This Italian Grand Prix could have marked a turning point for Pecco Bagnaia. Instead, it became a wake-up call. On a circuit where he had previously been undefeated for three seasons, the Turin-born driver not only lost to Marc Marquez, but also took 23 seconds longer to cover the same distance than a year ago. A blatant regression, and some were quick to invoke conspiracy theories.
Some go so far as to suggest that Ducati would now favor Marc Marquez, going so far as to speak of a transfer of number one pilot status under the influence ofAudi, even if it means “sacrificing” Pecco, yet paid seven million euros per year. An easy read, but hardly compatible with the technical and sporting logic that still governs, for the most part, MotoGP.
In 2024, bagnaia had won the Mugello GP en 40'51 "385This year he finished in 41'14 "295A loss of about one second per lap. Marc Marquez, with a Ducati GP23 last year, finished two seconds behind PeccoIn 2025, with the GP25, he dominated with more than five seconds in advance at the finish.
The performance gap is therefore not a pure loss of speed isolated among bagnaia, but also a clear gain of Marquez, which was also slower than last year…but “only” 16 seconds. Speaking about his pace at the end of the Italian Grand Prix, Neil Hodgson from TNT Sports was shocked by the way he approached the last part of the race: « The strangest thing is that Bagnaia simply threw in the towel ", did he declare. “ If you are Bagnaia, you are in Italy, you must attack »
Michelin provided a sober but clear technical answer: temperatures. This edition was contested with 32 ° C in the air and 51 ° C on the asphalt, against 22 ° C et 38 ° C in 2024. Under these conditions, tire performance is impaired, rubber management becomes a headache, and everyone loses time. All drivers were affected, but some more than others.
Marc Marquez vs Pecco Bagnaia: Mentality, the determining factor
What is most questionable is not so much the general decline in pace, but rather the relative collapse of bagnaia against his new teammate. The start of the race had, however, given hope for a duel that lived up to expectations. For three laps, Pecco et Marc fought an intense battle. Then, everything collapsed. After a contact that could have made him fall, bagnaia dropped down the rankings and finished off the podium, behind Marquez but also behind Fabio DiGiannantonio.
The two-time MotoGP champion now appears to be facing a challenge never before seen in his career: a faster, more experienced, hungrier teammate. Here I have always made the difference in the fast corners, now there is someone faster than me " he acknowledged, lucidly but without any apparent solution. Having a champion like Marc Marquez in the same box should have pushed him to raise his level. For the moment, it seems to be having the opposite effect.
In the paddock, some do not hesitate to compare the situation of bagnaia to that of F1 drivers like Yuki tsunoda, crushed by the presence of Max Verstappen at Red Bull. A classic phenomenon in elite sport: against an absolute benchmark, a teammate can shine... or fall apart. At Mugello, bagnaia did not completely collapse, but it suffered a symbolic defeat. And a painful one.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez becomes what he has always been: a fierce competitor, a front-row predator, a champion in full possession of his powers. The injury that kept him away from the top for three long years now seems to have been digested. With the Ducati the most advanced on the board, he has become untouchable again. And this return reshuffles all the cards.
Sport has its logic. Today, it would be unfair to ask Pecco bagnaia the impossible. It's up to him to think, to work, and to decide if he can still regain the upper hand. But one thing is certain: the Mugello 2025 will remain like the day the wind turned.
Race classification MotoGP Mugello
