MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Francesco Bagnaia delivered a frank assessment of Ducati Lenovo Team’s performance after finishing ninth at the 2026 Thai MotoGP in Buriram. The result marked a sobering start to the new season for the double world champion.
Arriving in Thailand encouraged by strong pre-season testing at the same circuit, Bagnaia had expected to challenge for at least a podium repeat from last year. Instead, his competitive peak came in FP1 with seventh place. He failed to progress to Q2 and recovered only from 13th to ninth in the Sprint.
The full-distance Grand Prix offered no relief. Struggling with rear tyre management and persistent wheelspin, Bagnaia was unable to mount a recovery despite three retirements ahead of him. He crossed the line ninth, 18 seconds behind race winner Marco Bezzecchi, and last among the full-time Ducati riders.
“I was the last [full-time] Ducati, so I was definitely the one who performed the worst,” Bagnaia told SkySports.it.
“I was managing the tyres a lot. I never pushed, because I cannot push, just to control the rear tyre. But eight laps to go I started to spin until fifth gear on the straight.
“In the final laps, when I was closing in on the group in front, I started to really feel the wear.”
Team-mate and reigning champion Marc Marquez was forced out of fourth place due to wheel rim damage, while the top Ducati finisher was Fabio Di Giannantonio in sixth aboard the factory-spec GP26. The outcome ended Ducati’s streak of 88 consecutive premier-class grands prix with at least one rider on the podium.
Meanwhile, Aprilia Racing placed four riders inside the top five led by Bezzecchi, and KTM secured second place after Pedro Acosta’s Sprint victory.
Bagnaia stressed that Ducati’s underlying potential appeared far stronger during testing than what was delivered on race weekend. He highlighted braking instability, difficulty turning the bike and traction management issues as critical weaknesses.
“If you had asked me during the test what our target would be, I would have said top three. We had potential that we were never able to unleash during the weekend.
“From the beginning we weren’t able to stop the bike well, we struggled to get it turning, to manage the traction.
“In the test I felt fantastic. I was able to push and control the tyres well. For some reason, during the race weekend, I started to struggle a lot.”
He acknowledged that the only notable difference was the track condition following Moto2 and Moto3 Pirelli rubber usage, but dismissed it as an excuse.
“The only thing that was different is the Pirelli tyres on track, but that can’t be an excuse. We have to work to get back to the front.
“It’s hard to think that Ducati’s level, given the tests we did, can be this high.”
Buriram has traditionally been a strong venue for Ducati, particularly with the harder rear tyre construction required due to high temperatures. However, Bagnaia admitted rivals made greater gains this time.
“This is a very good track for us. We always win here, like in Austria with the harder rear construction. But for some reason, this time it was more difficult.
“Aprilia did an amazing job, and KTM improved a lot. The others made a step forward and we made a step back. We need to understand why.”
Bagnaia leaves Thailand tenth in the riders’ championship with eight points. He remains confident that Ducati will rebound at the next round in Brazil later this month.
“I believe it. Brazil is a new circuit, but I’m convinced that Ducati will be back where it belongs.”
The Brazilian Grand Prix is now set to become a crucial benchmark for Ducati’s early-season trajectory, determining whether Thailand was an isolated setback or an indicator of deeper competitive concerns in the 2026 title fight.
Baca Juga
Pecco Bagnaia mengakui Ducati mengalami kemunduran usai finis kesembilan di MotoGP Thailand 2026 dan tertinggal dalam persaingan awal musim.
Maverick Vinales mengaku kehilangan grip depan KTM usai akhir pekan sulit MotoGP 2026 dan menargetkan perbaikan pada seri Brasil.
Marco Bezzecchi bangkit dari tiga crash Sabtu dan menangi MotoGP Thailand 2026, pimpin kebangkitan Aprilia.
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