Casey Stoner: Marc Marquez a "problem for everybody”, Bagnaia can benefit

Casey Stoner believes Francesco Bagnaia will ultimately emerge stronger from a frustrating 2025 MotoGP season alongside Marc Marquez at Ducati Lenovo.

Bagnaia, world champion in 2023 and 2024, then runner-up to Jorge Martin last year, has been overshadowed by new factory team-mate Marquez throughout 2025.

The eight-time world champion has won nine of 13 grands prix and the last 12 races in succession, including Sprints, to open a commanding 142-point championship lead.

But Marquez’s closest challenger is not Bagnaia, but his younger brother Alex on the year-old GP24 at Gresini. Bagnaia is a further 55 points behind, with his only victory of the season inherited when Marquez crashed out of the lead at COTA.

Stoner: "Difficult to attack Pecco when everybody is struggling against Marc"

Speaking to Sky Italia during the Austrian MotoGP weekend, Stoner said: “I think for sure there is a big element of somebody coming into the same team and finding something in a bike that you can’t match at this moment.

“Right now, I think Marquez is creating the same problem for everybody in the paddock. Not only for Pecco. So I think it’s a little bit difficult to attack Pecco when everybody is struggling against Marc.

“I think it’s also a benefit for Pecco, to be in the same garage as Marc. To learn from him this year.

“You learn always in your worst moments and I think this can be really beneficial for Pecco to take as much information as he can, and then use this for the next year and then see what can happen.

“But as long as you keep trying, as long as you keep working, you can find something.”

Bagnaia started strongly at the Red Bull Ring, but his hopes of extending a three-race Austrian Grand Prix win streak vanished when he faded from second to eighth in Sunday’s main event.