Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati’s interest in Fabio Quartararo cooled before they decided to sign Pedro Acosta instead, according to MotoGP journalist Oriol Puigdemont.
Quartararo had the chance to ride a Ducati in 2024 but opted to stick with Yamaha during MotoGP’s last contract cycle. He turned down a satellite seat, with Marc Marquez duelling Jorge Martin for the seat next to Francesco Bagnaia.
With Quartararo’s contract expiring at the end of 2026 and Bagnaia expected to leave Ducati, it was thought Luigi Dall’Igna could revive that interest, this time with a red bike in mind.
Where does Fabio Quartararo rank among Yamaha’s greatest riders?
But despite El Diablo’s impressive performances on an underpowered Yamaha, the anticipated offer from Borgo Panigale never arrived.
Ducati dropped interest in Fabio Quartararo before chasing Pedro Acosta
Speaking on the Paddock Pass podcast, Puigdemont said that, for a while now, Ducati have not been ‘fully interested’ in Quartararo.
They decided to go in a different ‘direction’ instead, with Acosta set to be unveiled as their new rider in the near future. Quartararo will join Honda instead, based on the Spanish journalist’s reporting.
Asked if he was surprised by this outcome, Puigdemont said: “Not really, because my information, since last year, was that Ducati was not fully interested in him, 100%.
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“I was surprised when I got this information, but I double-checked and triple-checked, and they told me, ‘No, we are not in that direction.’
2021 world champion Quartararo notched five pole positions on MotoGP’s slowest bike last season, strengthening his claim to the ‘best of the rest’ mantle behind Marc Marquez.
However, Quartararo’s attitude has also been questioned by some Yamaha insiders. His frustration with their lack of progress has filtered through the ranks at Iwata.
Ducati were ‘crazy’ about signing Pedro Acosta – even before Marc Marquez extension
Another problem for Quartararo is that Ducati have become obsessed with the idea of signing Acosta, arguably the most exciting talent in motorcycle racing right now.
Puigdemont hinted that the 21-year-old has made salary sacrifices to race for MotoGP’s dominant team. Previously, Acosta has claimed he is the only one on the grid not motivated by money.
Ducati reached an agreement with Acosta even before they had finalised talks with Marquez, a glowing reflection of the former’s standing in the rider market.
“They were super, super interested in Pedro Acosta,” said Puigdemont. “They were crazy about Pedro Acosta, and that’s where they’re going.
“Pedro is in a position where he can risk, similar to the one Marc was in before 2024, when he decided to break Honda’s contract and ride for free for Gresini.
“That’s what Pedro Acosta is going to do next year. I’m not saying that he’s going to race for free, but let’s say the money was not his main priority. His main priority was the red bike.
“What I think I know is that they signed Pedro before Marc’s renewal. Ducati wanted to make sure they had a number-one rider. Now they have two, probably.”
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