Behind the scenes at Misano, Bagnaia talks with Di Giannantonio and ‘accuses’ Ducati: “Base setup? They don’t let me use it”

A dialogue that will spark debate

A new background emerges in the now very complicated relationship between Francesco Bagnaia and Ducati that is certainly destined to cause discussion. The setting is the media compound in Misano, where the riders pass through to record interviews with accredited TV stations. The Spanish channel DAZN, on the sidelines of the post-race interview with Bagnaia, ‘captured’ a very interesting dialogue between the three-time world champion and Fabio Di Giannantonio, another Ducati rider who rides the same bike as Bagnaia and Marquez, the GP26, but for the VR46 team.

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The conversation between the two is already underway and the beginning of the chat is not caught, but it is clearly a ‘technical’ discussion in which Di Giannantonio seems to suggest some practical solutions to his compatriot to try to get out of the apparently endless crisis period that Bagnaia has been facing essentially since the second half of 2025.

A ‘forbidden’ setup

The most interesting moments of the conversation are two and seem to fully capture the total disconnect that seems to exist between Bagnaia and his team: when Di Giannantonio suggests to Bagnaia to change some elements of his GP26, the Piedmontese replies “I put what they tell me to use“, referring to his technicians.

Then, at the end of the conversation, an almost exasperated Di Giannantonio proposes to Bagnaia to use a “basic” setup for the GP26, similar to the one he himself uses. Even in this case, however, the response of the #63 in red is one that closes any conversation: “They don’t let me do it”. So much so that it is Diggia himself, at that point, who says: “I give up” and ends the chat.

The issue is far from insignificant: does Ducati really ‘forbid’ Bagnaia from choosing certain types of bike setup, as seems to emerge from this dialogue? That would be something unusual and serious. Or is there something else that Bagnaia has not said?

Certainly, the issue raised by these statements risks becoming topical in a few days at the Red Bull Ring, when the GP of Austria returns to the track. We will see if Ducati’s top management will provide a response to these statements by Bagnaia and if what increasingly looks like a ‘cold war’ between the parties will be enriched with some new episode.

Below you will find the full transcript of the dialogue between the two Ducati riders:

Di Giannantonio: “But why? How is it possible?”.
Bagnaia: “You know, braking with the clutch pulled?”.
Di Giannantonio: “But why are you using the ‘little thing’ at the back?”.
Bagnaia: “You know that’s the least of the problems? I tell you…”.
Di Giannantonio: “But that, the red tail at the back…”.
Bagnaia: “I put what they tell me to use”.
Di Giannantonio: “But look at it, because it worked well”.
Bagnaia: “I tried it. I tried everything. I just tell you that for me soft and medium make no difference in front”.
Di Giannantonio: “In front?”.
Bagnaia: “For me soft and medium are completely the same. And soft used in the morning and soft used in qualifying are the same, at the back. Same grip”.
Bagnaia: “Anyway, I start braking as if I pulled the clutch as soon as I touch the brake”.
Di Giannantonio: “No, but I understand. But in my opinion if you put a so-called ‘normal’ configuration, just basic – like mine is quite basic – in my opinion not…”
Bagnaia: “They don’t let me do it”.
DI Giannantonio: “I give up…”.

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