Pecco Bagnaia: Paolo Beltramo’s Final Verdict

The off-the-record conversation between Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio on the sidelines of the San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix has brought to light a sense of unease that has been lingering for weeks around the Piedmontese rider’s No. 63 Ducati pit. The conversation, captured on camera and which went viral within a few hours, shows a seemingly resigned Bagnaia as he tries to explain to his teammate (who, like him, rides a Desmosedici GP26) the feel of a bike that isn’t responding the way he’d like it to.

In the quick back-and-forth, Bagnaia talks about negative sensations when approaching corners, “as if I were pulling the clutch the moment I touch the brakes,” as well as tires that, for him, “make no difference between soft and medium on the front,” concluding with a resigned “they won’t let me do it” when the Roman rider asks him to try new setups. Di Giannantonio wraps up the brief exchange with a laconic “I give up.”

On Sky Sport’s “Reparto Corse,” Paolo Beltramo didn’t mince words when asked about the nature of Bagnaia’s comments. His analysis is a verdict with no appeal: “I hope it’s just his own feeling, but in any case, there’s something major that isn’t working between him and Ducati. If what he says is true, not only would it be serious, but it just wouldn’t make any sense at all.”

“Let’s always remember that Bagnaia is a great rider; he’s proven he can ride fast whenever the bike cooperates with him. But that’s precisely the point: today, the Ducati no longer seems tailored to his riding style. Probably, both sides are hoping this season ends soon, and then everyone will go their separate ways.”

Bagnaia made his MotoGP debut in the 2019 season, following his success the previous year in the Moto2 World Championship. After a couple of transitional seasons with Pramac Racing, he established himself with the factory Ducati team in 2021, coming close to the title (26 points behind Fabio Quartararo) before winning it in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he battled Jorge Martin for the World Championship title until the very end; Martin won by a margin of just 10 points. Then came a dark period with a 2025 season to forget and a 2026 season—his last year before moving to Aprilia—that was even worse.