Marco Bezzecchi
While the 2026 MotoGP season has not yet arrived, speculation is already rife about Ducati’s rider line-up in 2027.
Everything is in place at the Borgo Panigale outfit for next season, with Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia locked in for 2026. But there has been a lot of noise surrounding the future, especially when the latter is desperately struggling to catch the former.
Marquez looks set to win his seventh MotoGP title in 2025, having won 10 races and 14 Sprints in 15 Grand Prix weekends. Meanwhile, Bagnaia is suffering a disaster at Ducati as he cannot find the right feeling on the GP25.
The Italian has been trying to improve his form on the bike, but to no avail. Sitting 250 points behind Marquez, rumours are beginning to swirl about Bagnaia’s long-term future at Ducati.
Bagnaia was shockingly linked to Yamaha earlier in the year, but the Borgo Panigale outfit shut them down, stating that he will stay for 2026. But with the threat that Bagnaia’s gap to Marquez could ‘widen further’ on the GP26, he may leave a seat vacant in 2027.
Ducati have identified Alex Marquez as a ‘very serious’ option for the future
Several MotoGP riders could join Ducati in 2027, with the team having numerous options on the MotoGP rider market. The likes of Fabio Quartararo and Pedro Acosta have been linked, but the manufacturer could very well promote from within.
Luigi Dall’Igna says Fermin Aldeguer will wear Ducati red at some point in the future, with the young Spaniard having a factory contract at Gresini. His teammate Alex Marquez is also in the conversation, as he enjoys his best season to date.
The 29-year-old is second in the standings, having won his first MotoGP races at Jerez and Montmelo. Ducati had promised him rewards for his performances, and he is set to get them, as Marquez is in line for a factory-spec bike in 2026.
With this, he edges closer to joining the factory outfit. And according to journalist Emilio Perez de Rozas, he is now a ‘very serious’ option for the future after his victory at the Catalan Grand Prix.
He said via Motorsport Espana: “I think it was a weekend of, you could say, resurrection, recovery, confirmation, returning to see the Alex from the start of the season, right?
“And then also seeing again the Alex who has really become, with this great season, a very serious alternative for future plans, I don’t know if immediate, but for the future plans of Ducati.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend
What has Alex Marquez said about joining Ducati?
The Catalan GP was a much-needed return to form for the Gresini rider, having struggled with injury and inconsistent results. He was on the pace immediately on home soil as Marquez Jr took pole position and commanded the field to win.
His brother overtook him at the first corner for the lead, but he found a way back through and kept the championship leader at bay. Jorge Lorenzo felt Marc Marquez was ‘conservative’ in his battle with Alex and not his usual aggressive self.
Lorenzo says Alex Marquez deserves a Ducati seat in the future. He has more than proven his worth on the GP24 in 2025, with two wins and eight podiums.
But Alex Marquez disagrees with Marc about joining Ducati as he is enjoying his time at Gresini. Meanwhile, his brother saw no other way of staying at Ducati unless he joined the factory team, having raced with Gresini in 2024 after leaving Honda.
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