Marco Bezzecchi
Reports are suggesting that Francesco Bagnaia will be swapping Ducati for Aprilia next year, and Sylvain Guintoli thinks the Italian will be the final piece that completes a ‘dream team’ for the Noale-based outfit.
With Pedro Acosta understood to be on his way to Borgo Panigale for the 2027 MotoGP season, Francesco Bagnaia has been reported to have signed a four-year deal with Aprilia.
The Italian rider was caught in a dilemma between choosing Aprilia and Yamaha, with the Japanese constructor’s poor pre-season being suggested to have made up his mind for him.
While official confirmation is yet to land from any of the involved parties, it will mark the end of a partnership between the official Ducati team and their most successful-ever rider in the premier class.
It comes after Bagnaia rejected a large pay cut from Ducati to remain at the team. Despite his woes last season, the 29-year-old is aware of what his talents are worth, and clearly won’t hesitate to move on if they aren’t being respected.
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Francesco Bagnaia will complete an Aprilia ‘dream team’ next season, says Sylvain Guintoli
During a recent episode of the Gas It Out podcast, former premier class star Sylvain Guintoli offered his thoughts on the recent movements that have been speculated in the MotoGP rider market.
The Frenchman began by highlighting his gripe with the fact that many of the deals are seemingly being completed over 12 months in advance, saying, “I wish that it was [happening] a little bit more down the line.
“I think it would build a lot of excitement, and give us a lot of stuff to talk about as well in that first half of the season, if we didn’t have the signings. But unfortunately, that’s going to fall in place very quickly.”
Then he drew attention to Bagnaia’s reported move to Aprilia following Acosta’s apparent deal with Ducati.
He added, “I’m very excited to see Pecco Bagnaia on the Aprilia, obviously, with how the Aprilia team is performing at the moment. I think it’ll be an Italian dream team at Aprilia with Bezzecchi.”
Bezzecchi has previously been asked for his thoughts on teaming with Bagnaia, highlighting how it would be ‘cool’ to be reunited with his VR46 Riders’ Academy teammate at a MotoGP outfit.
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Massimo Rivola hinted at Aprilia’s interest in Francesco Bagnaia before signing him
Given Aprilia’s impressive performances during the latter stages of last year’s campaign, it’s clear that they will be a serious contender to Ducati’s ongoing dominance in the premier class.
However, the Italian constructor was led by the one-man army of Bezzecchi in the previous term. If Jorge Martin managed to stay fit for the entirety of the 2025 season, who knows what they could have achieved?
During the speculation surrounding Acosta joining Ducati for 2027, Aprilia chief Massimo Rivola was asked for his thoughts on their local rivals securing one of the best talents on the grid.
Rivola called it a ‘match made in heaven’ before highlighting how the loser in the situation, Bagnaia, is still a very tempting rider for any other brand on the grid.
It’s unclear whether the Italian’s words came before or after they had initiated contact with Bagnaia’s entourage, but the partnership that they will now create should be formidable.
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