Francesco Bagnaia is feeling the pressure after his teammate, Marc Marquez, made an incredible start to the 2025 season. Yet, experts believe that Bagnaia has what it takes to make a strong comeback.

Marquez, the newest member of the factory Ducati team, has taken the championship by storm, winning both sprints and races in the first two rounds. Now, as the season moves to Texas—one of Marquez’s strongest circuits—his dominance shows no signs of slowing down.

In contrast, Bagnaia is struggling to keep pace. Surprisingly, even Alex Marquez, who is riding an older Ducati, has outperformed him. This has led Bagnaia to consider changing his setup to be closer to last year’s GP24 model.

Pressure

TNT Sports analyst Neil Hodgson believes that Bagnaia’s problems stem from discomfort with the front of his bike.

“He’s been open and vulnerable about it,” Hodgson said. “It seems like he’s not himself. The presence of Marc next door brings massive pressure and expectation. It has knocked the wind out of his sails.”

Bagnaia has admitted that he is questioning himself as a rider, which can be dangerous for both his performance and mental health. Hodgson explains, “Riders always think the solution is to try harder, but that usually makes things worse. It leads to mistakes and a downward spiral.”

However, Hodgson remains confident in Bagnaia’s ability to turn things around. “He’s a bright, intelligent three-time world champion. He’ll analyze the situation and come back with a different approach.”

Still Coping with Last Year’s Disappointment

Adding to his struggles, Bagnaia is still dealing with the disappointment of losing last year’s title to Jorge Martin. Martin, riding an identical bike for the satellite team, claimed the championship in the final round.

“You take a hit when something like that happens,” former rider Michael Laverty explained. “You spend the winter rebuilding. But then, just as you’re trying to regain confidence, your new teammate is dominating every timed session. That’s a brutal challenge to overcome.”

On top of that, Bagnaia isn’t as comfortable with this year’s bike as he should be, making the situation even tougher. Hodgson highlighted the emotional side of his struggle: “Marc is winning, the team is celebrating, and Bagnaia is left feeling like he just wants to escape it all.”

If Marquez continues his winning streak in Texas, he could build a significant points lead after just three rounds. This would only put Bagnaia in an even tougher situation.