Francesco Bagnaia has signaled he may leave Ducati at the end of his contract, saying he has “great opportunities” and that he “will decide very soon.” He said he has been presented with several potential paths, including Yamaha, Aprilia and Honda, and stressed he is not inclined to accept a satellite Ducati seat such as with VR46 — he wants to remain a factory frontrunner. One outlet reported he has resigned himself to leaving Ducati for 2027; Ducati has not publicly confirmed his status.

A decline in results has sharpened the speculation. Bagnaia finished fifth in the 2025 riders’ standings — his worst ranking since 2020 — while teammate Marc Márquez produced a dominant season, winning 11 of 18 races and securing the title despite missing rounds. Ducati is widely reported to be prioritizing Márquez’s contract renewal, and several outlets say the factory is actively considering KTM’s Pedro Acosta as Márquez’s 2027 teammate. Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali acknowledged Acosta is among riders under review and said final line‑up decisions will follow internal deliberations and Márquez’s contract talks; some reports say Ducati is not offering Bagnaia a works extension.

The wider market and pre‑season testing have added momentum to transfer talk. Aprilia re‑signed Marco Bezzecchi but left its second 2027 factory seat open; CEO Massimo Rivola said the team is checking the market and praised Bagnaia’s speed at the Sepang test. At Sepang, Bagnaia posted strong sprint‑simulation times and said he felt more comfortable and consistent in testing, naming Aprilia as having improved the most. With teams preparing for an expected move to 850cc machinery in 2027 and a broader grid reshuffle, those performances — plus reports Ducati could still find Bagnaia a place elsewhere on the grid — have intensified speculation as Bagnaia weighs factory‑level options ahead of the decision he says will come very soon.

Sources