Carlo Pernat has hailed Francesco Bagnaia’s decision to snub Yamaha for the 2027 MotoGP campaign, highlighting how the departing Ducati rider has proved that he wants to “get his own back” by signing with Aprilia.
Before links to Aprilia emerged in pre-season, Francesco Bagnaia was expected to be on his way to the factory Yamaha team after it became clear that Ducati were pursuing Pedro Acosta’s signature for the 2027 MotoGP season.
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It then came to light that Bagnaia snubbed Yamaha’s “big-money” offer during negotiations, and instead turned his attention to Aprilia, where Jorge Martin was understood to be vacating his seat in order to take the Japanese brand up on their sizeable offer.
Of course, the 2027 MotoGP season will bring with it a completely new set of technical regulations, and the true pecking order of the grid is unlikely to be known until the new prototypes hit the circuit in testing.
However, Yamaha’s current situation doesn’t fill many with confidence, and Bagnaia has been hailed for opting to chase glory in MotoGP instead of the biggest paycheque by former rider agent Carlo Pernat.
- READ MORE: Aprilia sign Francesco Bagnaia through 2030 after Ducati replaced two-time MotoGP champion
Carlo Pernat applauds Francesco Bagnaia for choosing a ‘winning bike’ over financial gain for 2027
In a recent interview with Angelo Daniele on the journalist’s YouTube channel, Pernat gave his thoughts on the chaotic MotoGP rider market that has ensued in the early stages of this year’s campaign.
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After revealing Bagnaia’s furious reaction to Ducati signing Marc Marquez ahead of the 2025 term, the seasoned Italian then wanted to credit his two-time MotoGP world championship-winning compatriot for his decision to snub Yamaha for Aprilia.
“I want to give Bagnaia credit for that, amidst all this chaos of delusional riders who’ve messed up. You see Martin going to Yamaha, you see Ogura going to Yamaha; you have to split them into two categories: those who go to win and those who go for the money.”
Pernat then added the main reason why he respects Bagnaia for his decision, adding, “I respect Bagnaia because he went to Yamaha before Martin. Remember, they offered him five and a half million. He turned it down and went to Aprilia. They offered him half of that.
“He took half, plus some bonuses. Well done, absolutely brilliant. He chose a winning bike to go out and win. To get his own back on Ducati and Marquez – that’s clear, isn’t it? That’s crystal clear. If he’d gone to Yamaha, he wouldn’t have achieved a thing.”
- READ MORE: Francesco Bagnaia has a glaring problem he must fix to leave Ducati with his head held high
Early reports from inside the Japanese constructor’s camp suggest Yamaha’s 2027 bike won’t be much more competitive than their current iteration of prototype, with one inside claiming that the stable’s riders will have to wait until 2028 to start achieving their goals.
While Bagnaia’s snubbing of the Iwata-based brand could already be seen as a masterstroke, it remains to be seen whether Yamaha truly can start to compete again next year.
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