum, and closes the gap, there may be redemption. If not, his season may be written off as a failure at home when expectations were highest.
In the end, Ducati’s verdict is both challenge and warning: the era of patience is over. Pecco must perform—or else he may find that the team’s flagship status comes with fewer guarantees than before.
