Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta could be set to join Ducati in the headline move of MotoGP’s looming silly season.
It was recently claimed that Acosta had already signed his 2027 MotoGP contract, but the identity of the team was withheld. Now, it seems that the reigning world champions have won the race for one of the grid’s most coveted riders.
Acosta has not won a MotoGP race yet, but he has scored 10 podiums, not including Sprints. Last year, he scored 307 points to finish fourth in the championship, with no other KTM rider even in the top 10.
Finish the sentence: In 2027, Pedro Acosta will ride for…
Amid frustration with the Austrian team’s lack of progress, Acosta tried to leave KTM a year before the end of his contract. He held talks with Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team, but the move was blocked.
Pedro Acosta’s move to Ducati appears to be sealed
Italian outlet Corriere Romagna report that Ducati ‘appears to have already signed’ Acosta for 2027. The length of the mooted contract is not specified.
Another question concerns the identity of his teammate. There is one school of thought that Ducati don’t want Acosta alongside Marc Marquez.
Would this line-up create too much conflict at Ducati?
Acosta and Marquez would form surely the strongest rider line-up in MotoGP, but a self-destructive rivalry may develop between the two Spaniards.
Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati future is in serious doubt after he was beaten by not only his teammate, but also Alex Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi and indeed Acosta in 2025.
KTM target Marc Marquez as Pedro Acosta replacement
The same report claims that KTM have made an offer to Marquez, who would be the dream replacement for Acosta. A seat swap is possible, although a move to Honda appears more likely if the world champion leaves Ducati.
Like Bagnaia, Brad Binder is also fighting for his future after failing to meet expectations last year. Both riders may welcome a change on the other side of the garage, given the mighty benchmarks set by their teammates.
KTM have been linked with Alex Marquez too, and he may be seen as a more realistic target. The Gresini rider is unlikely to get a factory ride if he stays within the Ducati set-up.
MotoGP’s pre-season testing programme doesn’t begin until the end of this month with the Sepang shakedown, but the rider market already seems to be active.
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