Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia’s relationship with Ducati has certainly deteriorated after his torrid 2025 MotoGP season.
The Italian was the Bologna Bullets’ golden rider, having given them two premier class titles in 2022 and 2023. But that all changed when Marc Marquez joined the team in 2025.
Naturally, Bagnaia was expected to fight the Spaniard for the title, but he would not get close to him. Marquez won the championship with five rounds to spare, while his teammate won just two races and finished P5.
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The 29-year-old struggled to find a feeling from the GP25, constantly complaining to his engineers about the bike. This led to rumours of friction between Bagnaia and Ducati’s top management, as his results only worsened as the season progressed.
Despite the team’s efforts, including bringing GP24 parts to his bike, he still could not perform, retiring from five of the last six races. Luigi Dall’Igna said Ducati were ‘fed up’ of Bagnaia and his poor results, leaving his future with the team in doubt.
Ducati have shown ‘disdain’ towards Francesco Bagnaia
Ducati now see Marquez as the priority within the team, evidenced by the Spaniard entering negotiations for 2027 before Bagnaia. It has led to, according to journalist David Emmett, the Italian feeling that ‘disdain’ is being shown towards him.
Discussing the MotoGP rider market on the Paddock Pass Podcast, Emmett said: “This is exactly the point, the contracts, or it certainly sounds from talking to people in Sepang, that the contracts [are] already signed, it’s already done and dusted.
“Basically, all the factory seats are full, so there’s no room there. So that means that either Pecco Bagnaia is on a different factory bike, or he will be on a Ducati in, maybe Gresini or VR46, something like that.”
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Colleague Neil Morrison then said: “But do you think he’s going to accept going to a satellite team after winning two world championships and then basically being cold-shouldered by the factory?
“He would still have to be riding under a guy who looks at him with such disdain that it basically equates to a piece of excrement on the floor.”
To which Emmett replied: “I mean, that to me is the exact reason why he’s not going to be at VR46 and not on a Ducati. Also, just, I mean, the main motivation for riders leaving a factory is disdain. They feel they haven’t been treated with a respect that’s due to them.
“And that to me, certainly, I think Pecco Bagnaia doesn’t feel like he’s been treated with respect by Ducati, with some justification. So I think he’s off somewhere else.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Where is Francesco Bagnaia off to in 2027?
Ducati are happy with Bagnaia after pre-season testing at Sepang, as he feels more comfortable on the GP26. But despite this, rumours are suggesting that he will be out of the team come season’s end.
Marquez is set to partner with Pedro Acosta at Ducati in 2027, with the KTM rider replacing the Italian. It leaves him needing to find a new factory, as Bagnaia has ruled out joining a Ducati satellite team amid links to VR46.
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Jorge Lorenzo has pointed Bagnaia to Aprilia, with the Noale outfit looking for a potential replacement for Jorge Martin, as he is likely to join Yamaha.
But Yamaha are also interested in Bagnaia as they search for Fabio Quartararo’s replacement. The two-time MotoGP champion has hinted that he will decide his future before the season opener in Buriram, but his time at Ducati looks to be over.
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