Marco Bezzecchi
Mat Oxley feels Ducati general manager Luigi Dall’Igna cannot risk letting Francesco Bagnaia test an 850cc prototype bike in 2026 if he is indeed joining Aprilia for 2027.
The MotoGP rider market kicked off very early this year, as 19 out of the 22 riders came into 2026 starting the final season of their contracts. MotoGP introducing new regulations in the 2027 season with 850cc engines also gave the teams more reason to set their line-ups early.
Bagnaia is expected to fall into both camps, as his contract with Ducati ends in 2026 and he is now believed to be on course to sign for Aprilia. It is reported that Bagnaia is set to sign a four-year Aprilia contract after losing his seat, with Ducati set to sign KTM ace Pedro Acosta.
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Ducati cannot risk letting Francesco Bagnaia join Aprilia with knowledge of their 850cc bike
While MotoGP teams are holding off on confirming their 2027 rider line-ups as the crews do not currently have a contract with the series beyond 2026, Ducati are on the cusp of signing Acosta on a two-year contract. Ducati will settle Acosta’s deal once Marc Marquez re-signs.
Given the likelihood that Bagnaia is bound for Aprilia in 2027, Oxley believes Dall’Igna would be “a fool” if he were to let the 29-year-old test Ducati’s 850cc prototype bike in the 2026 in-season tests. But it goes both ways, as KTM will not want Acosta to test an 850cc bike.
READ MORE: 2027 MotoGP regulations explained, from 850cc engines to aero restrictions
“Let’s assume Ducati’s most successful MotoGP rider Pecco Bagnaia is indeed on his way to Aprilia, to ride the RS-GP next year,” Oxley told Motor Sport Magazine.
“If you were Ducati boss Gigi Dall’Igna, would you allow Bagnaia to ride your prototype 2027 Desmosedici at Brno and Red Bull Ring, so he can experience your latest brainwaves, then pass them to his new employers? Only a fool would do such a thing, and Dall’Igna is no fool.
“And if you were Dall’Igna, would you grant Bagnaia an exemption from his Ducati contract, so he can ride Aprilia’s prototype 850 RS-GP at Brno and Red Bull Ring, giving his great rivals a helping hand for 2027? He would have to have taken leave of his senses to say yes.
“Of course, manufacturers usually (but not always) grant departing riders early release from their contracts so they can test with their new employers immediately after the season-ending Valencia GP. But June and September in the middle of the season are very different to November after the last race of the season.
“Dall’Igna will find out that this scenario works both ways. Will KTM boss Pit Beirer allow Pedro Acosta to evaluate a KTM 850 if he’s on his way to Ducati in 2027? Will Beirer release Acosta from his current deal, so he can try Dall’Igna’s 850? Surely that’s a no and a no.”
MotoGP will hold two in-season tests in 2026 for the teams to trial the 2027 Pirelli tyres
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MotoGP confirmed in January that Brno and the Red Bull Ring will hold the only official tests during the 2026 season for the teams to run their 850cc bikes for Pirelli to gather real-world data of the tyres for 2027. Pirelli is replacing Michelin as MotoGP’s tyre provider from 2027.
The two in-season tests will come on the Monday following the Czech Grand Prix at Brno on June 22 and the Monday after the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on September 21. MotoGP’s traditional one-day post-season test in Valencia is also arranged for November 24.
MotoGP will also hold a one-day test at Jerez on April 27 and a one-day test in Barcelona on May 18. But the tests are not designed for the teams or Pirelli to prepare for the 2027 rules, which will even carry a ban on ride height devices and further restrictions on aerodynamics.
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