Bagnaia Leaves Ducati: Acosta Becomes New Márquez Teammate

• Bagnaia and Ducati part ways after eight seasons together at the end of 2026
• Pedro Acosta will ride the factory Desmosedici GP alongside Marc Márquez in 2027 and 2028
• The Italian won two world championships and 31 Grand Prix victories with Ducati

On 24 June 2026, Ducati announced two pivotal decisions for the future of its factory team. First, the long-standing partnership with Francesco Bagnaia will end after the current season. Second, Pedro Acosta has been confirmed as his successor. Both announcements came from the manufacturer in Borgo Panigale and fit into a broader picture: following the previously confirmed contract extension with Marc Márquez until 2028, the rider lineup for the Ducati Lenovo Team is now complete for the next two years.

Why are Bagnaia and Ducati parting ways?

Bagnaia and Ducati Corse will go their separate ways at the end of the 2026 MotoGP season. According to the manufacturer, the Italian’s last race in red will be the Grand Prix in Valencia in November.

Bagnaia joined Ducati as a young newcomer in MotoGP in 2019 and spent eight seasons with the marque, six of them on the factory team. The announcement does not cite specific sporting reasons for the split. Instead, both sides describe the move as the end of a cycle that they want to close on a high note. Ducati Corse CEO Luigi Dall’Igna says the close mutual bond remains unchanged and that this relationship is the key to contesting the remaining races together and ending their shared journey on a positive note. He points out that in sport it is not always easy to recognise when a cycle has ended and change is needed.

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What has Bagnaia achieved with Ducati?

According to Ducati, Bagnaia is the most successful rider in the brand’s MotoGP history. Together they won two riders’ world championships, 31 Grand Prix victories and 28 pole positions.

Bagnaia claimed his first title in 2022, ending a fifteen-year drought for the marque whose last riders’ championship before that dated back to Casey Stoner in 2007. The second title followed in 2023. Eleven of his 31 victories came in the 2024 season alone. Ducati Motor Holding CEO Claudio Domenicali describes these achievements as the beginning of the most successful era for the brand in the premier class and jokingly calls Bagnaia “Il Pinturicchio,” referring to his clean and elegant riding style. Dall’Igna describes the start of their collaboration: “Pecco is one of those riders with whom the spark ignited immediately.” They wanted to sign him early and build a project around him, with the aim of unlocking the full potential of the Desmosedici GP.

Who is Pedro Acosta and what does he bring?

Pedro Acosta, born in 2004, will ride for the Ducati Lenovo Team in 2027 and 2028, making his debut on the factory Desmosedici GP. According to the manufacturer, the Spaniard is considered one of the strongest riders of his generation.

Acosta won world championship titles in both Moto3 and Moto2 before moving up to MotoGP. There he was named Rookie of the Year in 2024 and finished the 2025 season with 13 podium finishes in fourth place overall. Domenicali describes the 22-year-old as one of the most talented young riders in the MotoGP paddock, highlighting not only his sporting achievements but also his direct and approachable personality. Dall’Igna explains the signing by saying that after confirming Márquez, they wanted to bring a young and fast rider into the Desmosedici GP development project. Acosta had shown exceptional early maturity.

What does the 2027 Ducati factory team lineup look like?

From 2027, Marc Márquez and Pedro Acosta will form the factory duo of the Ducati Lenovo Team, both under contract until 2028. This means the rider pairing is set for the next two seasons.

According to the manufacturer, Acosta’s signing followed the contract extension with Márquez. Dall’Igna sees the combination of the established champion and the young Spaniard as a lineup with which the team aims to continue its position at the front. Domenicali emphasises that Acosta is the ideal complement alongside Márquez. Within the MotoGP rider market of the 2026 season, this confirmation ranks among the first decisions announced for 2027.

How is Ducati bidding farewell to Bagnaia in the current season?

Until the end of the season, Ducati and Bagnaia want to achieve the best possible results together. A major public occasion for this will be the World Ducati Week from 3 to 5 July in Misano.

Domenicali says he is convinced that Bagnaia will give everything until his last day in red. At the World Ducati Week, the Italian is set to compete on the Panigale V4 as part of the Lenovo Race of Champions. Domenicali describes the more recent seasons as more challenging both in sporting and technical terms but links this to the expectation of further top results through to the end of the 2026 season.

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