Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia faces a make-or-break season in 2026 to save his seat at Ducati, as the Italian’s woes during 2025 leave his future in Borgo Panigale completely open.
Borgo Panigale has been home to Bagnaia since 2021 and he has been a factory-contracted Ducati rider since he debuted in MotoGP with Pramac back in 2019. But the 28-year-old had a year to forget in 2025 that could now act as the start of the end for him in factory leathers.
Bagnaia’s endless inability to adapt to Ducati’s 2025 ride height device left him at odds with the GP25 all year, but especially after the summer break. The Italian also fell to fifth place in the riders’ standings on 288 points after he failed to finish six of the final seven Grands Prix.
The Turin native slipping to fifth in the standings might have even been the straw that broke the camel’s back. It is said that Ducati have already decided to release Bagnaia at the end of 2026, with his factory contract set to expire upon the conclusion of the upcoming campaign.
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Aprilia could target Francesco Bagnaia as joining a satellite Ducati team is ‘out of the question’
Bagnaia wants to stay at Ducati for 2027 and beyond, but Motorsport-Magazin reports that his future is ‘completely open’ with signing Marc Marquez to a new contract the ‘priority’ in Borgo Panigale. Ducati would need to see a huge improvement from Bagnaia to re-sign him.
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The two-time MotoGP riders’ champion will also need a bounce-back year in 2026 to appeal to rival manufacturers. It is ‘out of the question’ that Bagnaia would accept a satellite Ducati ride for 2027 given his stature in the paddock, so he would target a move to another factory.
Aprilia could target a move to sign Bagnaia for 2027 should the Noale natives replace Jorge Martin, with Marco Bezzecchi set to finalise a contract extension. Yet Bagnaia would not be the only name on Aprilia’s shortlist to replace the rider who beat him to take the 2024 title.
Gresini rider Fermin Aldeguer is the ‘most likely’ rider to replace Francesco Bagnaia
It was claimed in 2025 that Ducati considered putting Bagnaia at VR46 for the 2026 MotoGP season, as his contract was said to let the Bologna Bullets decide which team he rides for as long as he gets a factory bike. VR46 currently field Ducati-contracted Fabio Di Giannantonio.
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But Luigi Dall’Igna dismissed the claims that Ducati could place Bagnaia at a satellite team in October, as his contract is “extremely” clear about which team he rides with – as is the case with their other factory-contract riders in Di Giannantonio and Gresini star Fermin Aldeguer.
Yet the 2027 season could see a changing of the guard, as Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio are out of contract and Ducati can extend Aldeguer’s factory deal. Ducati initially put Aldeguer at Gresini for his MotoGP debut in 2026 on a two-year deal that carries options through 2028.
And Motorsport-Magazin notes that Aldeguer is the ‘most likely’ rider to replace Bagnaia at Ducati in 2027, as the 20-year-old Spaniard is ‘highly likely’ to activate the option to extend his contract. However, Ducati have not yet ruled out signing a rival team’s star rider instead.
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