Moto3 crew SIC58 proprietor Paolo Simoncelli says Pecco Bagnaia “underestimated” Marc Marquez in 2025 as a result of unhealthy recommendation from Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP camp.
Regardless of successful back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 and successful 11 Grands Prix, the Ducati manufacturing facility rider narrowly missed out on third place in 2024, earlier than slumping to fifth within the standings in 2025.
Whereas his new Ducati teammate Marc Márquez received his seventh MotoGP title with 11 Grands Prix wins and 14 sprints, Pecco Bagnaia managed simply two wins in a really unstable 2025 season.
Bagnaia struggled to adapt to GP25, with many commenting that his difficulties have been as a result of psychological strain of being Marquez’s teammate.
That is one thing that each he and Ducati have repeatedly disputed.
In an interview with an Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Paolo Simoncelli believes Bagnaia was induced to underestimate Marquez by the VR46 group round him.
“He was not ready for such a powerful teammate,” stated Simoncelli, father of the late Marco Simoncelli.
“Pecco was from Valentino Rossi’s group and after listening to every part stated in that group, he underestimated Marquez.
“The 12 months earlier than, he misplaced on this planet championship regardless of successful 11 races.
“He thought, ‘All we have to do is cut back crashes.’ However Marc is a beast on the observe and that put him in peril.”
When Ducati signed Marquez to the manufacturing facility crew in 2025, it was reported on the time that this infuriated the VR46 group round Bagnaia.
Marquez and Rossi famously fell out in direction of the top of the 2015 season, beginning a feud that simmers to today.
In the identical interview, Simoncelli stated that Marquez reminded him of his late son, who died in an accident through the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix.
“I knew Marc was the strongest,” he stated.
“I’ve all the time favored him. He rides and thinks like my son, by no means provides up, all the time strives.
“We’d have had quite a lot of enjoyable if Marco hadn’t died. We all know what combating in sports activities is like.”
