Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia is being courted by Yamaha and Aprilia as he faces leaving Ducati at the end of the 2026 season.
The two-time MotoGP champion is out of contract at the Borgo Panigale outfit in 2026. After a dismal 2025 campaign, finishing fifth in the championship with two wins, Ducati may have already decided to replace him.
Francesco Bagnaia on his MotoGP future
Marc Marquez has signed his new Ducati contract, while Pedro Acosta is set to join the Bologna Bullets from KTM. It leaves Bagnaia out of the factory team and the manufacturer entirely, as he has ruled out joining a satellite team.
Bagnaia may have realised he is better off leaving Ducati for another factory in 2027. Yamaha and Aprilia can provide the fresh start he needs, but the former has a significant advantage.
Yamaha have a ‘nest egg’ of over 10 million to sign Francesco Bagnaia
Yamaha ‘dream’ of signing Bagnaia, having been linked with him for some time. Now that Fabio Quartararo is set to join Honda, they are ramping up their efforts to sign the Italian.
Bagnaia is battling Alex Marquez to join Yamaha next season. But as per a report from GPOne, the Ducati rider is not the Iwata outfit’s ‘first choice’, evidenced by them opting to sign Jorge Martín from Aprilia.
Nevertheless, the Japanese manufacturer have a significant advantage in their pursuit of Bagnaia. The report states that Paolo Pavesio has a ‘nest egg’ of around 10 to 12 million euros (roughly £10.4m at most).
This substantial budget proved key to signing Martin from Aprilia, and it could be decisive in their bid to bring in the Ducati star. It is rumoured that Yamaha have offered him ‘a contract worth around 5 million euros’, or £4.3m, to lure him away from Aprilia.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Aprilia ‘dreams’ of signing Francesco Bagnaia but his wages could be a problem
As per another report from GPOne, Aprilia ‘dreams’ of having Bagnaia alongside Marco Bezzecchi, who recently extended his contract beyond 2027.
MotoGP rider agent Alberto Vergani has pointed Bagnaia towards Aprilia, telling him to focus on securing a seat with them. However, the Noale outfit have an obstacle that Yamaha will not face.
Finish the sentence: In 2027, Francesco Bagnaia will be racing for…
Aprilia’s limited budget means that they have the problem of ‘finding the money for a salary that suits both riders’. With Bagnaia on £6m-a-year at Ducati, and Bezzecchi likely to have a pay rise in his new contract, it could prevent a deal going through.
It may explain why the Noale outfit are now pursuing other targets. Enea Bastianini is Aprilia’s ‘priority’ for 2027, as he looks set to leave KTM.
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