Pecco Bagnaia and the sabotage theory in the garage: "Madness

After a disappointing 2025, the new MotoGP season has also started uphill for Pecco Bagnaia. A dip in performance coincided with Marc Marquez’s arrival in the Ducati garage, though the Piedmontese rider has always denied being affected by his presence. In Thailand he went no further than ninth place, hinting at another underwhelming year.

In winter testing many of the issues encountered with the Desmosedici GP25 seemed to have magically disappeared. Instead, they bitterly resurfaced in Buriram during the first Grand Prix of 2026. The high temperatures and tire wear put the two-time MotoGP champion in serious difficulty. And the Ducati GP26 does not seem to be living up to its promises, for now. "We’ve taken a step back," Bagnaia said without much hesitation. Only Marc Marquez is managing to carve out a place at the top, as shown by 2nd place in the Sprint race. The only rider of the Emilia-based brand able to fully exploit the potential of the Red…

If up to two years ago Ducati was the fastest bike on the grid, no ifs or buts, now there is only one rider capable of taking it to victory: Marc Marquez. It’s hard to share a garage with a phenomenon, and just as hard to try to challenge him. Despite everything, Pecco has always maintained an excellent relationship with the nine-time world champion; he has always seen him as an extra push to do better, a legend to learn something from.

But how do you explain this sudden drop from Bagnaia, coinciding with Marc’s arrival? "We realized it was the different behavior of the bike that was hindering my riding style," explained the rider from Chivasso on the BSMT podcast. "My mistake was convincing myself that with my potential on the GP24 I was at the limit and assuming it would be the same (with the GP25). Instead, the bike had changed and I tried to make it feel like the 2024 version, but I couldn’t. However, 2025 taught me to be more attentive and to explain the problems better."

Many have speculated about a possible sabotage by Ducati, especially now that he has signed a new contract with Aprilia (not yet official). A theory Valentino Rossi’s protégé categorically rejects. "They would have no reason to make things difficult for me; it would be madness."

On the contrary, in his view, the technicians and managers in Borgo Panigale are trying everything to put together a better bike. "I didn’t just speak with my team manager and my engineers, but with everyone. They asked me a thousand questions, and I also put my crew under pressure. At times I made mistakes when I spoke in the heat of the moment, but in terms of media attention, I was on the edge of madness in the second half of the year. I even read an interview with quotes I had never said."

In these difficult and crucial moments for his career, Pecco Bagnaia turned to the people closest to him. "This sport is extremely selfish and you have to think about yourself. I’ve learned that over the years. I only listen to people I trust. My role models are ‘Vale’ and my team. ‘Vale’ is always very present; we had lunch and dinner together several times, including with Cristian (Gabarrini, ed.). Vale advised me to enjoy the results more. One of my biggest mistakes was getting angry over a third place."