Francesco Bagnaia responds when asked if he’s ‘relaxed’ about his Ducati future

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Francesco Bagnaia is facing serious questions over his future at Ducati as his contract expires at the end of the 2026 MotoGP season.

Ducati unveiled the GP26’s livery on Monday as they celebrate their 100th anniversary. Bagnaia is hoping that the bike will improve his fortunes after a torrid 2025 campaign.

Davide Tardozzi thinks Francesco Bagnaia is back 👀 How many races will he win in 2026?

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The Italian could not get any feeling out of the GP25 as he won just two races all year. Bagnaia felt he could have done more to adapt to the machine, but he will ultimately be glad that the bike is long behind him.

The GP26 has to be a strong fit for the 29-year-old. Bagnaia’s contract at Ducati expires at the end of the 2026 season, and there are serious doubts as to whether the Borgo Panigale outfit will retain their two-time champion.

Francesco Bagnaia is ‘extremely relaxed’ about his Ducati future

Bagnaia was outclassed by Marc Marquez in 2025, and the gap between the riders left Ducati searching for other options for their rider line-up. The likes of Pedro Acosta, Fabio Quartararo and Alex Marquez have been linked with replacing the Italian.

Even Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola thinks Ducati will drop Bagnaia, seeing a partnership between Marquez and Acosta as a ‘match made in heaven’.

VR46 could be a ‘safety net’ for Bagnaia, with Valentino Rossi offering him the chance to redeem himself if he suffers another poor season at Ducati. But amid the speculation, the 29-year-old is not worried.

Speaking to Sky Italy at the 2026 Ducati launch, Bagnaia answered how he was feeling about his future: “Right now, the main thing is to think about the season and the start of the season.

“Negotiations usually start quite early, but it’s something I’m extremely relaxed about; we’ll think about it later.” Asked if he can be ‘relaxed in red’, he simply replied: “As far as I can do, yes.” 

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Francesco Bagnaia shares what he has changed behind the scenes ahead of 2026 season

Asked how he would assess his time at Ducati as he enters his sixth season with the team, he said: “Since I’ve been a factory rider, I’ve had more ups than downs.

“I’ve finished second or first in the world championship in four seasons. Then last year we had a stumble that we hope we’ve been able to overcome and do better this season.” 

Bagnaia then revealed the steps he took over the winter to prepare for 2026: “After the World Championship, I immediately took ten days off.

“From then on, I worked as hard as I could to be ready for the start of the season. I thought hard, we tried to adapt a different work schedule to this season, and we’ll try to do well straight away. I can’t wait to get back on track and ride.”