P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Pecco Bagnaia’s form breakthrough in Japan has been subject to intense debate, as one theory refuses to go away
Rumours in the MotoGP paddock suggest Pecco Bagnaia’s form turnaround in Japan may have been influenced by Ducati providing him with one of Franco Morbidelli’s GP24s during testing at Misano. Bagnaia struggled throughout the 2025 season on Ducati’s latest factory prototype due to front-end confidence issues and challenging races, including a double DNF at his home Grand Prix in San Marino. The Misano post-race test was seen as a crucial opportunity for Bagnaia to salvage his season, leading to potential changes that improved his confidence on the bike. Bagnaia’s positive performance at the Motegi Grand Prix included securing pole position and dominant wins, showcasing a significant improvement from earlier races. Although specific details of the changes made to Bagnaia’s bike remain undisclosed, speculations suggest the addition of components from the GP24, including a different front fork, swingarm, and ride height device. Dorna’s Jack Appleyard amplified rumors suggesting that Ducati may have provided Bagnaia with Morbidelli’s GP24 equipped with a GP25 engine in response to the rider’s requests for a bike he felt more comfortable on. Despite acknowledging using components similar to those on Marquez’s GP25, Bagnaia neither confirmed nor denied the speculation surrounding the bike swap with Morbidelli.
