Francesco Bagnaia had one of the most disappointing campaigns out of the 22 regular riders on the MotoGP grid, and Neil Hodgson has pinpointed one big advantage that he held over the eventual world champion before the season started.
Heading into the 2025 season, the Italian rider was fresh off the back of a fourth consecutive season that he had challenged for the title.
Two of those instances saw Francesco Bagnaia be crowned as a world champion himself, and many thought the usual proceedings would continue into the current year, where he would be paired up against Marc Marquez.
However, things quickly unravelled for the 28-year-old. As Marquez showed sheer dominance, Bagnaia struggled immensely.
Neil Hodgson highlights the ‘advantage’ that Francesco Bagnaia squandered to Marc Marquez at Ducati
In TNT Sports’ review of the 2025 MotoGP season on their official YouTube channel, Neil Hodgson discussed the story of Bagnaia’s season with his regular co-presenters.
The former MotoGP rider began with, “Where do we start? He’s never been slow, Pecco; he’s really competitive. We were really excited at the start of the year.
“Finally, we’re going to learn how good Pecco Bagnaia is. Double MotoGP world champion, and he’s going to go head-to-head with the rider that we think is the best rider, Marc Marquez.
“On equal machinery, albeit in Pecco’s team, as in he’s in the factory Ducati team, the team that have nurtured Pecco Bagnaia.
“So, it was an advantage, really, to Pecco, you would think, but of course, that’s not what happened. I expected more fight from Pecco. I thought he was never going to allow Marc to dominate him as he has done in his team, but that’s what’s happened.
“He’s just not got on with the 2025 Ducati, and it’s been a hard watch. Of course, there has been brilliant weekends from him in winning Japan, which was bizarre.
“Untouchable in every session: pole position, sprint winner, and obviously the main race. But think of everything else around it.
“There’s been some appalling rounds where he’s been battling for last and crashing out of last. It’s been a strange season.”
Francesco Bagnaia’s future at Ducati is now at risk after a difficult 2025 season
As his struggles worsened with every passing race weekend, Bagnaia’s future at the factory Ducati outfit became more and more uncertain.
The Italian rider’s contract at Borgo Panigale will see him race in red until at least the end of 2026, like the majority of the grid, due to the imminent regulatory overhaul in 2027, but beyond that date remains in question.
Bagnaia was the first man since Casey Stoner to bring a riders’ championship back to Bologna for Ducati, and has long made it clear that he wants to see out the rest of his career in the premier class as a rider for the Italian constructor.
However, there are multiple emerging talents coming out from within the ranks in Borgo Panigale, and they could serve to be a better fit once his deal is up at the end of the upcoming term.
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