Ducati announced that Pedro Acosta will replace Francesco Bagnaia on the factory Lenovo MotoGP team starting with the 2027 season. The two-year contract, confirmed by Ducati officials, follows Bagnaia’s departure at the end of the 2026 season and is part of Ducati’s long-term plan for its post-Bagnaia era.
The agreement, described as finalized rather than a preliminary deal, will see Acosta replace two-time premier-class world champion Francesco Bagnaia, whose contract with Ducati runs through the end of the 2026 season. Ducati officials confirmed Bagnaia’s departure and Acosta’s arrival in separate announcements issued on the same day, with Acosta’s signing revealed roughly two hours after the statement on Bagnaia’s exit.
Pedro Acosta, currently competing with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, has signed a two-year contract with Ducati Lenovo Team covering the 2027 and 2028 MotoGP seasons, according to multiple reports including Spanish newspaper AS and Italian outlet Corsedimoto.
Acosta, who will be 22 years old when he joins Ducati, is a former Moto2 and Moto3 world champion, highlighting his rapid ascent through the Grand Prix ranks. Sources indicate he will move to Ducati after completing his current multi-year KTM contract, which extends through the 2026 season. The move positions Acosta as a direct successor to Bagnaia within the factory Lenovo team rather than a satellite outfit, underscoring Ducati’s strategy to secure a top-tier rider for its post-Bagnaia era at Borgo Panigale.
The 2027 Ducati factory lineup will pair Acosta with Marc Marquez, who has agreed to a two-year extension with the team that overlaps with Acosta’s contract. Reports from Motorsportweek and Spanish journalist Mela Chércoles confirm that Acosta will share the Ducati garage with Marquez, creating a new high-profile rider combination for the factory squad. This pairing marks a significant change for Ducati, which will lack an Italian lead rider for the first time since 2010, when Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden raced for the manufacturer.
Bagnaia’s departure from Ducati has been widely reported to coincide with his move to Aprilia’s factory team, where he is expected to partner with Marco Bezzecchi, who holds a multi-year contract through at least 2026. Italian media sources suggest Bagnaia has agreed to a long-term deal with Aprilia, reportedly a 2+2 year contract extending through 2028 with an option to 2030, though Aprilia has not officially confirmed this arrangement. The shift of Bagnaia to Aprilia and Acosta to Ducati forms part of the broader 2027 MotoGP “silly season,” which includes other notable rider movements such as those involving Fabio Quartararo and Jorge Martin.
Acosta’s signing follows Ducati’s established pattern of recruiting riders with proven success in lower Grand Prix categories, as he joins the factory team after three seasons in MotoGP. At the time of the announcement, Acosta was sixth in the MotoGP standings despite technical challenges with KTM machinery, according to Motorsportweek. His emergence as a leading young talent has been noted by multiple outlets, which describe him as a Spanish prodigy and an emerging star in the sport.
Ducati’s communication frames Acosta’s arrival as a central component of its long-term planning beyond Bagnaia’s tenure. The manufacturer’s official statements and media reports emphasize the strategic nature of the signing, aimed at maintaining Ducati’s competitive edge as contracts for several top riders expire at the end of 2026. While official MotoGP entry lists for 2027 have yet to be published, the announcements by Ducati and corroborating media sources provide clear indications of the factory team’s future lineup.
Bagnaia’s exit marks the end of a significant chapter for Ducati, as he is a two-time premier-class world champion and has been a key figure for the team. The transition to Acosta signals a generational change within the factory squad, with the Spanish rider expected to carry forward Ducati’s championship ambitions alongside Marquez. The 2027 season will thus begin a new phase for Ducati, defined by the partnership of Marquez and Acosta and the absence of an Italian lead rider for the first time in over a decade.
