Ducati MotoGP team ‘protecting devastated’ Pecco Bagnaia: ‘He trusts us’

Ducati MotoGP team boss Davide Tardozzi says Pecco Bagnaia is “devastated” after the Indonesian Grand Prix, with the brand ‘protecting his emotions’.

A week on from sweeping the Japanese Grand Prix, the double world champion reverted to what he termed his ‘Misano’ form during the Indonesian Grand Prix.

Qualifying in 16th, Pecco Bagnaia was last in the sprint and almost 30s off the lead, before crashing out of the grand prix while again running well off the pace at the back.

Both Ducati and Bagnaia are at a loss to explain this sudden form drop, with it coming amid constant reports of his reverting largely to a GP24 with a 2025 engine fitted to it in Japan.

Bagnaia did not attend his media duties on Sunday, with Ducati claiming that it was a “consequence of the crash”, though did not clarify if this meant he had suffered an injury.

Speaking to Sky Italy, Tardozzi has now said he was kept away from the media to “protect his emotions”.

“He’s devastated right now, first as a person and even more so as a rider,” the team manager said.

“We want to protect Pecco and his emotions. If he came here with tears in his eyes, it couldn’t be otherwise.

“He’s a very sensitive guy, a fast rider, but right now we think it’s best to leave him alone and try to work to get him in a position to perform at Phillip Island.”

Bagnaia’s struggles come as Ducati has refused to confirm VR46’s comments that it gave the double world champion one of its GP24s to test at Misano last month, which formed the basis for his turnaround in Japan.

This has led to questions about the relationship between the pair, though Tardozzi is convinced Bagnaia still trusts Ducati.

“I absolutely think so,” he responded when questioned on this.

“I think after seven years he knows us very well, both technically and personally.

“I don’t think there’s ever been a single time where Pecco has doubted that we’re doing 100% to help him.”