MotoGP Behind the Scenes: Valentino Rossi’s Shadow in the Ducati Garage

Pecco Bagnaia started the 2026 season uphill, after the disappointment in last year’s MotoGP championship. For the rider from Chivasso, this will be his final World Championship on the Ducati Desmosedici before making the jump to Aprilia, where he will team up with his Academy colleague Marco Bezzecchi. For him, it will be the second and last year with Marc Marquez as a teammate. A relationship inevitably influenced by the friendship between Pecco and Valentino Rossi.

Bagnaia finished the Thai GP 18s behind the winner Bezzecchi, highlighting the issues of a Ducati GP26 not yet ready to dominate this newly started MotoGP season. Problems in mid-corner performance and tire management prevented Pecco from moving into the leading positions. In truth, the dip of the Piedmontese rider coincided somewhat with the arrival of Marc Marquez in the garage, despite the good relationship between the two teammates. If up to a year ago he was pledging eternal love to the Red, now Valentino Rossi’s protégé already has a signed agreement with Noale for 2027...

The collaboration between Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Márquez in the factory Ducati team has been one of the main talking points in MotoGP in recent times. This will be their second and final season as garage mates, after which another Spaniard will step in: Pedro Acosta.

To understand how Marc Marquez’s arrival at the factory Ducati came to be, we have to go back to 2023, with the announcement of his signing for Gresini for the following year. In Borgo Panigale they had decided not to continue with Enea Bastianini, and his spot would go to either Marquez or Martin. In the end, the Emilian manufacturer opted for the multi-time champion from Cervera; otherwise, they risked losing him for good. And “Martinator” ended up at Aprilia, despite the world title he won in 2024 with Pramac. Much to the surprise of many, including Valentino Rossi.

Bagnaia recently recalled the moment Ducati informed him of Marc’s arrival. In an interview on the podcast The BSMT, hosted by Gianluca Gazzoli, he recounted the first announcement from upper management in the garage. "I found out about Marquez the night before testing at Mugello. Gigi Dall’Igna, Davide Tardozzi and Mauro Grassilli came to tell me. To be honest, I expected it, because bringing him to Gresini was already a way to prepare him for the factory team."

Far from showing concern at the arrival of one of the fastest riders in MotoGP history, Pecco says he welcomed the news as an extra personal boost. "I wanted his arrival in the team to be a motivation. Marquez is one of the best riders in history. He and Valentino Rossi are among the greatest. From a rider like him, you can only learn. He went through difficult years and wanted to get back to racing."

The two-time MotoGP champion also wanted to clarify another detail about his relationship with the Cervera phenomenon. "I’ve never had issues with my teammates; I’ve always gotten along very well with everyone. Marc is an intelligent person and adapted immediately. We’ve had a good relationship from the start and have often discussed various situations and technical solutions. It’s been a great collaboration."

When asked if the rivalry between them had been exaggerated, Pecco Bagnaia said: "Yes, like everything else. A great champion is a champion if he has a great rival, so the rivalry is created. I carried the weight of what happened in 2015 between Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi. But that’s not fair, because I am a different rider and I do things my own way."