Marco Bezzecchi
Andrea Iannone is set to return to MotoGP, with reports suggesting he will replace Michele Pirro as a Ducati test rider.
Pirro has served as Ducati’s test rider since 2013 and has been pivotal to the team’s success, collecting data and mileage on the Desmosedici and providing valuable feedback.
The Italian has made several wildcard and substitute appearances over the years – his most recent came at the Thailand Grand Prix with Gresini, replacing the injured Fermin Aldeguer. Turning 40 this year, it now seems that Pirro is looking to move on.
Predict the order of the Ducati riders in the 2026 MotoGP standings
Pirro was linked with replacing Davide Tardozzi as Ducati team principal when it was reported that the current boss was set to leave his post. The test rider has several ventures away from the track, and it looks as though he is set to hang up his gloves.
World Superbike star Nicolo Bulega is working alongside Pirro as a test and reserve rider in 2026, helping to develop the 850cc bike in 2027. Now, Ducati are set to add fellow WSBK rider Iannone to their roster.
Andrea Iannone is set to replace Michele Pirro as Ducati test rider
A report from Motosprint notes that ‘news spread from the paddock’ at the Thailand GP about Pirro’s future with Ducati. The Italian is ‘nearing the end’ of his tenure, and Iannone looks set to step in.
The former MotoGP rider, who currently races in WSBK for the Cainam Racing Team on a Ducati Panigale V4 R, has ‘reached an agreement’ with the Borgo Panigale outfit and will replace Pirro, potentially as early as this year.
Is Andrea Iannone the right man to replace Michele Pirro at Ducati?
Iannone is set to join the Harley-Davidson Baggers World Cup in 2026, which will support the MotoGP championship, and now looks to be heading back to Ducati and helping their test programme.
With this move, Iannone could also be available for some MotoGP races as a wildcard or if a full-time rider gets injured. MotoGP are pushing teams to have three riders by 2027, and Iannone could potentially be the third name on the roster.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati test rider Michele Pirro from age to stats
Andrea Iannone won his only MotoGP race with Ducati
Joining MotoGP with Pramac in 2013, Iannone stayed with the Tuscany-based team until he earned a move to the factory Ducati team in 2015. That year, he recorded his best finish in MotoGP with fifth.
The following year, the 36-year-old grabbed his first and only win in the premier class, claiming victory at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Iannone moved to Suzuki in 2017, but struggled to find performances in his two seasons with the Japanese outfit. He signed with Aprilia in 2019, but finished 16th in the standings with 43 points and walked away from MotoGP full-time at the end of the season.
He returned in 2024 with VR46 at the Malaysian GP, with Fabio Di Giannantonio sitting out the final two rounds to undergo surgery on his left shoulder.
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