Former Ducati WSBK World Champion Carlos Checa didn't mince his words after the Australian MotoGP Sprint, where the Borgo Panigale factory team foundered without Marc Marquez. The Catalan, now a consultant and keen observer of the paddock, delivered a lucid—and scathing—analysis of the Italian manufacturer's situation, directly pointing to Pecco Bagnaia's drop in performance.
For Check out , the state of bagnaia is simply incomprehensible… " When we say: Pecco has hit rock bottom, well, no, he hasn't hit rock bottom yet. I don't know. I find Pecco's performance today was incredibly surprising, and I don't understand it. »
The Spaniard recalls that bagnaia was fresh off a resounding victory in Japan — one more reason not to excuse this Australian shipwreck:
« He's an experienced driver, he just won in Japan with a superb race. It wasn't so long ago! A pilot cannot lose everything in two weeks. For me, it is difficult to explain this performance. Honestly, I don't know what to say. »
A bitter observation: bagnaia seems to have lost all his bearings, and Ducati with him.
Ducati without a leader: the void left by Marc Marquez
Check out don't stop at bagnaia. For him, Ducati is going through an identity crisis since the injury of Marc Marquez, a real driving force for the brand since the start of the season.
« Bezzecchi had already won races with Ducati and Aprilia. And now, with the decline of Ducati, it seems they have lost their leader, Marc. Even Raul, on the Aprilia, seemed very competitive. Things are changing, and it's surprising to see a race without Ducati in front »
For the first time since 2020, no Ducati was not on the first row, and the Italian brand was absent from the top 3 during the Sprint — something never seen before since the format was introduced.
Checa's key phrase sums it all up: " they lost their leader. " Without Marquez, Ducati has lost its psychological engine, its captain, the one who set the tone in the box and on the track.
The contrast is brutal: the team that dominated everything just a few weeks ago has suddenly become mortal again, unable to compete with Aprilia ou Yamaha .
Carlos Checa, always precise in his analyses, sees this collective fall as more than a blip: it's a warning. Without a quick response, Ducati could see its hegemony crumble as early as 2026, especially with dealerships now favoring other manufacturers.
Carlos Checa said out loud what many think quietly. : bagnaia collapses, Marquez is sorely lacking, and Ducati is losing ground.
The MotoGP king is no longer invincible—and Phillip Island may well go down as the weekend the red throne wobbled.
MotoGP, Australia Day 2, Starting Grid:
MotoGP, Australia J2, Sprint ranking:
