Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia is under immense pressure at Ducati at his contract expires at the end of the 2026 season.
The Italian suffered a horrendous 2025 season as he struggled to adapt to the GP25. The situation led to friction between Bagnaia and Ducati as he slipped to fifth in the championship.
Bagnaia soon ‘realised’ his problems in 2025 and is now looking to reset and have a fresh start in 2026. However, he still has a mountain to climb to return to the top of MotoGP.
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Marc Marquez dominated the field in 2025, winning his seventh premier class title with four rounds to spare. As he nears full recovery from his injury in Indonesia, he is expected to win again in 2026.
Ducati will want Bagnaia to put up more of a fight against Marquez, especially when, as Carlo Pernat has warned, they could be in an ‘unthinkable’ situation.
Carlo Pernat says having another season like 2025 in 2026 would be ‘unthinkable’ for Francesco Bagnaia and Ducati
It has been reported that Marquez has signed a new contract at Ducati amid interest from Honda. However, Pernat is still of the impression that a return to the Japanese outfit is possible.
Speaking on Telenord television, via quotes from AS, if Marquez leaves and Bagnaia struggles again in 2026, Pernat says it would be ‘unthinkable’ for Ducati as they need a ‘champion’ in their ranks.
“In my opinion, Bagnaia will never want anything other than a Ducati,” he said. “He even said in Valencia that he’d like to finish his career wearing those colours.
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“It’s clear that another season like this would be unthinkable because, if it happened, it would certainly test the relationship between rider and team, but be careful.
“Ducati needs a champion, or at least runs the risk of having to have one… Marc Márquez might not be wearing Ducati colours in 2027.
“Think about it, it’s something the new MotoGP bosses might really like, given that Liberty Media will be focusing on the narrative.”
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Has Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati future already been decided?
Bagnaia felt his critics were ‘unnecessary’ in 2025. He will be looking to prove his doubters wrong this season as he faces pressure to save his seat.
The 29-year-old has stated that he wants to finish his MotoGP career wearing the factory red colours of Ducati. But he will need to produce results on the GP26 to convince the team that he is worthy of a new contract.
But Bagnaia may have realised his future lies elsewhere as he appears more open to a move away from Ducati. He has been linked with VR46 and Yamaha in the past.
MotoGP agents think the 2027 grid will be decided before the 2026 season starts, suggesting that Bagnaia does not have long to secure his seat at Ducati. With Marquez being the priority, the team may be looking at other options before the Italian.
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