Francesco Bagnaia “very happy, but very angry” after perfect Motegi MotoGP

Francesco Bagnaia couldn’t help but wonder if the changes that transformed his fortunes on the GP25 Ducati in the Japanese MotoGP couldn’t have been found sooner.

A miserable season of persistent front-end issues robbed Bagnaia of his braking strength, and he arrived in Motegi without even a podium from the past ten races.

But after a disastrous home weekend in Misano, Ducati offered some ‘unconventional’ changes in the post-race test, which made a massive impact.

“In the test in Misano, I was riding 0.7 faster, so quite a huge difference,” Bagnaia said in Japan.

After several false dawns, many were sceptical that Bagnaia's progress would finally carry over to a different track.

But the double MotoGP champion was fastest in opening practice, took pole position and completed a perfect weekend by leading every lap of the Sprint and Grand Prix.

“I never left!” smiled Bagnaia, when asked if he was back. “It’s true that the results from this season are a bit strange and what happened this weekend is that… we finally found the way.

“I’m very happy about today, but I’m also very angry about this weekend, because maybe we could’ve done it earlier, maybe after one or two grands prix.

“We just struggled a bit during the season, but finally the test in Misano gave us the possibility to try things that have helped me a lot. Some specific [things] that have helped me also in other situations.

“So, super-happy about it, finally we found it.”

What has Ducati changed?

Bagnaia, presumably instructed not to comment on the modifications, replied:

“Honestly, I’m just a rider and I’m just here to push. Sometimes when I push, I’m 20th. And sometimes when I push, I win. It’s not only a matter of me.”

But it's inconceivable that Pecco wouldn't have wanted some idea the changes, after a season where he has faced enormous criticism, and he revealed earlier in the weekend:

“We tested different things in Misano, different things that we already had. But we never had the chance to really try this season.”

Had you already tested those parts this year?

“Yes, this year we had in Malaysia and Thailand, but then we removed it, because Thailand, honestly, was a useless test for me, I was very slow and I didn't have a chance to test anything.”

Ducati's pre-season had also been dominated by which engine spec to choose for 2025, while third places in the GPs directly before the Jerez and Aragon tests meant Bagnaia and Ducati didn't look outside the box until the pointless Misano weekend.

"The first true test was the one in Misano. So I was able to test different things."

Asked if Marquez - who has dominated the 2025 campaign and went on to be crowned champion on Sunday - was also using the parts, Bagnaia said, “Not everything.”

A visible change compared to the San Marino Grand Prix was the older rear seat aero. It’s also rumoured that Bagnaia had an older swingarm, forks and perhaps ride-height device.

“This weekend I was riding my bike and not fighting with it,” he said on Sunday evening.

“It was much easier for me to brake hard, enter fast into the corners, and without having that much movement, that much locking, that much understeering.

“So, for me, it was just much better and in a track like this, if I didn’t find a way in the Misano test, it would be another weekend like Barcelona.

“Because Barcelona was a track without grip and my difficulties have been a disaster, and this track could’ve been the same.”

While Bagnaia kept a lid on his expectations in public, he knew he was a contender from FP1 in Japan.

“I saw the light in Misano test. I’ve only finished first in FP1 three times in my career, I think. Then all the weekend went in the perfect direction. After qualifying I understood that it was possible to win."

He added: “Maybe in the next grand prix I will be back in 20th position, but I just want to enjoy the moment, say a huge congratulations to Marc who is super-deserving of this title. He was unbeatable this season and see if I can fight with him in the next five races.”

Bagnaia’s dream weekend could have gone up in smoke, literally, with intermittent puffs spewing from the exhaust of his Desmosedici during the second half of the race.

Fortunately, the engine held together, and there were no signs of any fluid being dropped, which would have caused a black and orange flag.

“I didn’t know anything. I was just not understanding why in the last three or four laps I was out of power in some corners and I was saying it’s strange,” said Bagnaia.

“But finally, I didn’t get any sanction, if I did, it was maybe the most upsetting moment of my career! So it’s better like this.”

Bagnaia cut 27 points from Alex Marquez’s advantage for second place in the world championship, meaning a deficit of 66 to the Gresini rider with five rounds to go.

"The only shame is that we needed 16 races [to find this solution]. But it is what it is. Better late than never," Bagnaia said after his pole and Sprint win on Saturday.