MotoGP legend throws support behind Pecco Bagnaia to "show title credentials"

Three-time MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo believes Pecco Bagnaia will again “show that he’s a title contender” following a tough 2025 season with Ducati.

Double world champion Pecco Bagnaia endured his worst season ever with the factory Ducati team in 2025, as he managed just two wins and a distant fifth in the standings.

That slump came as new team-mate Marc Marquez dominated on identical machinery, taking 11 grands prix victories on his way to a seventh world title.

Bagnaia’s poor form last season looks to have cost him his place at the factory Ducati team, with Pedro Acosta widely tipped to take his place.

Despite this, the 2026 pre-season has started off positively for Bagnaia, who feels more comfortable on the GP26.

Speaking with the official MotoGP website during the Sepang test, Jorge Lorenzo backed Bagnaia to rebound.

“Pecco is still a champion, he's an incredible rider, super fast, super talented, super precise, and he didn't show that last year,” he said.

“His poor results didn't reflect what he's capable of, and I think when he feels more comfortable with the bike, he'll show that he's a title contender.”

Bagnaia’s struggles centred on a lack of feeling from the front-end, which was eventually traced back to the rear ride height device on the GP25.

Lorenzo sympathises with Bagnaia’s struggles, noting that small changes to bikes can have a major impact, as he discovered in his own career.

“In this environment, where everyone is the best of the best, the small details are very important,” he said.

“I remember when I was at Yamaha in 2014; the year before, I fought against Marc Marquez for the championship.

“I was very strong, but they changed the rules, they put on harder tyres, they reduced the fuel by two litres, and the bike changed completely.

“Perhaps from the outside it didn't seem like much, but for me it changed a lot of things, and my results were very bad at the beginning of the season.”