Francesco Bagania has admitted he’s rediscovered his feeling with the front-end on the GP26 Ducati at the MotoGP test in Sepang.
The two-time MotoGP champion endured a tough 2025 with a front-end feeling, which made it difficult to get the bike stopped in corners.
He went from winning 11 races in 2024 to just two in 2025, with one inherited after a crash from Marquez in Texas.
Bagnaia explained that this was his most important task in testing, as without that feeling, he would have struggled to understand what was and was not working with the new items Ducati had provided.
“I was searching yesterday mainly to have the feeling back on braking/entry,” he told the official MotoGP website.
“As soon as we started, I found it. Being able to ride in the way I want and the way I prefer is much better, also for the technicians who need to understand more our feelings.
“So, with this kind of feeling, we can work more, we can understand the items.
“So, it’s better for everybody. In the next three days, we will just need to finish our job and focus on the race.
“When you test new items, something can start to work in a different way that is maybe not the correct one.”
On the topic of his future, the 29-year-old said he has “many opportunities” to consider as he looks ahead to the 2027 regulation cycle.
The factory Ducati rider could be on his way out after the 2026 season, amid rumours that Pedro Acosta may join the Bologna-based team.
Bagnaia is reportedly being considered by both factory Aprilia and factory Yamaha, but he could also remain with Ducati by joining VR46, reuniting with his mentor Rossi’s team, where he previously raced in Moto2.
On his future, the Italian stated: “I’m still talking. It’s clear that a season like the last one can put you on the wrong side, but I’m still talking.
“I have many opportunities, and we have to decide.
“It is what it is. We live in a super-fast world, so you have to be fast. Jorge Lorenzo said something correct: you are remembered for your last races.
“It’s right and normal that it should be that way. It’s true that in the last 3 or 4 years, contracts have been decided much earlier, but that’s the way it is, and I think it’s right.”
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