Francesco Bagnaia, current Ducati rider, has confirmed his joining the Aprilia team for the start of the new era of 850cc MotoGP in 2027. This change comes after Ducati announced that Bagnaia would be replaced by KTM rider Pedro Acosta starting next year.
The two-time world champion will join fellow Italian Marco Bezzecchi, with whom he will share the lineup for four years. The news has generated excitement, highlighting it as a great opportunity for both the rider and the team.
Bagnaia’s decision to move to Aprilia comes at a time marked by inequalities in his career. After two successful seasons with Ducati, where he won two titles, the rider’s performance fell in 2025, ending up in fifth place in the championship with several DNFs in the last races. In contrast, his teammate, Marc Márquez, became champion that same year.
This season, Bagnaia has shown remarkable improvement, achieving up to four consecutive podiums and a victory in the sprint race in Brno. Nevertheless, the decision by Ducati to replace him had already been made before the season began.
Since his availability, Jorge Martín will leave Aprilia to join Yamaha. Martín, who has had a challenging season at Aprilia marked by injuries, has managed to recover and currently holds the second position in the championship, just eight points behind his teammate, Bezzecchi.
Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia Racing, has highlighted the positive impact that Bagnaia’s arrival brings to the team and to Italian sport in general, adding that forming a pair like Marco and Pecco is a great opportunity to face the new challenges of competition.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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