Aprilia Racing signs Pecco Bagnaia

With Aprilia Racing on the rise in MotoGP, leading the Riders’, Constructors’ and Teams’ Championships at time of writing, their stocks may rise even further in 2027 with the signing of Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia. The 29-year-old Italian, a two-time MotoGP World Champion with 41 Grand Prix victories, will join the factory team on a four-year contract, partnering incumbent Marco Bezzecchi for an all-Italian lineup.

With his seat at the Ducati Lenovo Team to be taken by Pedro Acosta next season, Bagnaia has secured what is now arguably the best spot on the grid. Aprilia riders have won six of the first ten GPs this season, along with four Sprints. Those victories have been shared by Aprilia Racing team and the satellite SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team, showing there’s strength in the Aprilia RS-GP more broadly, not just the factory squad.

“I’m super excited,” Bagnaia told motogp.com following the official announcement on 25 June. “I pushed a lot for a long-term contract - four years is a lot in our sport. I really believe in the [Aprilia] project, and the support I received from them is fantastic.

“I had different options, but I was really pushing for Aprilia. I was in discussion [with them] for many years, and every year I was saying ‘Let’s see’. But the time has finally arrived, and I think a full Italian team can do an incredible job.”

The move to Aprilia will mark a major change for Bagnaia, as his entire MotoGP career to date has been with Ducati. After securing the Moto2 World Championship in 2018, Bagnaia graduated to the premier class the following year with Pramac Racing, then joined the Ducati Lenovo Team in 2021. World Champion in 2022 and 2023, Bagnaia narrowly lost the 2024 title to Jorge Martin, but has faltered since the arrival of Marc Marquez at the factory squad in 2025.

With only two GP wins last year compared to eleven in 2024, Bagnaia was winless after the first ten rounds of this season, although he had secured a Sprint victory at the Czech Grand Prix.

When asked how he’s viewed the past couple of seasons with Ducati, Bagnaia added: “It’s quite clear that last year was a difficult season. We started having a different approach and different mindset. I started building the decision [to leave Ducati] last year – but there wasn’t one moment.

“But with thirteen races to go, I really want to end my career with Ducati with fantastic results.”

Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola says that adding Bagnaia to their roster is an important move for the team, and a confirmation of the value of Italian sport.

“Michele Colaninno [CEO of Aprilia’s parent company] and I share the same vision of supporting Italy,” Rivola said. “Which is why we both thought of Marco and Pecco together for the next chapter of Aprilia Racing.

“Welcoming Pecco fills us with pride and gives Italian sport a further boost internationally.

“We will give him and his family a warm welcome, but first we will try to beat him! Having a multiple World Champion is a responsibility we can’t wait to take on.”