Pedro Acosta’s Ducati deal reveals how the team views Francesco Bagnaia

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Pedro Acosta put pen to paper with Ducati before Bagnaia had a chance to recover

Pedro Acosta signed his Ducati contract before Francesco Bagnaia managed to get his form back on track. Bagnaia, who’d already won two world titles with the team, couldn’t quite find his rhythm in 2025.

He still picked up two race wins and eight podiums, but inconsistency and DNFs saw him finish fifth in the standings. That ended a four-year run of top-two finishes.

The arrival of Marc Marquez in 2025 only added to the pressure. Marquez outscored Bagnaia by 257 points despite missing the final four rounds through injury.

Pedro Acosta’s Ducati move was finalised last year

Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images

During a recent episode of the Motorsport Republica podcast, MotoGP pit reporter Jack Appleyard revealed that Pedro Acosta, who is set to replace Francesco Bagnaia, signed his contract with Ducati back in December.

The official announcement has been delayed as discussions continue over MotoGP’s new commercial agreement. Meanwhile, Bagnaia has landed at Aprilia on a two-plus-two deal after losing his seat.

Bagnaia ended the 2025 season with five straight DNFs and that may have convinced Ducati to move on. The team may have lost confidence that he could bounce back in 2026.

Appleyard explained: “80%, 90% of the factory contracts are all done. They’re signed, they’re ready, they’re waiting.”

“The reason that nobody is announcing just yet is because they’re waiting for the new agreement to be signed between MotoGP, Liberty Media and the teams and factories in terms of how revenue and profit is split between the teams.

“They’re waiting on that to be signed, then they’ll put a plan together so we don’t just get 10, 12 announcements dumping on Wednesday afternoon.

“Everything is done. Marc Marquez has been signed to remain at Ducati since the launch in February, Pedro Acosta has signed his Ducati deal in December.”

Davide Tardozzi’s prediction about Pecco Bagnaia hasn’t aged well

Back in January, Davide Tardozzi suggested that the version of Pecco Bagnaia seen in 2024 would return this season. However, if Jack Appleyard’s account is accurate, Ducati had already secured Pedro Acosta’s signature by that stage.

That raises questions over whether Tardozzi overstated the team’s confidence in Bagnaia, or if Ducati had already identified Acosta as the stronger long-term prospect.

The KTM rider has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign, claiming his first career Sprint ‘win’ in Thailand and adding two Grand Prix podiums. He has also more than doubled Bagnaia’s points tally so far (60 to 25), with the 2026 season largely resembling a continuation of the Italian’s inconsistent 2025 form.

On current evidence, Ducati’s decision appears justified. Still, the timing remains striking, with the call reportedly made even before pre-season testing began. It stands as one of the most ruthless rider market moves in MotoGP in recent years.

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