Valentino Rossi, the legendary Italian MotoGP rider, has made a bold statement, calling on Ducati to match the effort put in by Francesco Bagnaia to help him turn around his 2026 campaign. Rossi, who is in his final season with Ducati, has been vocal about the need for more commitment from the team, especially after a difficult 2025 season. He believes that Bagnaia, Ducati's most successful rider in MotoGP, is giving his all, but the team needs to step up its game to help him reach his full potential.
Rossi's comments come in the wake of a challenging period for Bagnaia, who has struggled to consistently fight at the front since the start of the 2025 season. Despite flashes of pace and the occasional victory, Bagnaia has failed to make a definitive breakthrough, leading to increasing friction between both sides over the course of last year. Ducati has already made a decision to replace Bagnaia in 2027, bringing in Pedro Acosta from KTM to partner Marc Marquez.
In his interview with Sky Italia, Rossi expressed his concern about the lack of commitment from Ducati, saying, 'I would like to see Ducati commit themselves just as much as Pecco does in the effort to get back to the front.' He went on to highlight the importance of a united front, saying, 'I’ve noticed that, following the events of last year, the atmosphere between them has cooled significantly.'
Bagnaia, however, distanced himself from Rossi's comments, insisting that he feels Ducati is just as committed as he is on finding a solution for his woes. He said, 'What Vale said is just assumption. He sees what I do at home, but he doesn’t see what they’re doing at Ducati.'
Despite the differences in opinion, both Rossi and Bagnaia agree on one thing: the need for a united front to turn around their respective campaigns. Rossi believes that Ducati needs to put in the same effort as Bagnaia, while Bagnaia is working hard to regain his balance. The question remains: will Ducati step up its game to help Bagnaia reach his full potential, or will the team move on to new riders in 2027?
