Ducati Wary of Pecco Bagnaia as Aprilia MotoGP Rival

Ducati already views Pecco Bagnaia as a serious future threat after Aprilia Racing confirmed the Italian will join its MotoGP project from 2027. Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi admitted Bagnaia will become a “problem” for the Bologna manufacturer because his speed is so well known inside the team.

Aprilia announced ahead of the Dutch MotoGP at Assen that Bagnaia had signed a four-year contract beginning with the 2027 season. The move will close a long Ducati chapter for Bagnaia, who has spent his entire MotoGP career with the brand since joining Pramac in 2019 before moving to the factory squad in 2021.

Bagnaia has become one of the defining figures of Ducati's modern era. He won back-to-back MotoGP world titles in 2022 and 2023, scored 31 victories and 63 podiums with the Italian manufacturer, and stands statistically as Ducati's most successful rider in the premier class.

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"It will be funny because of the personal relationship we built up with Pecco over those eight years. It will be funny next year to have him as an opponent," Tardozzi said.

However, Tardozzi made clear that Ducati understands the competitive risk of seeing Bagnaia on an Aprilia. His experience, speed and technical understanding could make him a direct title rival once he adapts to the RS-GP.

"We know Pecco will be a kind of 'problem' for us because we know he is a very, very fast rider. But in the end, we will always keep him in our hearts, not only because of the results he gave us, but because he is also a very good friend," Tardozzi explained.

Bagnaia will partner Marco Bezzecchi at Aprilia from 2027. He will replace Jorge Martin, who is set to move to Yamaha after the Japanese manufacturer confirmed that Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins will leave at the end of the 2026 season.

The move could significantly reshape MotoGP's competitive landscape. Ducati will lose the most successful rider in its history, while Aprilia gains a proven world champion capable of leading a factory project. The first clear indication of that new rivalry will come in the 2027 winter test, when Ducati begins to measure the threat posed by its former lead rider.