Picture this: a MotoGP champion grappling with a bike that won't cooperate, leaving him baffled and battling for every inch on the track. Francesco Bagnaia's frustrating saga with his Ducati continues to unfold dramatically in Australia, and it's got fans and experts scratching their heads.
For those new to the world of MotoGP, let's quickly clarify: the Australian Grand Prix sprint is a shorter, high-stakes race that kicks off the weekend's action, acting as a thrilling appetizer before the main event. Ducati's shining star, Francesco Bagnaia, had a downright tough time in this sprint, ending up over 30 seconds behind the leader with no obvious reasons for his sluggish performance.
Starting from 11th on the grid, Bagnaia quickly found himself slipping backward, dropping to 19th by the fourth lap. He even lost ground to newcomer Somkiat Chantra from the LCR team, though he clawed back one position late in the race when Gresini's Fermin Aldeguer pulled out with just three laps to go.
Throughout much of the race, Bagnaia's lap times hovered in the low 1-minute-30-second range, and even when he picked up some speed toward the end, his best lap was still two full seconds slower than winner Marco Bezzecchi's blistering pace. Phillip Island hasn't been kind to the Ducati squad this weekend – no front-row starts, no podium finishes for any of their riders – but Bagnaia's woes stood out as the most severe. He crossed the finish line second-to-last, ahead only of test rider Michele Pirro.
After the sprint, the Italian rider was clearly puzzled, describing it as his perennial weak spot in MotoGP. He admitted to experiencing severe shaking on his bike during Saturday's session, with no immediate fixes in sight.
"It was really challenging out there," Bagnaia shared. "We're diving into the data right now, trying to make sense of it all. The information shows us clearly what's going on – the bike's shaking intensely – but we haven't figured out the cause yet."
He continued, reflecting on the team's efforts: "We've attempted to resolve this multiple times this season. It's not linked to the electronics; it's something mechanical or otherwise, and we're working hard to pinpoint it."
And this is the part most people miss: the deeper mystery behind Bagnaia's struggles. On Friday, he tested two supposedly identical bikes that behaved differently. One suited him perfectly, helping him secure a spot in Q2 qualifying, while the other cost him valuable tenths of a second. But come qualifying and the sprint, his preferred bike turned into a handful, making him feel like just a passenger struggling to control the vibrations.
"It was odd," he explained. "I felt okay yesterday and this morning. But in qualifying, something felt off, and during the race, I couldn't ride it properly. I was just managing the shakes, constantly closing gaps after corners – it's bizarre."
These ongoing issues have sparked debates about Bagnaia's future with Ducati, especially since his contract runs out at the end of 2026. When asked if he could handle another year like this, he responded thoughtfully: "Ending 2025 this way is rough. Fortunately, we had Motegi, which proved what I'm capable of and supported the team. In a standard scenario, we're competitive. We need to figure out why it only happened at Motegi – everything seemed identical, so there's something more we're overlooking."
But here's where it gets controversial: is Bagnaia's puzzling bike woes a sign of deeper team troubles, or just bad luck? Some fans argue it's time for him to explore other manufacturers, like Yamaha or Honda, to reclaim his championship form. Others insist Ducati needs to innovate faster to support their star. What do you think – is this a rider issue, a bike problem, or something else entirely?
Adding to his challenges, Bagnaia will start Sunday's main race from 14th position due to a three-place grid penalty for impeding another rider in qualifying.
For a visual dive into the action, check out these photo galleries from the Australian GP qualifying and sprint:
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71797598)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71796974)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71787291)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71796952)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71797001)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71796998)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71796996)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71796995)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71796993)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71796985)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71797616)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71796966)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71796990)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71796982)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71796963)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71797000)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71796957)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71797595)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71797606)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71797603)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71797601)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71797612)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71797610)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71797607)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71797608)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798368)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798371)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798372)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798374)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798364)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798126)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798605)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798356)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798532)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798604)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798599)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798361)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798535)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798537)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798538)
- Australian GP - Saturday, in photos (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/galleries/australian-gp-saturday-in-photos/10229/#71798603)
MotoGP
41
Read Also:
- MotoGP: Marco Bezzecchi was “quite scared” after seagull strike in Australian GP sprint (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/marco-bezzecchi-was-quite-scared-after-seagull-strike-before-australian-gp-sprint/10768684/)
- MotoGP: Fabio Quartararo blames tyre choice after first-to-seventh drop in Australia sprint (https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/fabio-quartararo-blames-tyre-choice-for-dramatic-slide-in-australia-sprint/10768675/)
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
As we wrap this up, let's get you thinking: Could Bagnaia's issues be a wake-up call for Ducati to revolutionize their bike design? Or should Pecco consider a bold move to a rival team sooner rather than later? Do you agree with his take on Motegi being the key to unlocking his potential, or is there another factor at play? Drop your thoughts in the comments – we'd love to hear your take and debate this further!
