Francesco Bagnaia Officially Joins Aprilia, Contracted for Four Years

JAKARTA - Francesco Bagnaia will join the Aprilia Racing Team starting next season after his work with Ducati ends at the end of this year. The Italian racer has signed a four-year contract.

The racer, who is familiarly called Pecco, will compete by riding the RS-GP and become the new teammate of Marco Bezzecchi who is also from Italy. This announcement completes the line-up of the Noale-based Manufacturer team.

"The arrival of the two-time MotoGP world champion will further strengthen the team and add strength to the stars ahead of the technical regulation changes in 2027," read the MotoGP statement on their official website.

Bagnaia made his debut in the Moto3 World Championship in 2013. He then won the Moto2 World Championship in 2018 before moving up to the main class and managed to win two consecutive MotoGP titles in 2022 and 2023 with Ducati.

In addition, he has also won a total of 41 victories, 86 podiums, and 35 pole positions. That record is a record that places Bagnaia among the most successful Italian riders in the premier class, behind only Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi.

Aprilia Racing CEO, Massimo Rivola, said that Bagnaia's arrival in their team was a confirmation of the value of Italian sport which in recent months has shone on the big international stages.

"That's why welcoming Pecco makes us proud and gives further impetus to Italian sport on the international stage. We will welcome him and his family warmly," he said.

Bagnaia's departure from Ducati is a very surprising news. The reason is that he is a rider who managed to bring Ducati back to the champion's track after the last time they were successful with Casey Stoner in 2007.

After confirming the separation with Bagnaia, Ducati immediately announced the recruitment of young racer, Pedro Acosta, who is currently defending KTM. The Spanish racer will tandem with his compatriot, Marc Marquez.

Marquez was retained in the team after he made his debut last year with the world title. The seven-time world champion has a great chance of retaining the title after recovering with two consecutive victories in Hungary and the Czech Republic.