MotoGP, Ducati: Casey Stoner Defends Pecco Bagnaia: “I Knew It…”

Pecco Bagnaia will leave Ducati at the end of the season, after eight years and two MotoGP world titles. The Piedmontese rider, who struggled greatly with Marc Marquez’s arrival in 2025, was the rider who brought the world title back to Borgo Panigale 15 years after Casey Stoner.

In an interview with MotoGP.com, the former Australian rider came to Pecco’s defense: “I feel sorry for him; he’s struggled a bit lately, and everyone lost faith in him because they claimed he was complaining, even though I, too, realized that the bike wasn’t the same as it had been in previous years.”

“Pecco has a very smooth riding style, but I saw his bike doing things it shouldn’t have been doing. He won two titles in a row, bringing Ducati back to the top after me, but that wasn’t enough for him. I hope that at Aprilia he can get back to his old self and regain the confidence he once had.”

The official split between Bagnaia and Ducati came on June 24, with a statement that put an end to an extraordinary partnership. Pecco’s own words captured the full emotional impact of the moment: “You were my dream, and you became the most beautiful reality ever. When I arrived in MotoGP with Ducati, I thought I’d already achieved something indescribable, but you made me believe in it even more. Eight years, 31 wins, 63 podium finishes, 28 pole positions, two World Championship runner-up finishes, and two world titles—this is the story we’ve written, and it’s ours alone.” The rider from Chivasso then added: “Last season, it was difficult for us to get along; we clashed more than we would have liked, and something began to change. I feel the need to start over with a new challenge, but I’ll never forget what we were. You’re a part of me, and you always will be.”