Francesco Bagnaia will leave Ducati at the end of 2026 and join Aprilia Racing on a four-year contract beginning in 2027, the team announced, according to Yahoo Sports.
The length of the deal is notable. Most MotoGP rider contracts run one or two years. A four-year agreement signals a long-term commitment from both sides heading into a significant technical change in the sport, as 2027 will bring the introduction of new 850cc engines under updated regulations.
Bagnaia, known widely as Pecco, is a three-time world champion. He won the Moto2 title in 2018, then claimed back-to-back MotoGP championships in 2022 and 2023. Across his career he has recorded 41 victories, 86 podium finishes, and 35 pole positions. Among Italian riders in the top class, only Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi have achieved more.
At Aprilia, Bagnaia will ride the RS-GP alongside Marco Bezzecchi, completing what the team described as an all-Italian MotoGP lineup for the manufacturer based in Noale, Italy.
Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola pointed to a broader moment for Italian sport in welcoming the signing. "Michele Colaninno and I share the same vision of supporting Italy, which is why we both thought of Marco and Pecco together for the next chapter of Aprilia Racing," Rivola said. "Bagnaia's arrival is a confirmation of the value of Italian sport, which in recent months has distinguished itself on the world stage thanks to the achievements of Kimi Antonelli in Formula 1, Jannik Sinner in tennis, and Federica Brignone at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. That is why welcoming Pecco fills us with pride and gives Italian sport a further boost internationally. We will give him and his family a warm welcome, but first we will try to beat him! Having a multiple World Champion is a responsibility we can't wait to take on."
Ducati confirmed Thursday that it and Bagnaia are parting ways at the end of the 2026 season. Bagnaia has been one of the most successful riders in the Ducati program during his time there, and his departure represents a major shift in the competitive landscape of MotoGP heading into the regulation change era.
The 2027 season, when the new rules and new lineup both take effect, is now a marked date on the MotoGP calendar.
