Ducati factory rider Francesco Bagnaia faced another extremely disappointing weekend in the 2026 MotoGP World Championship. After finishing only eighth in Saturday's sprint race, trailing ten full seconds behind his teammate, the Italian rider's situation worsened significantly during Sunday's main race at the Mandalika circuit.
Starting from tenth on the grid, Bagnaia showed no competitive threat at the front of the pack. The primary issue plaguing his Desmosedici machine remained the persistent lack of rear grip, which severely hampered his performance from the very beginning of the weekend.
His desperate attempt to salvage positions ended in disaster on the fifth lap of the grand prix. While trying to close the gap to Honda rider Luca Marini to gain slipstream and raise his front tire pressure—which had dropped too low—Bagnaia completely lost control and slid into the gravel trap.
This crash extends the two-time world champion's alarming negative trend this season. The incident in Indonesia marks his eighth non-scoring result in a main Grand Prix race throughout the 2026 season, excluding the sprint events.
Bagnaia's performance drop-off is exceptionally dramatic compared to his strong start in the first half of the year. During the opening nine rounds up to Brno, he collected 127 points and frequently stood on the podium, but in the subsequent eight races, he has managed to secure a mere 39 points.
As a result of this prolonged slump, Bagnaia has dropped to ninth place in the riders' world championship standings with 166 points. His last Grand Prix victory dates back to the 2025 Japanese GP at Motegi, leaving him with just five rounds remaining to finish his campaign on a positive note.
Heading to the upcoming round at Phillip Island, a massive challenge awaits as the Australian circuit demands the exact stability, feel, and grip that have eluded the Italian for months.
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