Marco Bezzecchi
Francesco Bagnaia knows his allegiances will change to Aprilia in 2027, and he believes that they have the upper hand over his current team.
Bagnaia will join Aprilia on a four-year contract, partnering with fellow VR46 academy graduate Marco Bezzecchi. His eight-year affiliation with Ducati will end in 2026, and not in the way he would have hoped.
The Italian has struggled immensely for the past 18 months, with him not getting any feeling from the front of Ducati’s bike. Bagnaia has dropped off, but in 2026, so has the rest of the team’s operation.
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Francesco Bagnaia says Aprilia have the edge over Ducati in the 2026 title fight
Aprilia have taken a huge step forward in 2026, with the RS-GP now proving to be the fastest bike on the grid. With six out of 10 wins for the Noale outfit’s bikes, they have a strong lead in the championship, with Jorge Martin holding a seven-point advantage over Bezzecchi.
Bagnaia is 63 points behind Martin, having grabbed four consecutive P3 finishes before his retirement at Assen. The highest-ranked Ducati rider, Fabio Di Giannantonio, is 16 points back.
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Aprilia dominated the Dutch GP with a top-four lockout in qualifying and two one-two finishes in the races courtesy of Trackhouse. Ducati had no answer, and Bagnaia believes that their Italian rivals have the advantage.
“The Aprilia has the edge; it’s better set up,” he told Sky Sports Italia. “We’re getting back on track; we’re doing a great job of getting everything sorted. We’ll see in 3–4 races…”
The championship is far from over for Ducati, but Bagnaia knows that he will be racing for their rivals in 2027. Given how much Aprilia have improved in recent months, he has every reason to be excited.
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Neil Hodgson warns Bagnaia will bring ‘secret’ information to Aprilia from Ducati and could give them even more of an advantage.
Bagnaia knew he had to leave Ducati after noticing a change behind the scenes. The Borgo Panigale outfit will move on with Pedro Acosta and Marc Marquez, while Aprilia could give the No.63 rider the chance to fight for the championship again.
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