Pecco Bagnaia, in or out: "Make life difficult for Marquez"

As the MotoGP World Championship gears up for the 2026 season, Pecco Bagnaia is strategically keeping his cards close to his chest. The rider from Chivasso is going up against everything and everyone: against the market rumors that already have him out of Ducati, against those who have already “downgraded” him after a poor 2025 season. For the three-time world champion, the Sepang test will already be a crucial milestone for his future.

It’s no easy task for Pecco Bagnaia and his manager Gianluca Falcioni. The Ducati rider will be under pressure from the very first outings. Despite the engine freeze, the Desmosedici GP26 will be a different bike compared to the 2025 edition. An evolution that could allow him to shine again as he did from 2022 to 2024 and go head-to-head with Marc Marquez. His first rival is his teammate. The Spanish superstar is a tough nut to crack for any MotoGP rider.

They’ll be building on the positive impressions from last November. “The prototype I tested in Valencia was good. I had a fantastic day,” he said during the Ducati MotoGP team presentation, reflecting on the stark contrast with his recent race struggles. “Fortunately, the race was only two days earlier. I had to deal with difficulties over the weekend, but during the Tuesday test I felt better.”

Pecco Bagnaia needs an immediate response, a clear and decisive performance in the MotoGP test in Malaysia. “I don’t think the engineers made drastic changes; they simply fine-tuned some aspects that bothered me during the season.” While keeping tight-lipped on technical details, his confidence remains high. “I’m almost certain the new bike will be competitive... I’d like to make life difficult for Marc, not like last year.”

In a paddock where competition is increasingly fierce and the rider market keeps everyone on edge, Bagnaia’s ambitions must remain high. Alas, the rumors aren’t in his favor, with Pedro Acosta reportedly already reaching an agreement with Ducati. The risk is ending up racing as “separate under the same roof,” on a bike that won’t be his anymore in 2027. And without being able to closely follow the prototype he’ll race next year. The last hope lies in the winter tests...