MotoGP, Bagnaia is ready for a repeat performance in Indonesia: this is how he "reclaimed" Ducati.

At the next Indonesian GP, ​​Ducati is aiming for a repeat performance from Motegi, whether Bagnaia finishes first and Marquez second, or the positions are reversed, with the new MotoGP world champion ahead of the resurgent Italian. At Borgo Panigale, they're looking to the near future with the goal, at this point, of retaining both their riders for the next two years. Ducati, in particular, wants to secure Marquez, who could end his career, perhaps after winning his 10th world title on the Reds, returning to his first love, Honda. We'll see. Meanwhile, there's the "Bagnaia question." It'll be clear from Mandalika whether Pecco will confirm the results he demonstrated last weekend in Japan, where he appeared completely transformed compared to the rider who was overwhelmed by difficulties throughout the season and who, after the summer break, seemed to have sunk into an irreversible technical and competitive crisis.

It's important to understand how what appears to be a genuine rebirth in Japan came about, particularly from a technical standpoint. The "genesis" of the return to peak competitiveness has a specific date and place. Monday, September 15, Misano, the day of the test following the San Marino Grand Prix weekend. Bagnaia—while not revealing much, unlike other times—had hinted that he had found some important technical solutions to his problems. "Having time available, we tried different configurations, moving and redistributing the weight around the bike, and I have to say we've figured something out," the Piedmontese rider stated, adding that "(in Japan) some solution will definitely work. The direction we took today is something that won't take too long to become effective." Bagnaia himself, after Sunday's victory, reiterated that "this is the first weekend where I've felt truly at ease; since Misano, I've been enjoying riding the bike again."

What was tested, in more detail, at Misano? Essentially, a fork was introduced that is a slight variation of the one used last year, along with the swingarm and lowering system from the 2024 bike. Regarding the front suspension, at Motegi, Ohlins technician Giacomo Massarotto explained that "Bagnaia is now using a 2024 fork, which, while retaining the same hydraulics, has 15mm less travel than the 2025 version, which the two-time world champion has never really liked." This solution seems to have given the rider a greater sense of handling and agility when cornering, a more stable and "solid" front end for quick and precise corner entry, and a lower center of gravity, which improves the bike's responsiveness. This configuration also favors acceleration out of corners—thanks to improved front-end traction—and reduces the risk of "sticking" when braking. Bagnaia has thus returned to his killer braking, regaining a good feeling at the front and being able to ride more aggressively as in the past. A perfect combination for the Motegi circuit layout, a stop-and-go track where braking is crucial in setting lap times. As for the rear of the bike, in addition to the reintroduction of the aforementioned 2024 swingarm, the "oversuspension" system has been permanently installed. This is a "socket" that functions as an adjustable gravitational resonator, mounted on the side of the swingarm itself. This device allows the frequencies generated by the suspension to be "mediated," improving steering precision, traction, braking, and overall bike stability. This system was initially rejected by Bagnaia but has already been used after the first Grands Prix of the season (with widespread positive feedback) by Marc Márquez, who appears to have substantially solved the problem of tire "bounce" under braking. On current MotoGP bikes, tire "bouncing" or "chattering" (uncontrolled vibration) occurs due to high levels of grip, especially when braking and cornering, which reduces the rider's sensitivity to the so-called grip limit and causes fluctuations in the telemetry signal. To counteract this phenomenon, suspension stiffness and travel are adjusted, along with specific frame elements and the overall mass of the bike at the balance level, to shift the resonance frequency and thus the onset of chatter. Oversuspension is a solution that introduces additional mass with an opposing resonance, helping to mitigate or eliminate tire bounce during braking. These aren't entirely new developments, but rather various solutions that had already been tested on Pecco's bike in recent months, albeit each time separately and not in an "organic" and continuous manner. This time, however, "everything" was put together in a sort of "integrated" approach.

This was likely the so-called "unconventional" work Bagnaia had mentioned after the Misano tests, which would have helped the two-time world champion regain his confidence. Further support, both technically and especially mentally, came from his interaction with Casey Stoner. The Australian champion was also present at the Misano test, and his close relationship with Bagnaia is no secret. However, it's clear that, as in the case of the short-travel Ohlins fork mentioned above, it's difficult to quantify the specific weight—in absolute terms—of the overall benefits these solutions bring in terms of "added feeling," and at this point, whether it's decisive remains to be seen. Now, Bagnaia's final test will come next weekend in Indonesia. At Mandalika, the focus won't be on necessarily replicating the Motegi victory, but rather on "consolidating" the positive feelings experienced in Japan and proving himself competitive and fast again in every session. Obviously, for Pecco, his primary point of reference will be his teammate and newly crowned World Champion, Marc Marquez. Without wishing to downplay Pecco's overall performance at Motegi in any way, it's equally clear that Marc, in Japan, was the protagonist of a weekend marked by "wiseness," in which he didn't want to overdo it to avoid the risk of postponing a guaranteed triumph. Both races—both Saturday and Sunday—were essentially conducted "under management," a little less "Marquez-like" and certainly more like an experienced rider aware of the high stakes. If Bagnaia is still able to keep pace with a Marc Márquez, now mentally more free and eager to increase his seasonal win tally, and is able to duel with him, then the long period of crisis that has gripped him in 2025 could be considered truly over. And, who knows, the conditions could be created to more closely challenge the second place in the championship held by Alex Márquez, still 66 points behind, but who had a lackluster weekend at Motegi. That second place finish in the standings, which, according to the Ducati team's early-season expectations, could and should have been the prerogative, regardless of the standings, of one of the two Lenovo team riders.