The 2025 Argentine MotoGP Grand Prix left a bittersweet taste in the Ducati paddock, especially for Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia. The three-time world champion, known for his precision and competitiveness, surprised everyone by admitting after the race that he hasn’t ruled out a return to the Ducati GP24, the bike that brought him glory in previous seasons. This announcement comes at a critical point in the season, with just two rounds completed and Marc Márquez seemingly having found his dominant place in the official Ducati team. What’s happening with Pecco and his GP25? Is this a desperate move or a calculated strategy?
The weekend at Termas de Río Hondo wasn’t ideal for Bagnaia. Although he managed to minimize the damage with a third place in the sprint race, he finished a disappointing fourth on Sunday, off the podium and more than five seconds behind his teammate, Marc Márquez, who took the victory with authority. A visibly frustrated Pecco didn’t hide his feelings in the post-race press conference: “I still miss something, like rear tire control, and it’s strange, considering the bike is similar to last year’s. Maybe, starting with the next race, I’ll go back to the GP24, because right now my feelings are very strange.” These words resounded like thunder throughout the motorcycling world, leaving the door open for a radical change in his approach for 2025.
The Ducati GP25, the natural evolution of the successful GP24, arrived with high expectations after a preseason in which Ducati maintained its technical dominance. However, while Márquez seems to be adapting perfectly to the new machine, Bagnaia can’t find the feeling that made him a nearly unbeatable rider in 2024, when he achieved 11 victories in feature races. The performance gap between the two factory Ducati riders is evident: Márquez leads the championship with 74 points after two rounds, while Pecco sits third with 43, 31 points behind. This contrast has set off alarm bells in the Italian’s garage.
But what’s pushing Bagnaia to consider a step back? The answer seems to lie in confidence and feeling on the bike. The GP25, while sharing many elements with its predecessor, incorporates changes that don’t quite fit Pecco’s riding style. “We made a step forward this weekend, but I was still missing something,” he explained. “The rear tire control isn’t what I had last year, and that’s strange because the base of the bike is similar.” Interestingly, other riders such as Álex Márquez and Franco Morbidelli, who compete with the GP24 in satellite teams, took podium finishes in Argentina, reinforcing the idea that the 2024 bike remains highly competitive.
Bagnaia’s next challenge will be the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, a circuit where Marc Márquez has historically dominated with seven wins in ten starts. For Pecco, on the other hand, Austin has never been a favorable terrain: since his arrival in MotoGP in 2019, he has failed to make a podium finish in Sunday’s race. Aware of this disadvantage, the Italian knows he can’t afford to give up any more ground in the championship. “Marc is very strong there, and 31 points is already a lot to make up,” he admitted. “We have to resolve this situation as soon as possible to start closing the gap.”
The possibility of returning to the GP24 isn’t just a technical issue, but also a psychological one. Bagnaia needs to regain the confidence that led him to back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. Ducati Team Principal Davide Tardozzi supported this idea, stating that “it’s up to us to help him. He doesn’t have the feeling he had last season; he’s missing something on corner entry.” This diagnosis suggests that the team is willing to explore all options to return its star to the fight for victories.
The 2025 MotoGP World Championship has only just begun, with 18 races still to go. However, Marc Márquez’s early dominance and the surprising competitiveness of the Ducati GP24s in the hands of riders like Álex Márquez and Morbidelli raise an inevitable question: is the GP25 really a step forward for everyone? For Pecco Bagnaia, moving back to the GP24 could be the move that puts him back on the path to success. In a sport where the details make the difference, this switch could be the key to getting back into the title fight. Austin will be the next chapter in this intriguing story, and the motorcycling world will be watching every corner.
