Francesco Bagnaia believes the hardest part of his recent struggles is finally behind him. After a difficult and uncharacteristic campaign, the Ducati rider says the winter break has given him the clarity he needed both mentally and physically to reset and prepare for a renewed title challenge against MotoGP’s dominant force, Marc Marquez
A season that tested Bagnaia like never before
For Francesco Bagnaia, last season was a shock to the system. The three-time world champion, usually a fixture at the front of the grid, found himself battling issues he had rarely faced before. Poor qualifying sessions, races spent outside the points, and repeated struggles to extract performance from the Ducati GP25 defined a year he would rather forget.
Those struggles became even more visible when Marc Márquez, his new Ducati team-mate, immediately mastered the same machinery. Marquez’s relentless pace and consistency saw him dominate the championship, sealing the title with rounds still to spare and leaving Bagnaia searching for answers.
The importance of a complete reset
According to Bagnaia, the turning point came away from the racetrack. Rather than diving straight back into training, he chose something different this time a full mental reset.
Time away on holiday, followed by a structured return to the gym and detailed analysis, allowed him to step back and reflect on where things went wrong. Disconnecting from the pressure of constant competition gave him space to think clearly about his riding, his mindset, and what needed to change.
Bagnaia admits last season caught him off guard. He wasn’t used to struggling so deeply, and that unfamiliar territory made it even harder to respond in the moment. Reviewing data, studying what his rivals were doing better particularly Marquez in key qualifying situations has now become a central part of his preparation.
Learning from Marquez, not fearing him
Rather than seeing Marquez’s dominance as discouraging, Bagnaia now views it as a reference point. Understanding where the reigning champion gains time, especially over a single lap, has helped him focus on specific weaknesses instead of chasing vague improvements.
He believes the gap that opened last year was not permanent. With clearer thinking and renewed confidence, Bagnaia feels he has the tools to make life far more difficult for MotoGP’s current benchmark something he openly admits did not happen last season.
A calmer mindset shaped by experience
Beyond lap times and data, Bagnaia’s biggest change may be psychological. Over the winter, he spent significant time training at the ranch of his mentor Valentino Rossi in Tavullia. Listening to stories from Rossi’s own career including difficult periods far from the spotlight offered valuable perspective.
Bagnaia now recognises that being overly self-critical during tough weekends only made matters worse. Finishing third or fourth once felt like failure to a rider accustomed to winning, but experience has taught him that progress often comes from patience, not frustration.
Renewed motivation for a new challenge
At 29, Bagnaia feels fortunate not just for his titles, but for the journey itself. That outlook has reshaped his goals. Rather than obsessing over outcomes, his focus is now on enjoying the fight and staying competitive across an entire season.
The ambition is clear: return to consistent championship contention and challenge Marquez on equal terms. Bagnaia believes that with the reset behind him, the potential is there to do exactly that.
What this means for the MotoGP season ahead
For MotoGP, a fully revitalised Bagnaia would change the landscape dramatically. Ducati thrives on internal competition, and a genuine title battle between two elite riders would push the entire grid to a higher level.
Whether Bagnaia can translate this renewed mindset into results remains to be seen. But one thing is clear, the rider who starts the season is not the same one who ended the last. And that alone makes the upcoming championship far more intriguing.