With Fabio Quartararo heading to Honda and Jorge Martin on his way to Yamaha, Ducati has been the MotoGP team under the least pressure, largely thanks to the calm conveyed by Marc Marquez in his recent statements.
The Spaniard made it clear that his intention is to remain with the team that allowed him to become world champion once again. While the contract extension between Marquez and the Borgo Panigale manufacturer is still pending a few final details, the signals pointing to Pedro Acosta as his most likely team-mate from 2027 onwards have been piling up in recent weeks.
Spanish newspaper AS is already reporting Acosta’s departure from KTM and his arrival at Ducati, where he is expected to form the most formidable pairing on the grid alongside the #93.
Motorsport.com understands that the agreement between the two-time world champion in Moto3 (2021) and Moto2 (2023) and the Italian manufacturer is already sealed, pending the final polishing of Marquez’s contract clauses. Once that is completed, the sequence of official announcements is expected to follow, likely before the opening round of the 2026 championship in early March.
Additionally, Motorsport.com has learned that representatives of Francesco Bagnaia have been working for some time to find the Italian rider a new seat. Common sense suggests he could fit on almost any bike, but a logical move would see him join one of the VR46 Desmosedici machines – allowing him to stay within the Ducati family.
However, it would not be far-fetched for him to team up with Martin at Yamaha, or even for Honda to attempt to assemble a high-profile line-up featuring Bagnaia alongside Quartararo. Aprilia, too, could consider making him an offer to partner Marco Bezzecchi, one of his closest friends in the MotoGP paddock.
Ducati’s move for Acosta may be interpreted as particularly aggressive, especially given that Bagnaia was not even afforded the chance to prove that last season’s downturn was merely a blip. However, Motorsport.com understands that this offensive is rooted in a damage-prevention strategy.
The urgency of the market, combined with Marquez’s demands for his new contract, forced executives at the Bologna-based company to act decisively in order to secure a top-tier rider. With Acosta, Ducati also guarantees itself a high-quality successor for the day Marquez decides to retire or seek a new challenge.
As if that weren’t enough, the desire of the #37 to land at Ducati has meant that his demands are likely lower than they would have been in negotiations with a more desperate manufacturer. Last year, the KTM rider had already explored the possibility of giving up the final year of his contract with the Mattighofen-based brand in order to join VR46 for the 2026 season, where he was welcomed as a potential replacement for Franco Morbidelli.
However, KTM’s management did not even consider entering negotiations over a possible exit. Throughout this period, KTM sporting director Pit Beirer tried to convince the Spaniard not to rule out a contract renewal.
Acosta’s seat in the factory KTM team is expected to be taken by Maverick Vinales, while it remains unclear who would occupy the second bike, currently ridden by Brad Binder.
