Pecco Bagnaia struggling with the GP26: the solution could come from the Gresini team

The Desmosedici GP26 has proven more troublesome than expected, but after the work done at Jerez the situation could improve: Pecco seems positive.

Francesco Bagnaia’s start to the 2026 MotoGP season is certainly below expectations, and the standings are clear: ninth place with 34 points, 67 behind leader Marco Bezzecchi and 37 behind Fabio Di Giannantonio, third and the best Ducati rider. He took two sprint podiums in Austin and Jerez; otherwise he has disappointed in terms of performance and results. Despite the work done to make clear steps forward compared to last year, when he struggled a lot with the Desmosedici GP25, he is also encountering difficulties with the GP26 that prevent him from riding effectively.

The Jerez test was useful to work on many aspects and arrive at Le Mans stronger. But the French Grand Prix could be affected by rain, so it’s necessary to prepare for any scenario over the weekend.

At Jerez Ducati brought a new fairing, but it might not be used at Le Mans. Bagnaia spoke about it to Sky Sport MotoGP: "I think it could be available, but there aren’t many units. In mixed conditions, I don’t think we’ll use it. Since there are few, we shouldn’t risk damaging them ahead of Barcelona, where the aerodynamics make more of a difference. I don’t think we’ll use it, but we’ll see."

The three-time world champion analyzed the situation, reiterating that he has better feelings riding the Desmosedici GP26, but not enough to let him ride the way he likes: "It’s quite a difficult moment, for Ducati in general. It’s not working as we would have expected; unfortunately I’ve been in this situation for more than a year. I’m struggling quite a bit and it’s strange, because this year I feel better on the bike: I have more front-end feeling, but I still can’t do what I want. The bike is quite nervous under braking, as you could see from my crash at Jerez. You have to be extremely precise, otherwise it tends to move a lot."

The new Desmosedici doesn’t have the stability of the past; it’s a more nervous bike, and perhaps what Alex Marquez did at Jerez can help: "It’s no longer the Ducati that lets you brake super hard and enter super hard while staying planted—explains Pecco—a bit like how Alex Marquez managed to make it work at Jerez. It’s a complicated moment, but I’m a romantic and I always believe in the chance of arriving at a Grand Prix and being up front. I always believe; I know we have the potential to do it and we just need to find the right balance."

Carefully studying the data from the BK8 Gresini team rider is certainly something Bagnaia’s team did after the GP and the Jerez test. The Piedmontese rider also reiterated another important point about his situation: "There’s definitely no lack of motivation on my part; I always feel very charged. Then if you start the weekend struggling a lot, you know you’ll have to work hard and it’s not easy." Pecco is very eager to consistently return to the positions he was used to in the past. We’ll see if there’s any progress over the Le Mans weekend.

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