Ducati hit with “tough to improve on near-perfect” judgement of their problems

Ducati have been told that the difficulty in improving last year’s sensational MotoGP bike is behind their current problems.

Pramac’s Jorge Martin edged factory rider Pecco Bagnaia to the 2024 championship, and Ducati’s dominance has continued into this season.

But last weekend at Silverstone, for the first time, Marc Marquez appeared to join teammate Bagnaia in experiencing difficulties with the GP25.

“The interesting thing is that it’s hard to improve every time,” TNT Sports’ Sylvain Guintoli analysed.

“For Ducati it’s hard to improve. The package last year worked everywhere, it was strong in every way.

“They tried to improve, they turned up at Sepang with new 2025 parts but none of the riders liked them.

“They struggled in the braking zones to stop the bike.

“They came back with the spec but we don’t know how much.

“It’s tough to improve on a near-perfect package and it seems that, for Bagnaia, it was a step backwards. He is struggling to find the same feel as his 2024 Ducati last year.”

Bagnaia is the only rider to jump directly from the GP24 to the GP25 so he isn’t able to look at anybody else’s data of the same transition.

Last year’s other GP24 riders, Martin and Enea Bastianini, have left Ducati for Aprilia and KTM respectively. Franco Morbidelli remains on a ‘24-spec bike this season.

Gresini’s Alex Marquez has shone this season but has stepped from a ‘23 to a ‘24-spec Ducati.

Championship leader Marc Marquez has gone from a ‘23-spec at Gresini to the latest 2025 version in the factory garage, the same bike as Bagnaia and Fabio di Giannantonio.

'24 spec Ducati feted for its performance

Alex Marquez is perhaps the Ducati rider who has most unexpectedly burst out from the pack. He sits second in the MotoGP standings, but previously led for the first time in his career.

“The main thing for Alex is that he has found a home on the 2024 Ducati,” Guintoli assessed.

“As soon as he jumped on it, after the last race of last year at the test, he was immediately quick and confident.

“His first faux pas was the race in Le Mans where he crashed twice and scored no points. Can you blame him? The conditions were very tricky, and he made a couple of mistakes.

“Apart from that, he has been regularly taking points and beating Bagnaia. He has done really well.

“The ‘24 Ducati is working, they’ve got the data from last year, and a lot of experience from that bike.”

Michael Laverty added: “The independent teams get a year-old package but it was the championship-winning package. It’s a great tool for Ducati to provide to customer teams.

“It’s an interesting dynamic that the ‘24 would be the preferred bike for Bagnaia, but he’s got the latest and greatest 2025 evolution.

“It should be better in every area but change isn’t always better. Sometimes you modify it, and it takes away a little.

“It has taken away his comfort from the front which he needs.”

Bagnaia crashed out of the British MotoGP with poor feeling with his rear tyre.

He insisted he was “sliding and spinning everywhere” in his latest struggle with the Ducati.

Bagnaia credited teammate Marquez for disguising how he was experiencing the same problem, a lack of front feeling.

“We need to analyse it,” an unusually stern Marquez said after Silverstone.