Francesco Bagnaia's Future at Ducati Is Starting to Come into Focus

Francesco Bagnaia is rumored to be replaced by Pedro Acosta at Ducati in 2027 (Instagram/@pecco63).

JAKARTA - Francesco Bagnaia's future at the Ducati Lenovo Team has come under the spotlight after the latest issue that said young rider Pedro Acosta would leave KTM to fill his position at the Italian manufacturer's team.

The two-time world champion said that all possibilities for next year's competition season are wide open if this year he fails to compete like last year's gloomy season.

"We are still communicating, but it is clear that a season like last year can put you in a less advantageous position (in contract negotiations)," Bagnaia said as quoted by Crash.

The 29-year-old racer is undergoing his toughest season as a Ducati factory rider in the 2025 season. Throughout the season, he struggled up and down to get consistent performance, but failed to do so.

He was recorded as only winning three races in the last 14 races, dropping to fifth in the final standings of the championship. This performance is because he has difficulty adapting to his bike.

The contrasting performance was shown by his teammate Marc Marquez who eventually came out as the champion. The Spanish rider locked the title early in the Japanese MotoGP and then missed four races after the Mandalika MotoGP.

Bagnaia admitted that the value of a MotoGP rider is determined by the results of the last race, in line with Jorge Lorenzo's thinking. So, he is not surprised that his position in the rider exchange towards the new 2027 regulations is not completely safe even though he has the status of a double world champion.

"We live in a world that is always fast. So, we have to be fast. Jorge Lorenzo said the right thing that you will always be remembered for the last race you took part in. So, it's normal if there are issues like that," he said.

Bagnaia began to show a positive response ahead of the 2026 season. In the preseason test in Sepang last week, he appeared more competitive with the latest GP26 specification bike.

In the Sprint Race simulation, his time record was even sharper than Marquez. However, the pressure of the rider market remains high as various speculations circulate.

Acosta is said to be a strong candidate to replace Bagnaia at Ducati. Meanwhile, Fabio Quartararo is reported to be approaching Honda and his position will be replaced by world champion Jorge Martin who currently defends Aprilia.

According to reports, Bagnaia emerged as a strong candidate to fill the place at Aprilia, which was Ducati's challenger in last season's competition.