Pecco Bagnaia hits back at 2025 MotoGP critics: “90% of it was unnecessary”
Pecco Bagnaia believes most of the criticism he faced last year was unwarranted
Ducati’s Pecco Bagnaia has hit back at those who criticised him during a difficult 2025 MotoGP season, with the Italian noting “90% of it was unnecessary”.
The double world champion came into 2025 off the back of a 2024 campaign in which he won 11 grands prix and missed out on a third title by just 10 points.
With Marc Marquez as a team-mate, Pecco Bagnaia was expected to fight again for the championship.
But he struggled to get on top of the GP25, with Bagnaia winning just twice across the year and slumping to a distant fifth in the standings as Marquez romped to his seventh world title.
Ducati turned the GP25 upside down to try to help Bagnaia, but his form was wildly inconsistent throughout the season, with tensions building between both parties at numerous points.
Bagnaia reflects on 2025 backlash
Bagnaia’s troubled form led to hefty criticism from all corners, though he feels now that most of it was “unnecessary”.
“It depended on who the criticism came from, because 90% of it was unnecessary,” he said during Ducati’s 2026 launch event.
“In the end, I dealt with it as it needed to be dealt with: when criticism is constructive, it’s right to accept it, listen to it, and try to assimilate it.
“When criticism is pointless, there’s no point in even considering it.”
Bagnaia cut a more optimistic figure coming into the 2026 season, following his first test on the new bike last November in Valencia.
However, his chances of remaining with Ducati beyond this year now look remote.
Ducati is thought to be nearing a deal to keep Marc Marquez for another two years, while rumours continue to circulate that it has snared Pedro Acosta to join him.
At its 2026 livery launch, Ducati noted that its priority was to sign Marquez, while Bagnaia made no mention of any conversations being held between himself and the Italian manufacturer.
It’s unclear where Bagnaia’s MotoGP future lies, though there are persistent rumours of a move to Yamaha, who looks unlikely to retain Fabio Quartararo beyond the current season.
Pre-season testing begins next week on 3-5 February at Sepang, followed by two final days at Buriram on 21-22 February.
The 2026 season then begins with the Thailand Grand Prix on 27 February-1 March.
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