- Marc Márquez hesitates over two-year contract with Ducati due to shoulder injury
- Francesco Bagnaia reportedly decides to switch to Aprilia
- Pedro Acosta set to take Bagnaia’s place in Ducati factory team
On the sidelines of the final pre-season test in Buriram, the MotoGP transfer market for the 2027 season has picked up speed. The two biggest unanswered questions of the winter break have crystallized into concrete developments within a matter of hours: Marc Márquez has openly explained for the first time why his contract extension with Ducati is still pending. And Francesco Bagnaia has confirmed that he has decided on his next employer. The result is a massive reshuffle that is likely to fundamentally change the balance of power in the premier class of motorcycle racing from 2027 onwards.
Marc Márquez and the shadow of injury
It has been considered a certainty for months that Ducati wants to continue its collaboration with reigning seven-time MotoGP world champion Marc Márquez. The manufacturer from Borgo Panigale has made extending the Spaniard’s contract its top priority. Márquez himself has indicated that he is fundamentally willing to stay with Ducati. However, his physical condition has so far prevented him from signing a two-year contract until 2028.
The background: At the beginning of October 2025, Márquez was unfortunately taken out by Aprilia factory rider Marco Bezzecchi in the first lap of the Indonesian Grand Prix in Mandalika. The result was a fracture of the coracoid process and a ligament injury in his right shoulder. Márquez had to sit out the rest of the season and only made his comeback on a MotoGP bike at the winter test in Sepang at the beginning of February 2026, after a break of around four months.
At the Thailand test in Buriram, which began on Saturday and ended on Sunday, the Spaniard, who turned 33 a few days ago, spoke openly for the first time about the reasons for his hesitation. “We are working on it with Ducati,” he said. “For them, two years is the ideal term, because otherwise you’re left in the middle of nowhere. But for me, the most important thing so far has been to go into the winter tests feeling better.”
Not age, but injuries
Márquez emphasized that age was not the problem. “For me, it’s not getting harder with age. It’s getting harder because of the injuries. Mentally, I still feel young. But it’s a fact that the injuries, one after the other, are making my body slower.” He needs more time to heal after each injury.
When asked directly whether he would prefer to sign only a one-year contract so that he could continue to assess his physical condition, Márquez replied with a clear “Yes. That’s my biggest limitation. As I’ve said many times before, when you’re injured, you can’t make decisions or sign contracts.”
However, the positive winter tests seem to be restoring his confidence. “I feel a small improvement between the test in Malaysia and here,” he reported in Buriram. “If I feel a small improvement in my shoulder today and another one tomorrow, then I don’t see a problem for two years.” According to information from the paddock, a signature on the two-year contract is imminent and could happen in the coming days.
Ducati’s calculation: Why two years are crucial
Ducati’s insistence on a two-year contract is based on strategic reasons. From 2027, new technical regulations with 850cc engines will come into force in MotoGP. At the start of this new era, manufacturers want to sign their riders for several seasons in order to create a stable development base. A one-year contract with its flagship rider would be counterproductive for Ducati.
At the same time, Márquez is in a strong negotiating position thanks to his dominant 2025 season, in which he scored eleven victories before his injury and won the world championship title. According to reports, his market value has returned to the level it was at during his best days with Honda. The negotiating situation is therefore completely different from a year and a half ago, when Márquez rode for Gresini without a salary and waived more than €20 million linked to his last Honda contract in order to get a chance with Ducati.
Bagnaia confirms: The decision has been made
While Márquez is still working out the details of his new Ducati contract, his current teammate Francesco Bagnaia confirmed on Saturday in Buriram that his own future has already been decided. “Yes, I have just made my decision,” said the two-time MotoGP world champion (2022 and 2023). “In a few days, the announcements from all the teams will come in. So wait for mine too.”
Bagnaia did not want to comment specifically on his new employer. However, there were increasing indications from the paddock that the Italian will be moving to Aprilia. There, he is expected to ride alongside Marco Bezzecchi from 2027, whose contract extension with Aprilia is so far the only officially confirmed rider personnel for the 2027 season.
From Yamaha to Aprilia: Why Bagnaia changed his mind
Bagnaia’s path to Aprilia was not a straightforward one. Once it became clear that Pedro Acosta would be taking his place in the Ducati factory team alongside Márquez, the Turin native had to look for alternatives. He explicitly ruled out a place in a satellite team such as VR46 during the Sepang test.
Initially, a move to Yamaha seemed the most likely option. The deal was said to be as good as sealed after the Sepang test. But then two factors came together that apparently caused Bagnaia to reconsider: Yamaha’s massive problems with the new V4 engine, which even led to a self-imposed driving ban for safety reasons during the Sepang test and continued during the Buriram test, as well as an allegedly low salary offer from the Japanese manufacturer.
Aprilia was unable to match Yamaha’s offer financially. However, the imminent departure of Jorge Martin, who is set to move to Yamaha, freed up an estimated €4 million in salary. Part of this has already been allocated to Bezzecchi’s new contract, but around €3 million is said to be available as a basis for negotiations with Bagnaia. The sporting prospects are likely to have been the decisive factor, however: the Aprilia RS-GP is currently considered the more competitive package compared to the new Yamaha M1 V4.
The fact that Bagnaia would have Bezzecchi, one of his closest friends in the paddock, as his teammate and that both come from Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Rider Academy is said to have been an additional argument in his favor.
The big domino effect: This is what the MotoGP field could look like in 2027
Márquez’s contract extension at Ducati and Bagnaia’s move to Aprilia are expected to kick off a whole series of announcements. A meeting between representatives of all teams is scheduled to take place in Thailand early next week to coordinate the upcoming rider announcements. The manufacturers have agreed on a coordinated approach to the announcements within the MSMA (Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers Association), which explains the silence so far.
In addition to Márquez at Ducati and Bagnaia at Aprilia, the following transfers are also said to be already confirmed: Pedro Acosta is set to move from KTM to Ducati, Fabio Quartararo from Yamaha to Honda, Jorge Martin from Aprilia to Yamaha, Alex Márquez to KTM, and Maverick Vinales will be promoted within the KTM universe from the Tech3 satellite team to the factory team.
Most of these personnel changes are expected to be made public before the first race of the 2026 season in Thailand on March 1. The first announcement is expected to be the contract extension of Marc Márquez at Ducati.
What this means for MotoGP fans
MotoGP is facing one of the biggest upheavals in years. With the new 850cc regulations coming into force in 2027 and the massive reshuffle among the factory teams, the cards are being completely reshuffled. Ducati is losing two-time world champion Bagnaia, but gaining Acosta, one of the most talented young riders of recent years. Aprilia is forming an all-Italian team with Bagnaia and Bezzecchi, which could shake up the hierarchy in the field. Yamaha is betting on Martin, the 2024 world champion, but is simultaneously struggling with significant technical problems with its new V4 engine. And Honda is attempting a fresh start with Quartararo. The 2026 season will be the last in this constellation, and every race is likely to become more exciting in the context of the upcoming changes.
- Dunlop SportSmart MK4 120/70ZR17 58W Sommerreifen
