Pecco Bagnaia, nightmare end in Valencia: now pins his comeback on testing

It ends badly in Valencia for Bagnaia, taken out by Zarco on the first lap: will Tuesday’s test help him improve?

Francesco Bagnaia’s MotoGP race in Valencia lasted only a few corners. At Turn 5 there was a contact caused by Johann Zarco’s LCR Honda, which pushed him off track, leading to a crash in the gravel and retirement. It’s really a shame that the Ducati rider’s troubled 2025 season ended this way, and now he awaits Tuesday’s test to try to find a solution to his issues with the Desmosedici. One day will hardly be enough to fix everything, but identifying the right direction for 2026 becomes crucial. Then in early February there will be testing at Sepang, another proving ground.

Interviewed by Sky Sport MotoGP, Pecco commented on his 2025 finale like this: "It was very consistent with this end of the season; you couldn’t expect much more. My race lasted 25 seconds, in which I managed to pass six riders. I was quite happy up to that point. Fortunately, I noticed a white lightning bolt coming and I picked the bike up, otherwise there would have been tougher complications to deal with. First lap of the race, everyone is quite aggressive; in fact I had passed six riders, it’s a normal thing... He was a bit optimistic on that braking, but it’s something that can happen."

Fatigue is taking its toll on teams and riders, but there’s still a test in Valencia to try to make progress. Bagnaia hopes Tuesday’s work proves valuable: "We definitely reach the end of the season tired and worn out, especially given how things went in the final part. Mistakes can happen, I made many too, we’re human. I hope Tuesday’s test helps a lot to set a direction to have a base that works as I expect and not like the rest of the season. I never felt comfortable, except in one test and one race. I hope to find the best feeling again."

The Ducati team will do its utmost to give the Piedmontese rider a bike that makes him feel comfortable and competitive. Throughout the season he often had feeling issues that affected him, and they even worsened as time went on. In the first half of the 2025 MotoGP championship he managed to stay in the top five; from the Austrian Grand Prix a rough patch began, interrupted only at Motegi and Sepang.

Speaking to Spanish colleagues at DAZN as well, Bagnaia reiterated his position after concluding this difficult season: "I explained things clearly. It ended as it began. It was all difficult; I never felt comfortable with that bike and it ended like this. I hope Tuesday goes well and that we go on holiday with clear ideas. We need to work and see if things improve. I never, ever give up." The attitude is the right one.