Ducati formally ended Francesco Bagnaia's contract on Wednesday, June 24. The 29-year-old Italian rider departs at the end of 2026, concluding an eight-year partnership that produced two world titles and 31 race wins. Pedro Acosta, currently racing for KTM, will replace him and join Marc Marquez at Ducati's factory team in 2027.
Why Bagnaia had to go
Marquez displaced Bagnaia from the top of the team hierarchy in a single season. In 2025, Marquez arrived at Ducati's factory team and immediately claimed his seventh world championship, finishing 257 points ahead of Bagnaia, who placed fifth. A gap that wide between two riders in the same garage was reason enough for Ducati to change course.
Gigi Dall'Igna, General Manager of Ducati Corse, did not frame the split as failure. "In relationships, it is not always easy to recognise and understand when a cycle has come to an end and change becomes necessary," he said. Ducati positioned the separation as a natural turning point.
The irony cuts deep. Dall'Igna had once described Ducati's early interest in Bagnaia as the foundation of a long-term project. That project delivered: his 2022 title ended a championship drought for Ducati in the premier class. CEO Claudio Domenicali called it "the culmination of Ducati's restructuring process, which allowed us to return to the forefront after an undeniably difficult period." A second title followed in 2023. Then Marquez arrived and the same project pivoted, leaving its architect sidelined.
Bagnaia had signaled his exit before the official announcement. "Yeah, I just decided. In a few days, the announcements from all the teams will come in. So wait for mine too," he told reporters.
One exit, four riders in motion
Bagnaia's departure sets off a domino effect across the grid. Acosta leaves KTM for Ducati's factory seat. Bagnaia himself is widely expected to join Aprilia in 2027 alongside Marco Bezzecchi, according to reporting from The Race. Bezzecchi reportedly did not object to the pairing, leaving the decision to Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola.
Jorge Martin, the 2024 world champion now riding for Aprilia, is expected to move to Yamaha, opening the seat Bagnaia would occupy. As of June 24, neither Aprilia nor Yamaha has confirmed either transfer.
Eight seasons and what remains
Bagnaia joined Ducati's orbit in 2019 through the Pramac satellite team before moving to the factory team in 2021. Over six seasons in that role, he tallied 31 wins, 63 podiums, and 28 pole positions on machinery he refined alongside Borgo Panigale engineers.
Thirteen grand prix rounds remain on the 2026 calendar. Bagnaia will continue racing for Ducati through that stretch, an unusual position for a top rider: his departure is public knowledge, yet he has not yet left. How he and Marquez manage the remaining season in the same garage will be a subplot of its own before the 2027 grid takes final form.
For MotoGP fans in Indonesia, who pack the annual Mandalika Grand Prix to watch Bagnaia-Marquez battles, this reshuffling marks the biggest shift in factory lineups in several seasons. Domestic enthusiasm for the premier class continues to grow, including Veda Ega Pratama's Moto3 debut on the international stage.
