P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Francesco Bagnaia feels the Ducati GP26 is relying too heavily on rear grip, causing late-race issues in MotoGP.
Valentino Rossi pointed out that Francesco Bagnaia’s biggest problem is the dropping rear tyre.
Bagnaia’s rear grip issues from last year have carried over to 2026, despite improvements in front-end feeling over the winter.
At COTA, Bagnaia lost a Sprint victory due to a decline in pace and difficulties with the rear tyre, ultimately finishing tenth in the grand prix.
Bagnaia feels the GP26 relies too much on the rear tyre for turning, leading to excessive stress on the rubber.
Teammate Marc Marquez has struggled at race starts, while Bagnaia and Fabio di Giannantonio believe the rear tyre is being overused on the Ducati GP26.
