Pecco Bagnaia backtracks on GP24 MotoGP bike switch comments
Ducati rider Bagnaia explains GP24 switch claims misunderstanding
Pecco Bagnaia has backtracked on comments made after the Argentina MotoGP round that he could switch back to the 2024 Ducati in America following a tough start to 2025.
The double world champion has been resoundingly bested by his factory Ducati team-mate Marc Marquez in the opening two rounds of 2025, with even Gresini’s Alex Marquez on the GP24 out of Pecco Bagnaia’s reach.
Marc Marquez has won all races run so far in 2025, while Bagnaia has two sprint thirds and a grand prix third and fourth on his scorecard so far.
Coming into this weekend’s Americas GP, Bagnaia currently sits 31 points adrift of Marc Marquez in the standings.
After Argentina, Bagnaia told the media: “Maybe from the next race onwards I will go back to the GP24, because at the moment my feelings are very strange.”
This comment came as a surprise given the current version of the GP25 is very close to its predecessor, after Ducati elected to bin its 2025 engine and also continue with the 2024 chassis and aero kits for the opening races.
On Thursday at the Americas GP, Bagnaia has backtracked on this statement, claiming that he misspoke and didn’t put across what he meant to say in English.
“Unluckily, I’m not very good at explaining things in English, maybe, because what I wanted to explain is I want to be back to my feeling of the GP24,” he said.
“I don’t want to switch to the GP24, also because it’s not possible.
“So, I know the new bike has a better potential, Marc is showing it. So, I just need to focus and find back my feeling.”
On where he is losing out on the GP25, Bagnaia revealed: “Analysing the performance, I’m missing in the entrance to the corners - entry speed to the corners.
“That was a peculiarly good point from my riding style. So, we have to focus on it and try to improve.”
This weekend’s Americas GP is expected to be dominated by Bagnaia’s team-mate Marc Marquez, given the latter’s record of seven victories at COTA since 2013.
Bagnaia only has one COTA podium to his credit in MotoGP from 2021, while last year he endured a difficult weekend and could only come up with a fifth-place finish in the grand prix.
But he believes he “can be faster here compared to Argentina”.
“I feel ready like always,” he said.
“We are doing always a very good job at home. We train well and we try to analyse everything in terms of what I can do better.
“With my manager Gianluca [Falcioni] we analysed different things.
“With my trainer Carlo [Casabianca] we did other things. So, I think we prepared well the race weekend and we have to try to improve.
“It’s clear that it was not the ideal start in terms of feeling, but I finished all the races in the top four. So, we have just to be calm and continue working like I’m doing.
“I feel good because I know I can be faster here compared to Argentina, which was always a difficult track for me in every category.
“So, I will try to be competitive from Friday morning and continue improving because I know the potential here can be higher.”
