Ducati: Gigi Dall’Igna Takes Another Swipe at Pecco Bagnaia

After the Aragon Grand Prix, Ducati CEO Gigi Dall’Igna once again praised Marc Marquez, who is rapidly closing in on the top of the overall standings: “At a crucial stage of the season, Marc secured all 37 available points, proving himself to be a true champion. Beyond the statistics, he knew how to make the most of an opportunity that absolutely had to be seized. We joyfully celebrate these results, which were by no means a given and which bring us back to the top of the standings.”

While Marc Marquez is celebrating, the other side of the garage certainly can’t be smiling after Pecco Bagnaia’s latest dismal result—he failed to score points in the Sprint and crashed in Sunday’s race. The Ducati executive didn’t hold back any longer: “I know I’m repeating myself, but these are the only points that can be stated honestly and seriously: we must continue to work and strive together to resolve this situation and bring him back to the level of performance he deserves, for the benefit of everyone—ours and his.”

Speaking to Sky, Dall’Igna weighed in on the World Championship title race, and here too he didn’t shy away from a pointed reference to Bagnaia, who in 2024 was defeated by Jorge Martin despite winning 11 races: “The story of recent years shows that winning 11 races isn’t what matters. The World Championship will be won by whoever stays the sharpest from here on out; it’s more important to score points and avoid mistakes. You might win fewer races, but you have to be more consistent and steady—and, above all, finish fewer races with zero points.”

Team manager Davide Tardozzi also didn’t mince words regarding the Piedmontese rider: “It’s a shame he crashed; he was battling for seventh place. I don’t know what the problem was, but he showed he can stay right there with the top four or five. We expect Bagnaia to be in the top 5, but he lacks confidence, he isn’t pushing, and we can’t seem to find a way to overcome this problem.” Tardozzi then added: “I think it’s a psychological issue; his approach is holding back his performance. We have no doubt he’s fast, but he needs to get past this rough patch, gain confidence, and give it a shot. Now we need to rebuild something for him—I mean, his confidence for Misano—because it’s his home track, and the ‘Pecco of Misano’ needs to be in the top five.”