Despite ongoing difficulties with the GP25, Ducati is backing Francesco Bagnaia – mentor Valentino Rossi also believes in the Italian’s comeback
Following Francesco Bagnaia’s ongoing difficulties with the current Desmosedici GP25, rumors have been circulating about a possible change in the Ducati lineup. Italian media speculated that Bagnaia could end his commitment to the factory team prematurely or even be replaced by Fabio Di Giannantonio from the VR46 team.
However, Ducati sporting director Mauro Grassilli has firmly denied these speculations. “The situation is very clear,” he emphasized in an interview with Sky Sport Italia.
“Pecco is a Ducati rider and will continue to compete with the factory team next year. Diggia is an official rider who rides for our factory-supported VR46 team, and that will remain the case in 2026.” Last year, a long-term project was started with the VR46 structure, which will be continued.
Rossi: Pecco has proven his worth
Valentino Rossi, Bagnaias’ mentor and head of the VR46 Academy, also recently commented on his protégé’s problems on Sky. The nine-time motorcycle world champion remained confident despite the difficult season.
“Pecco is a three-time world champion, winning one title with our team in Moto2. He is incredibly fast, but this year he has struggled a bit,” said Rossi, who pointed out that Bagnaia has been in contention for the title every year since 2022, winning two of them and losing the last one in the final.
“He has proven his worth many times over. This year, he hasn’t felt entirely comfortable with the new Ducati version, and on top of that, he has a very fast teammate in Marquez. We are going through a difficult phase, but we are doing everything we can to help him and understand the causes. We don’t yet know exactly what happened. But I’m sure Pecco will come back and fight for victories again.”
Successful work by the VR46 Academy
Apart from that, Rossi also looked at the development of his VR46 Academy. He describes the project, which was launched in 2012/13, as a labor of love.
“I’m trying to give something back to motorcycle racing for what it has given me. It’s great to work with young riders. We now have four riders in MotoGP.” His academy riders include Luca Marini (Honda), Franco Morbidelli (VR46), Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia), and Bagnaia.
“Luca rides the official Honda—a bold decision because the bike was struggling, but now he’s always at the front,” he says of his half-brother. “We’ve supported Franco from the beginning. He won the Moto2 World Championship and is now with us in MotoGP.”
“And finally Marco,” whose strong season with Aprilia Rossi particularly highlights. “He’s giving us a lot of joy this year: he’s had a fantastic season with Aprilia.”
