Luigi Dall'Igna comments on Francesco Bagnaia during Ducati's 2026 MotoGP launch
Ducati general manager Luigi Dall'Igna came under scrutiny for something he said about Francesco Bagnaia during the unveiling of their 2026 MotoGP bike.
The team introduced their new GP26 in Madonna di Campiglio earlier this January, showcasing a matte Rosso Centenario livery with a double white stripe to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary. Ducati also enters 2026 just one win short of reaching 100 Grand Prix victories.
Marc Marquez and Bagnaia contributed to a strong season in 2025, giving Ducati 13 wins between them. Marquez claimed 11 victories on his way to the title, while Bagnaia picked up wins in America—after Marquez crashed out—and later took pole-to-flag victory in Japan.
Marquez wrapped up the 2025 title with five rounds left, building a massive lead over Alex Marquez by the time he left Japan. Even after winning the Japanese GP, Bagnaia was still trailing his teammate by a significant margin through most of the season.
Photo by Roberto Tommasini/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Bagnaia dropped to fifth in the final standings after his win in Japan, which ended up being his only finish in the last seven races. Meanwhile, Ducati have made it clear that Marquez is their top priority when it comes to contract negotiations.
Dall'Igna has called securing a new deal with Marquez his "number one goal," given the Spaniard's contract runs out at the end of this year. Both Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali and team manager Davide Tardozzi have also labelled Marquez's contract talks as the team's main focus.
But Livio Suppo wasn't impressed with Dall'Igna saying publicly that Ducati would only look at their second rider after sorting out Marquez's future, without even naming Bagnaia. Hearing comments like that from the top won't do much for Bagnaia either.
"Gigi is a technical genius, but that statement wasn't entirely appropriate", Suppo has told Fanpage. "Pecco had a season far below expectations. And when you're already struggling, certain words become harsh.
"Marquez does not need public encouragement, he's a self-sustaining player. Pecco, on the other hand, is different, and you have to pay more attention to communication, too, if you want to help him."
Dall'Igna's remarks about focusing on Marquez's new contract underlined how far Bagnaia has fallen in their plans. The Italian won back-to-back titles for Ducati in 2022 and 2023 and came within touching distance of the crown in both 2021 and 2024, missing out by just 26 points and 10 points respectively.
But the bigger blow is that reports now link KTM rider Pedro Acosta with a two-year deal to join Marquez at Ducati from 2027, while Marquez is also expected to extend his stay with a new two-year contract.
With Fabio Quartararo set to move to Honda in 2027 and Yamaha reportedly bringing in Jorge Martin as his replacement, there are still some options available. A switch to either of the Japanese manufacturers or even Aprilia remains on the table for Bagnaia.
