Francesco Bagnaia believes his Mugello MotoGP podium could be a turning point despite ongoing struggles with his Ducati.
Bagnaia has struggled during the 2026 season, as he has not won a Grand Prix since the 2025 Grand Prix of Japan.
However, at the Grand Prix of Italy, the Italian rider stood on the Grand Prix podium in front of his home fans.
The factory Ducati rider started the race from the second row of the grid, but grabbed the lead of the Grand Prix in the early laps.
After leading the first half of the race, Bagnaia was overtaken by Marco Bezzecchi and dropped back to second place before falling further back to third when he was overtaken by Jorge Martin.
The factory Aprilia riders had gotten the better of Bagnaia, but he refused to miss out on a podium appearance as he beat Ai Ogura in a last-lap battle around Mugello.
“Today I gave it my all from the start; I tried not to put too much stress on the rear tyre, but halfway through the race I started to struggle,” Bagnaia told GPOne.
“I knew Bezzecchi was close and would attack; I had to stay calm, or I wouldn’t have had a chance to make it onto the podium. I got the best result I could.”
The Italian continued by saying, “It’s clear we’re struggling; I lack rear grip even compared to the other Ducatis, and we’re trying to go in a different direction.
“As for me, over the last two seasons, the bike has started to have a different balance, and we’re trying to bring it back to the setup I prefer.
“The results are coming; we’re making progress in small steps, and I think that in the future I’ll be able to compete against the Aprilias, which, right now, are a bit faster.”
Bagnaia hopes Mugello result is the ‘starting point’ for MotoGP comeback
After a difficult start to the season, Bagnaia has now had back-to-back Grand Prix podiums with rostrum appearances at Catalunya and Mugello.
The Italian rider remains hopeful that he can return to the form that he has shown in the past in his MotoGP title-winning seasons.
Despite knowing that Mugello suits his riding style, Bagnaia is hopeful that the Grand Prix of Italy will be a “starting point” for his MotoGP comeback.
Bagnaia said, “I really hope so. Since the start of the season, we’ve been working with a different mindset, and I’m giving it my all—at home, in training, here—to get back to the level I was used to.
“The Ducati works differently than in the past, and we’re trying to make sure I can ride it at 100%; we’re getting there.
“I know this track suits my riding style well, but I want this result to be a starting point. If we keep this up, I promise I’ll be back fighting for the win.”
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