Marco Bezzecchi
Luigi Dall’Igna has just revealed the rider who would complete his dream 2026 line-up if MotoGP let Ducati run a third bike, alongside Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia.
Dall’Igna has had the final say over every rider that Ducati have signed since he took over as the Italian factory’s general manager in 2013. Andrea Iannone was the first Ducati signing of the Dall’Igna era when he joined in 2015 and Marquez marks the latest after joining in 2025.
Bagnaia joined the factory Ducati crew in 2021 and he immediately emerged as a contender for the title, before securing the 2022 and 2023 championships for the Bologna Bullets’ first crowns since Casey Stoner won it all in 2007. Marquez even put Ducati back on top in 2025.
Ducati also have factory-contracted riders at VR46 and Gresini in Fabio Di Giannantonio and Fermin Aldeguer, respectively. But the rider who would be at the top of Dall’Igna’s shopping list if MotoGP allowed Ducati to run a third entry races outside of the Borgo Panigale family.
Who would win as teammates, Francesco Bagnaia or Pedro Acosta?
Luigi Dall’Igna names Pedro Acosta as his dream signing for a three-bike Ducati entry
Dall’Igna has named Pedro Acosta of KTM as his dream signing for a three-bike Ducati entry, as he believes the 21-year-old has the potential to make history in MotoGP. His claims come amid reports that Ducati share KTM pilot Acosta’s very keen interest in joining them in 2027.
READ MORE: Luigi Dall’Igna’s Ducati rider signings ranked from Marc Marquez to Jack Miller
Acosta stands out to Dall’Igna as the most promising rider on the 2026 MotoGP grid outside of the Ducati family. The Spaniard won the 2021 Moto3 title as a rookie and lifted the 2023 Moto2 title before stepping up to MotoGP with Tech3 in 2024, prior to joining KTM in 2025.
“I’d like to see Pedro Acosta in Ducati,” Dall’Igna said, via quotes by Motosprint. “He’s one of the young riders who can write pages in the history of motorcycling.”
Pedro Acosta finished ahead of Francesco Bagnaia in the 2025 standings by 19 points
Acosta is on Ducati’s radar for the 2027 season, as the Spaniard is currently due to be out of contract with KTM at the end of this year like Marquez and Bagnaia are in Borgo Panigale. It is widely expected that Marquez is now set to sign a new contract with Ducati through 2028.
Is there a better rider for Ducati to sign?
Questions remain about Bagnaia’s future with Ducati, after he fell to fifth in the 2025 riders’ championship with a 257-point deficit to Marquez who missed the final four rounds due to injury. Acosta finished fourth in the 2025 standings with a 19-point advantage over Bagnaia.
Acosta finished last season strongly, with four of his five podiums coming after the summer break. Bagnaia took seven of his eight podiums before the summer break, and he also only finished one of the final seven Grands Prix – which came when he won in Japan from pole.
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