Marc Marquez Takes First Factory Ducati Race Win – Tyre Pressure Issues?
Marc Marquez makes it a dream Ducati debut and takes a dominating victory in Buriram ahead of Alex Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia.
Francesco Bagnaia’s difficult start to the 2025 MotoGP season continued in Argentina.
With Ducati teammate Marc Márquez excelling on the latest spec bike and Álex Márquez performing strongly on the GP24 once again, the Italian once again found himself struggling to match their pace.
After limiting the damage in Thailand with two third-place finishes, Bagnaia took home another P3 finish in the sprint at Termas de Río Hondo, staying closer to the leading Marquez duo than he was able to in Buriram two weeks ago.
However, Sunday’s main race developed into another step back for last year’s runner up as he finished fourth, trailing the impressive Franco Morbidelli on the GP24.
Bagnaia came close to overtaking his VR46 Academy colleague but ultimately had to settle for a spot off the podium and his first main race finish outside the top 3 since Misano 2 in 2024.
The Italian leaves Argentina 31 points behind his new teammate Marc Márquez in the standings.
To solve the issues he’s facing with newest Ducati spec Bagnaia admitted after Sunday’s race that he might return to a full GP24-spec machine for the next round in Austin:
“We’ve made progress this weekend, but I’m still missing something, like rear tire control, which is strange because the bike is quite similar to last year’s.”
“Maybe, from the next race, I’ll go back to the GP24 because my feeling is still very unusual. We need to keep working, this issue needs to be fixed.”
Bagnaia also reflected on his struggles at Termas de Río Hondo: “I don’t know why this track always causes me problems.”
“Every year, I struggle to be competitive here, even though it should suit my riding style. But every time, I have the same issues.”
“Even when I try to do things differently, the situation remains unchanged. As soon as the race started, I struggled to find my rhythm.”
While Ducati’s factory bike shares many similarities with the GP24, Bagnaia has yet to feel fully comfortable with its 2025-spec modifications.
Over the winter, he focused heavily on development, but both Buriram and Termas de Río Hondo have failed to give him the confidence he’s looking for.
In Argentina, he reverted to some of the components from last year’s bike – the one with which he won 11 long races in 2024 – making a slight step forward.
“In the first half of the race, I wasn’t too far off the leaders. I was only a tenth or a tenth and a half slower per lap but that was enough for them to break away,” he explained.
“Then, I lost more time fighting [Johann] Zarco and Franco [Morbidelli]. The battle with Franco cost me the podium, but he simply managed the soft tire better than I did.”
“I tried everything to close the gap again in the final laps, but it just wasn’t possible.”
Ducati insists that the changes between the GP24 and the factory bike are minimal – some engine refinements, a new swingarm, and updates to the electronics.
But for Bagnaia, even small differences have been enough to take away the precise feeling he had on the GP24 last season.
“We need to focus on getting my feeling back because my feeling is what allows me to fight for victories, not fourth places.”
“Even third isn’t good enough. I know our potential, so we must focus on resolving these issues.”
Despite his struggles, Bagnaia insisted that this isn’t his worst situation in MotoGP. After all, points-wise it’s the Italian’s best-ever start to a season.
“This is not the worst position I’ve been in. Last year, the first part of the season was tougher, but the difference now is that I have a rival who is more consistent.”
“Marc hasn’t made any mistakes yet. Thirty-one points are already a lot to recover, and the next race is in Austin, where he is very strong.”
“But we need to fix this situation as soon as possible to start closing the gap.”
