Why Bagnaia needs a different kind of help after Indonesia disaster

Of all the things Marc Marquez said just over a week ago, when he achieved his goal of reclaiming the MotoGP world title, there was one comment that may not have made the headlines, yet probably best summarised what the Spaniard went through during the darkest period of his sporting career.

“The help I received is what allows me to be here now. It wasn’t that I fell to the ground — I was already underground. If you’re on the ground, you can jump back up. But if you’re below that, you need someone to pull you out,” said the Cervera rider, eloquently and with gratitude.

Bagnaia hasn’t reached quite the same critical point Marquez did, but he too needs help — and he needs it without conditions. He’s hit rock bottom, and he deserves support. Despite the dire situation he’s in, he remains Ducati’s most successful rider in history and the most prominent representative of Valentino Rossi’s VR46 academy. Given recent events, one can’t help but wonder whether the Borgo Panigale factory and Rossi’s structure are truly doing everything within their reach to rescue the reigning double world champion.

The concentration of egos within Ducati surpasses that of any other organisation in the MotoGP paddock — and it would be strange if it didn’t. Beyond having gathered under one roof the two most decorated riders on the grid, the Bologna manufacturer’s entire strategy revolves around the most dominant bike ever built. And that Desmosedici, in its latest iteration, bears the unmistakable signature of Gigi Dall’Igna.

The engineer has become one of the most influential figures in MotoGP history. He knows it, and — subtly or not — makes sure that those privileged enough to ride his prototype know it too. Dall’Igna’s voice carries decisive weight in every relevant aspect of Ducati’s operation: technical, sporting, and even political. And in a championship that has always placed riders at the centre as its true heroes, that dynamic inevitably creates friction.

It has created friction in the past, notably with Andrea Dovizioso — the only one who truly challenged Marquez in 2017 and 2018 — who ended up leaving the red bikes behind when he was still Ducati's most competitive asset. He was replaced in 2021 by Bagnaia, who arrived with a clear mind and no preconceptions, growing alongside the bike until being crowned world champion twice (2022 and 2023) and fighting for the title until the end across four seasons (2021–2024).

Now, the Turin-born rider looks a shadow of his former self, and Ducati, despite its efforts, has so far failed to give him the hand he so clearly needs. And this is where egos once again come into play. Whether it’s the psychological blow caused by Marquez’s overwhelming superiority, or Bagnaia’s inability to ride this year’s bike the way he did in 2024 — when he scored 11 victories — the confusion on all sides is striking. And one thing is certain: none of it reflects well on anyone involved.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Manufacturers, by nature, only look forward. They rarely admit that a previous year’s prototype could in some cases be more competitive than the current one. Understandably so — to do otherwise would be to acknowledge that time and money have been wasted developing the new model. That, it seems, is why Ducati did everything it could to keep quiet the fact that Bagnaia tested the GP24 — fitted with the GP25 engine — at Misano during the post–San Marino Grand Prix test.

And they succeeded, until last Friday, when Uccio Salucci — director of the VR46 team — blew the cover. “Pecco rode Morbidelli’s bike on the Monday after Misano,” he revealed. Ducati was left fuming, with team manager Davide Tardozzi publicly admitting he was “surprised” by the disclosure. Some believe Rossi’s long-time confidant simply made a slip of the tongue. Motorsport.com understands Ducati doesn’t see it that way — rather as a subtle act of defiance, a way of expressing discontent with how Bagnaia is being treated by the factory.

If it was a genuine mistake, it would suggest one of two things: either Uccio’s blunder was unworthy of an executive of his position, or communication with Ducati is virtually nonexistent — which seems unlikely, given the meticulous way the organisation operates. Regardless of what lay behind that revelation, it did nothing to help Bagnaia, who once again left a grand prix without speaking to the media, just as he did in Misano.

“It's clear that Pecco is devastated right now, even more as a person than as a rider," Tardozzi explained. "It's clear that we want to protect Pecco and his emotions. At this moment, if Pecco came with tears in his eyes, it couldn't be otherwise, because he's a fast rider but he's also a very sensitive guy. Right now, we think it's best to leave him alone and work to put him in a position to perform at Phillip Island.”

If there’s anyone who can truly empathise with Bagnaia’s suffering, it’s the ever-popular ex-rider who fronted Ducati’s communications during a weekend that was supposed to be filled with confetti but turned into a nightmare.

In the space of a week, Ducati went from celebrating one of its riders’ titles — and the possible resurgence of the other after leading his first one-two finish of the season — to mourning the champion’s injury and witnessing the total collapse of his team-mate.

While Marquez’s injury will simply require time, Bagnaia’s case demands genuine intervention — from someone capable of putting ego aside and sincerely helping to piece back together one of the championship’s biggest stars.

Above all, doing so would only elevate Ducati further: not just as a manufacturer capable of creating champions, but as one willing to stand by them when they need it most.