How Bagnaia risked crashing and still finished outside points in Catalan GP nightmare

Factory Ducati MotoGP rider Francesco Bagnaia says he has no explanation for his torrid form at the Catalan Grand Prix, saying he was pushing to the limit and risking crashes.

Having endured his worst qualifying result in three years earlier on Saturday, Bagnaia made little progress from 21st on the grid in the sprint, ending 14th in a race that saw just 18 finishers.

It marked the continuation of his mid-season slump in MotoGP that has seen him finish fourth, seventh and eighth in the last three grands prix, and miss Q2 on two consecutive weekends.

However, the two-time MotoGP champion stressed that his recent run of form was not down to a lack of aggression, as he revealed how often he came close to crashing in Saturday’s sprint race.

“What is difficult to do and to accept is that I’m struggling and I’m risking to crash a lot,” he said. “I’m finishing the rear tyre everywhere. Going one second slower each lap, one second and a half slower each lap. It’s strange, very strange. 

“Today, I risked to crash seven times. It’s strange because last year I was much faster. I never had this kind of risk.”

He added: “I’m [running] behind riders. Looking [at them] from behind, I can’t gain a lot of advantage in some parts, and in the others I’m losing a lot. Riding like this is quite difficult.”

Bagnaia’s poor form has been one of the biggest talking points of the 2025 season, with Marc Marquez’s arrival changing the dynamics in the Ducati garage.

The Italian has watched Marquez, with 10 grand prix wins and 14 sprint victories, pull almost twice as many points on him this season and move closer to his seventh premier class title.

But even with no end in sight to his troubles, Bagnaia has vowed not to give up and to find a solution to his troubles on the GP25.

“Honestly, I’m thinking session by session. I’m a dreamer and every time I’m hoping to feel better. Like I always did,” he said. “I will never accept this situation until it’s not finished. Because if I have a chance, I will always try. I will never give up the situation. I’m not this kind of guy and I’m trying to do the maximum every time.

“We are always trying, everybody [is trying] to do the maximum. Honestly, right now, it’s quite difficult to say that we are doing the maximum because I finished 14th, but I overtook [Alex] Rins and Aleix [Espargaro] today. 

“So surely I’m able to do something better and better. It’s true that my feeling with this bike is not the best. But I cannot also do 21st in qualifying and finish in 14th in the sprint.”

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Burak Akbulut – Anadolu – Getty Images

No GP24/GP25 comparisons

During pre-season testing, Bagnaia was convinced that last year’s title-winning GP24 was quicker and more suited to his style of riding, but Ducati eventually opted for a solution that was closer to this year’s new GP25 prototype.

When asked if there is anything he prefers about the GP25 compared to last year’s bike, Bagnaia declined to make a comparison.

“I don’t want to compare the bikes anymore,” he said. “Right now, it’s the bike I have. Marc is doing an outstanding job with it. It’s clear that today it wasn’t the fastest but it won. So we just need to respect his job and see what he’s doing because he’s riding in a very perfect way.”
 
He added: “Right now I’m only focused on the problems. It’s [about] why I’m struggling like this. In some situations, it’s just better thinking about riding and not thinking about the rest. It’s something that I need to do.”