Regardless of the calm has projected in latest days concerning his probabilities of renewing his MotoGP contract with Ducati, the alerts coming from the higher echelons of the Bologna-based producer recommend that the Italian could also be nearer to altering groups in MotoGP than to persevering with in crimson.
At such a pivotal second as this one, with the rider market in full swing, info tends to achieve the skin world with a big delay – precisely as the primary events concerned, groups and riders alike, intend. The newest instance of this ‘delay’ grew to become obvious over the previous couple of days at Ducati’s launch occasion in Madonna di Campiglio, the place Bagnaia was one of many central figures.
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The composure proven by the two-time MotoGP champion when requested about the potential of extending his present deal, which expires on the finish of this season, doesn’t solely tally with the statements made by Ducati’s senior administration. From firm CEO Claudio Domenicali to workforce supervisor Davide Tardozzi, all of them underlined the continuation of as the highest precedence.
“Renewing Marc is our precedence, simply because it was with Pecco when he grew to become world champion. It’s a fancy contract and there are various issues to take note of. However we’re proud of him and he’s proud of us, so we’ll discover a resolution as a result of we’re in an excellent place,” mentioned Domenicali.
“As soon as we all know whether or not Marc decides to proceed or not, then we’ll take into consideration the second rider. What’s clear is that if Marc decides to depart, then our precedence shall be to resume Pecco,” added Tardozzi.
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Regardless of the warning proven by each, Motorsport.com understands that the extension of the present champion’s contract can virtually be taken as a right, in a lot the identical manner that the alerts surrounding Bagnaia level to the rider from Turin being farther from extending his present deal than from looking for a manner out. And this isn’t solely due to ambiguous statements resembling these from Domenicali and Tardozzi.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Workforce
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Workforce
Ducati’s agency official stance concerning Marquez because the precedence carries additional implications that work in opposition to #63, past the purely emotional facet – not least the monetary one.
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When the Catalan first joined the manufacturing facility workforce for 2025, he did so from a far weaker place than he holds as we speak, which led him to simply accept, with just about no negotiation, the phrases and figures placed on the desk. The state of affairs is now utterly completely different, after he dominated final season and proved that he stays the benchmark on the grid.
Marquez has strengthened his hand and has used that leverage in talks with Ducati, a producer that doesn’t have the identical monetary muscle as Yamaha or Honda. The one who will endure in consequence would be the subsequent team-mate of #93, who shall be compelled to simply accept no matter is obtainable. Contemplating that Bagnaia signed his present deal as world champion, it isn’t onerous to think about that he could be unwilling to simply accept a deterioration in his circumstances of the type now being assumed – even when Ducati have been nonetheless relying on him within the medium time period, one thing that’s removed from clear.
Bagnaia’s collapse over the course of final season created rigidity inside Ducati Corse that was extraordinarily tough to disguise. The rider repeatedly questioned the flexibility of the engineers, whom he felt have been unable to elucidate the shortage of feeling he skilled from the entrance finish of his Desmosedici GP25. That unresolved friction carried by way of to the tip of the 12 months, earlier than either side headed into the low season to recharge forward of what was to return – not solely on observe, but in addition within the workplaces, forward of probably the most important and fast-moving rider market in latest reminiscence, one anticipated to contain loads of motion.
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“I’m relaxed about my renewal. I simply need to begin the season effectively and give attention to that. There are a lot of riders whose contracts are ending, and will probably be essential to remain targeted on the championship,” Bagnaia mentioned on Monday when requested about the place he could be in 2027.
No one ought to imagine that the Italian is counting on convincing Ducati throughout the opening races of the season. A number of brokers consulted by Motorsport.com agree that by early March, when the championship begins in Thailand, it’s extremely seemingly that every one manufacturing facility groups will have already got their line-ups in place for the 2027 and 2028 seasons – Ducati included.
If we settle for that premise, it’s straightforward to conclude that Domenicali, Gigi Dall’Igna and firm have already decided. And that is the place the phrases spoken final week by Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola resonate strongly. Rivola all however took it as a right that Marquez’s storage neighbour could be – feedback that didn’t go down effectively with Dall’Igna.
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“What reached me was that Rivola talked extra about Ducati than about Aprilia,” he mentioned.
Taking the entire above under consideration, it appears clear that the dilemma for Ducati is whether or not to resume Bagnaia or to safe Acosta, who could be keen to simply accept no matter was put in entrance of him with a purpose to trip one of many crimson bikes – a raffle comparable in nature to the one Marquez made a few years in the past.
Signing the rider from Murcia would assure Ducati a top-level successor for the time when the Cervera native ultimately strikes on. What could be extra questionable, nevertheless, is having already made that call and leaving Bagnaia – probably the most profitable rider within the producer’s historical past when it comes to outcomes – with out the possibility to show that his 2025 marketing campaign was nothing greater than an anomaly.
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