Pecco Bagnaia says she is confident that she will be able to move a MotoGP title battle with factory Ducati teammate Marc Marquez to the Valencia wire.
Double World champion Pecco Bagnaia faces the toughest challenges of her MotoGP career as she won her third title with Mark Marquez.
So far, in 2025, Marquez has a clear advantage over his teammates earning all four sprints and three of the first three Grand Prix, earning a 26-point lead in the rankings.
Bagnaia has struggled to get the pace at GP25, but managed the victory at Kota after Marquez fell from the lead.
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Despite running at the loss to his teammates on an equal machine now, Bagnaia believes he can push Marquez all the way to Valencia.
“I know Mark might be the most competitive rider, so last year he was adapting to the situation, so he did a very good job,” he told TNT Sport.
“He started at the top this season, so it certainly would be a little different, but he can also have a good fight to Valencia.
“I think we’ll fight as soon as I get back to my top. That’s certainly fun.”
Bagnaia’s tough start to 2025 was behind the title loss in 2024 to Pramac Ducati rival Jorge Martin.
Not seeking victory at the beginning of 2025, Bagnaia said:
“I knew the possibilities would come back, but I didn’t know when.
“So it was about continuing to work like we did with our team, and when I arrived in Austin, I realized that my emotions had improved a lot from the first session.
“And when I was able to compete at pace with the strongest person ever in Austin, I really enjoyed it.”