Francesco Bagnaia: “Race Direction asked me what happened with Marc”

For six laps, Francesco Bagnaia looked back to his best at Mugello, trading blows with Ducati Lenovo team-mate Marc Marquez for the lead of his home Italian MotoGP.

The fierce duel - which included contact, most notably when Bagnaia clipped Marquez's rear wheel on the exit of Turn 3 - had the home fans on their feet and even caught the attention of Race Direction.

“They just asked me what happened with Marc, when we had the contact,” Bagnaia told TNT Sports. “I think it was a super normal contact in a race, but maybe they just wanted to hear what I had to say.”

Marquez is also reported to have been asked to give his account of the battle.

Meanwhile, after the fireworks of the opening laps, reigning triple Mugello winner Bagnaia's front-end gremlins returned, once again undoing his challenge on the factory GP25.

Drifting wide in dirty air, Bagnaia gradually lost ground and became a spectator behind the Marquez brothers.

His hopes of a home podium were finally dashed when VR46 Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio – also on the latest-spec GP25– snatched third place on the penultimate lap.

“Like always, I gave my maximum – even more this weekend because I really wanted to fight for the win,” said Bagnaia.

“But after 6–7 laps, I was struggling with the front. I needed to wait a bit and then I got stuck behind the two brothers.

“I was there, watching them and unable to do anything, like always. It's always the same – I'm stuck there, 0.7–0.8s behind, then I try to close the gap but at 0.2–0.3s the front starts to understeer everywhere, and then I need to wait and slow down a bit.

“It's a shame because I know I can be there fighting for wins. But this season, for some reason, I don't have the same feeling with my bike. So it's strange, but it is what it is.”

Bagnaia, whose sole 2025 MotoGP victory to date came after Marc Marquez’s crash from the lead at COTA, added:

“When I have new tyres, I can fight. But as soon as I finish a bit the front, it starts to be very tough.

“I watched them – Marc is entering much faster in the corners and is able to not have this kind of movement that I suffer a lot.

“It's strange because I never had it before. And with a bike that is similar to last year’s, this season I’m struggling a lot with the front – so it's strange.”

To add to his difficulties, Bagnaia was forced to race without the larger 355mm brake discs that had offered improved front-end feel in Aragon.

Mugello’s fast, flowing layout meant he had to revert to the standard 340mm setup.

"Assen could be a nightmare"

Bagnaia now sits 110 points behind Marc Marquez and 70 behind Alex Marquez in the world championship standings.

Next weekend’s Dutch TT at Assen – another Bagnaia stronghold – could bring some hope.

But with limited heavy braking zones, he may once again be without the larger brakes.

"We need to do something," Bagnaia told MotoGP.com of Assen. "But I think it will be tough because Assen is another track where the front feeling needs to be at the top.

"With the problems I'm having right now and the movement, I think Assen could be a nightmare. But I'm positive and I want just to enjoy it."