Data and engineers hypothesis for Pecco Bagnaia’s Ducati struggles

A hypothesis has been put forward for why Pecco Bagnaia has struggled on his Ducati at the first two MotoGP rounds of 2025.

His new factory Ducati teammate Marc Marquez has romped to four victories out of four in Thailand and Argentina.

Perhaps more worryingly, Bagnaia has even trailed Gresini’s Alex Marquez who is riding a Ducati which is a year older in spec.

Bagnaia has hinted about returning to a 2024 machine after battling his GP25 to little avail.

However, it has been noticed how Bagnaia’s usual approach to the first practice session on a Friday is not helping his cause against Marquez.

“It was a typical Pecco FP1 - he wasn’t comfortable on the bike, he’s making mistakes and he’s over-riding,” TNT Sports’ Neil Hodgson noticed in Argentina.

“I know why. It’s because his Achilles Heel, his weakness, has always been, even when he wins titles, is that he’s a slow-burner. It takes him time to build into a weekend.

“The problem is that the guy next to him, Marc, is the opposite. He goes straight to the limit.

Read more: Scary truth about Marc Marquez revealed in Argentina MotoGP analysis

“What does that gain you? It gains you vital information. By Lap 3 or 4, everything you do on track is so important to improving your motorcycle and your feeling.

“That information is what your engineers work with. More now than ever. There are so many engineers in the factory Ducati team.

“Bagnaia was 16th fastest, 1.35s off. Every lap he’s doing is irrelevant because he’s so far off the pace. But Marquez is relevant.

“After Marc’s first nine laps, he’s got five laps worth of quality data. [Bagnaia] has zero.”

Pecco Bagnaia 'normal approach isn't working'

Bagnaia has been flummoxed by the data that Marquez is providing on the 2025 Ducati, it is claimed.

“You look at your teammate and what he can do, and his data, and you can’t do what he can in the left-handers,” Michael Laverty said.

“You scratch your head, you change how you work, you don’t work towards your strength, you no longer have the confidence to be relaxed on a Friday, you start to try harder.

“Your normal approach isn’t working. You can crumble.”

Hodgson added: “You try harder. What happens when you try harder? Me and Michael experienced it on track.

“You feel like you’re pushing so hard but the lap time doesn’t come. You upset the bike.

“The fastest laps of your life are when you’re relaxed, and it just comes to you.

“You know Davide Tardozzi will be in Bagnaia’s ear saying ‘attack the first session’.

“That’s what he’s trying to do, that’s why he looks uncomfortable, that’s why he’s over-riding and he’s 16th.”

Laverty said: “Pecco is so methodical. He will stay on his path. It will be so important for Tardozzi to manage that situation. He is hard with Pecco.”

Bagnaia is down on his luck after the first couple of MotoGP rounds of 2025.

He is third in the standings, 31 points behind leader Marquez.

Worryingly, the next round is at the Circuit of the Americas where an in-form Marquez could dominate.

Bagnaia will be looking at the later European rounds to get some wins on the board before it’s too late.