MotoGP, Portugal, Pecco Bagnaia: when the track defies his boss Domenicali, who already saw him third in the championship

When Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali stated a few weeks ago that he already envisioned his rider Pecco Bagnaia finishing third in the championship, it was a message of confidence, almost an institutional assurance. The Borgo Panigale manufacturer wanted to emphasize the strength of its rider, a two-time champion under its banner, despite a 2025 season marked by unexpected setbacks and an internal hierarchy shaken up by the thunderous arrival of Marc Marquez. But after this latest retirement at the Portuguese Grand Prix, this prediction now takes on a very different tone.

bagnaiawho still had the chance to salvage some pride by finishing on the championship podium, sees his hopes dashed. Not only is third place now firmly held by Marco Bezzecchi, now mathematically escaping him, but his fourth position itself is threatened — a scenario unthinkable just a month ago.

This poor performance prolongs a worrying spiral: after having suffered in Sprint, bagnaia was once again plagued by problems with pace and tire management, before crash at Portimão, a circuit where he had established himself authoritatively in previous seasons.

This withdrawal of Pecco Bagnaia in Portugal may be one too many.

This latest retirement symbolizes the total desynchronization between the driver and his GP25, a striking contrast to the methodical domination he still exercised in 2023 and 2024.

In this context, the sentence of Sundays it almost sounds like a prophecy refuted by the track. Ducati, which wanted to present a united front around its pilots, finds itself facing a more embarrassing reality: Marc Marquez overshadowed his teammate, Alex Marquez shone, and Bezzecchi confirms its consistency on theAprilia.

Internally, this situation risks reopening the debate on the status of bagnaia for 2026. If he retains the support of the sporting management, the dissonance between the public ambitions of Sundays and the actual performance of Pecco exhibits Ducati to a dilemma: to bet on historical loyalty or to adapt to the new era embodied by Marquez.

In Portimao, bagnaia He didn't just lose a race. He may have lost narrative control of his own season—the season of a champion everyone, except the track, already saw on the podium. Incidentally, Pecco Bagnaia is now threatened Peter Acosta who are eyeing their fourth-place finish, just three points behind. The final weekend of the season MotoGP à Valencia things are looking tense at Ducati.