Tardozzi takes aim at Bagnaia: "A psychological problem

Pecco Bagnaia crashed during the Aragon Grand Prix, finishing the MotoGP weekend at MotorLand without scoring any points. The rider from Chivasso is clearly going through a difficult period in his career, and he appeared frustrated and disappointed. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Ducati garage, Marc Marquez’s crushing victory was being celebrated.

At the end of the race, we saw both sides of the coin in the Red garage. On one side, the enthusiasm around Marquez; on the other, Bagnaia’s deep bitterness. And beneath it all, there was also joy for Pedro Acosta’s second place, as he will wear the Borgo Panigale colors from next MotoGP season. “Acosta showed once again today that we have a very promising future with him. Acosta isn’t a prospect; he’s a sure thing,” commented team manager Davide Tardozzi to ‘AS’ microphones.

Ducati management must also reckon with Pecco’s poor results, as he has been struggling since last year. More precisely... since Marc’s arrival in the garage. It may be pure coincidence, but it’s a fact. It’s hard to hide the disappointment over the performance of the two-time MotoGP champion who, in any case, has made the brand’s history great.

In an interview with TNT Sports, Tardozzi was blunt in his analysis of #63’s situation. “We expected Bagnaia to be at least in the top five here, but that didn’t happen. We tried something in the warm-up that didn’t work. He lacks confidence, he’s not pushing, and we haven’t found a way to overcome this problem.”

The 67-year-old manager from the Ravenna area believes the true nature of Pecco’s problems is mental. “I think it’s a psychological issue. His approach sometimes limits his performance. We don’t doubt he’s fast, but now he has to cross that fine line between being confident and turning a blind eye to the challenge.”

Bagnaia’s situation, with the rider set to race for Aprilia next MotoGP season, is causing concern at Ducati. Not so much for his personal position in the standings (eighth), but for the lack of support in the fight for the Constructors’ Championship. Marquez’s only allies on track seem to be his brother Alex and Di Giannantonio.

Meanwhile, time is running out for Pecco, who currently has the highest number of crashes among Ducati riders. “I think this is one of the worst moments of my career,” admitted the VR46 Academy pupil. “I don’t see a way out, and the situation has worsened over the last two races... I’ve given everything I could to Ducati, and it’s hard to accept the situation. With the current bike, I can’t ride naturally. I’m crashing because of that.”

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