After a 2025 season that turned into a headache for Ducati, the voice of a MotoGP legend adds a brutal but lucid perspective: Kevin Schwantz, 1993 world champion, believes that Pecco Bagnaia will have to start from scratch in 2026, completely freeing himself from the data and references of Marc Marquez.
A sharp analysis that resonates all the more strongly because bagnaia emerges from a year marked by instability, unpredictability and a loss of confidence rarely seen in a two-time MotoGP world champion.
As 2025 approached, everything indicated that Pecco Bagnaia would be the main adversary of Marc Marquez in the quest for the title. Ducati had given him the GP25, expected evolution and theoretically tailored to maximize its qualities.
However, everything changed from the very first laps. Only two victories, chronic inconsistency, 257 points behind Marquez, a final 5th place far from its status.
The problem? The front of the GP25which had become a technical labyrinth for him. Some weekends, bagnaia He regained his feel for things. The next time, he fell into an abyss without explanation. The factory Ducati She herself admitted her powerlessness to pinpoint the deep origin of the evil.
The theory that no one dared to say out loud: Marquez Did it disturb him mentally?
Since his arrival in the Ducati garage, Marc Marquez shifted the team's psychological center of gravity.
Many have suggested that bagnaia, for the first time in his career, would have been affected by a teammate stronger, brighter and more incisive than him. Pecco et Ducati have always rejected this idea.
More Kevin schwantzHe, however, does not shy away from the subject. When questioned by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Schwantz describes the causes of the difficulties bagnaia as multiple – but real.
« I think it's a combination of all of that. The competition is so tight that the difference between being at the front and being at the back of the pack often comes down to just a second »
Kevin Schwantz: “ Pecco Bagnaia will have a long road ahead before achieving results, but at this level, it's the only solution. »
In MotoGP, where everything hinges on invisible details, the slightest lapse in concentration has a significant impact.
« If you get carried away by success, for example by seeing your teammate consistently in the top three or five, it's easy to become distracted and lose focus on what you need and expect from the bike. »
Schwantz don't accuse bagnaia weakness. On the contrary, it reminds us how much Pecco is capable of being monstrous, as in Motegi:
« We know how strong Pecco can be…fastest in qualifying, winner of the Sprint and then the feature race. We know he's capable of it. Perhaps, that day, Marquez was only playing for the championship… but Pecco needs to refocus on what he wants and what he needs »
For SchwantzThe diagnosis is clear: bagnaia will no longer be able to hide behind internal comparisons. 2026 must be the year when bagnaia will have to isolate himself, take responsibility, reinvent himself
« He won't be able to ask, "What are they using?" or "Why is he going faster than me?", because What works for Marc doesn't necessarily work for him »
The tone is firm, almost paternalistic. He will therefore have to try everything himself. It will be a long road before he gets results, but at this stage, it's the only solution. »
A hard truth to hear for a two-time world champion, but perhaps necessary for a driver who will have to reclaim part of his sporting identity.
Pecco Bagnaia finished the Valencia trials reassured, speaking of a “return of positive sensations” on the motorcycle.
For its part, Ducati confirmed that its official launch for 2026 will take place January 19th in Italy, a date that will mark the opening of a season MotoGP where all the cards could be reshuffled.
An almost cruel, but fair conclusion: Pecco will have to become Pecco again. bagnaia will not be able to win by trying to become a clone of Marc Marquez.
It will not be able to rebuild itself by relying on the data of a rival who thinks, brakes and attacks differently from it.
He will have to relearn, reinvent, and reaffirm his own style. Because to regain his crown, he will first have to rediscover his identity.
