Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta is one of the leading contenders for the second Ducati seat alongside Marc Marquez in 2027.
Marquez has agreed to stay at Ducati, according to reports, but the spot on the other side of the garage, currently held by Francesco Bagnaia, is still up for grabs.
Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola expects Acosta to replace Bagnaia, with both out of contract at the end of the season. That remark hasn’t gone down well inside Ducati.
Is Pedro Acosta joining Ducati inevitable?
But that doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t happen. Both Acosta and Ducati are ‘very keen’ on doing a deal and negotiations are thought to be ongoing.
Davide Tardozzi says Pedro Acosta is ‘the future of MotoGP’
During Ducati’s 2026 launch event in the Dolomites, team manager Davide Tardozzi was asked about the Acosta links.
He didn’t directly address the possibility that Acosta will join, but he did speak highly of the 21-year-old’s talent.
Acosta hasn’t won a MotoGP race yet despite scoring 10 podiums. However, he is still regarded almost unanimously as a future world champion in the class.
Marc Marquez’s new Ducati contract looks a done deal 👀 but who should be his teammate in 2027?
Ducati already have an emerging superstar in Fermin Aldeguer on their books. After Marquez moves on, the Murcian rivals could feasibly be teammates.
“It’s clear that Pedro, based on what he’s done in the rookies, Moto3 and Moto2, leads you to think he’s a future candidate to win the MotoGP world championship,” Tardozzi told Motorsport Espana.
“I’m not the only one saying it, everyone can tell you that. At 21, I think Acosta is the future of MotoGP, just as we think of Fermin and other Moto3 or Moto2 riders.”
Ducati vs Honda for David Alonso?
Motorsport ES’ report adds that Ducati are following David Alonso ‘very closely’. Alonso is one of the favourites for the Moto2 title this year, his second season in the class.
Honda have also been linked with Acosta and Alonso, potentially putting the two factories in direct competition.
It’s unclear whether Marquez’s next MotoGP contract will be his last, but Ducati are clearly committed to building for the future.
If they can find a place for Acosta and Alonso in their operation, along with Aldeguer, then they could sustain their dominance across multiple eras.
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