Disaster at Buriram, Bagnaia already dreaming of Aprilia: "We're not the fastest"

During winter testing, Pecco Bagnaia’s problems on the Ducati Desmosedici seemed to have vanished. Many expected a 2026 marked by redemption for the two-time MotoGP champion, in light of his future contract with Aprilia. Instead, after just a few days, nothing seems to have changed in his side of the garage. But something has certainly shifted outside his box...

The tests in Malaysia and Thailand had brought a gust of confidence to Pecco Bagnaia. A trouble-free preseason; according to him, he had regained positive feelings thanks to the changes made to the GP26. However, at the Thailand Grand Prix, everything went wrong from Friday, when he missed out on Q2 and failed the final push in Q1. Starting 13th on the grid, he managed to recover positions in the Sprint thanks to a good start. In Sunday’s race he struggled quite a bit, finishing 18 seconds behind the winner Marco Bezzecchi.

Pinpointing a specific cause is difficult, but this MotoGP season will again be an uphill battle for the rider from Chivasso. “After the tests, I would have said a result like this was impossible,” Bagnaia explained after the weekend in Buriram. “We were very fast, with an excellent pace even on very worn tires. Then, over the weekend, I noticed the change in conditions and couldn’t adapt. Overall, the other Ducati riders were more competitive than me. I was just paddling, trying to finish the race.”

The tires began to wear beyond normal. With eight laps to go, his Ducati GP26 was shaking even on the straight. “It was really strange and I lost a few positions,” continued the #63. “Even managing the tires as I was, it was impossible to maintain a consistent pace. In the final laps it was sliding and spinning up through fifth gear. It was very difficult to control the rear tire with the throttle.”

Little to nothing has changed in the feeling between Bagnaia and the Red compared to 2025. A partnership that produced wonderful seasons in years past, but is now destined to end. This will be their last MotoGP World Championship together before his move to Aprilia, which seems to be the bike of the moment. Indeed, the overall landscape appears to have shifted, and perhaps Pecco has sensed the favorable wind.

The Noale factory worked very well over the winter and for now the results prove it. “The others have improved; we’ve taken a step back, so we need to understand why. Aprilia did an extraordinary job. Bezzecchi was very strong, and even Ogura, when he passed me, immediately pulled away.” The team still has a lot of work to do because, as the Piedmontese rider stated plainly, “at this point we’re no longer the fastest.”