It's a tough blow. Ducati has officially confirmed Francesco Bagnaia's departure at the end of the 2026 season to make way for Pedro Acosta. The two-time MotoGP world champion, the true architect of the Italian brand's return to the top, will join Aprilia in 2027 alongside Marco Bezzecchi. Bagnaia leaves Ducati after giving his all: two world titles, 31 victories, 68 podium finishes, and 38 pole positions. He ended a 15-year drought for the Bologna-based manufacturer since Casey Stoner's championship win in 2007. Casey Stoner himself had predicted that Ducati would eventually sacrifice Francesco Bagnaia.
A year ago, many had considered the remarks of Casey Stoner like those of a former champion who remained bitter. Today, they resonate like a prophecy. By officially announcing the departure of Francis Bagnaia for the benefit of Peter Acosta from 2027, Ducati confirmed what the Australian had been denouncing for months: in Borgo Panigale, even the greatest champions are never safe.
The two-time MotoGP world champion will leave the team where he grew up to join Apriliabringing to a close eight years of a historic collaboration. Two world titles. 31 victories.
68 podium finishes. 38 pole positions. And above all, an achievement that no one can take away from him: bringing the World Drivers' Championship back to France in 2022. Ducatififteen years later Casey StonerIronically, it was Stoner who had foreseen this separation.
Casey Stoner: “ Ducati kicks you out after a bad time »
Last August, when bagnaia was going through a more complicated period in the face of Marc Marquez, Casey Stoner had issued a warning that surprised the paddock. Ducati will kick you out after a bad time »
The former Australian champion went even further, recalls motorcyclesports that holds the top spot. " Pecco had given them their only titles until last year. If they are willing to get rid of him, it will say a lot about the type of people they are.t. For me, that wouldn't be fair. Pecco deserves respectAt the time, many considered these remarks excessive. Today, they take on a whole new dimension.
What makes this release even more powerful is that Stoner was not only speaking on behalf of bagnaiaHe was also telling his own story. 2009, while he was absent for medical reasons, Ducati had started looking for a replacement without even informing him. A personal wound he never truly forgot.
Seeing bagnaia gradually losing the confidence of his team after a more difficult season Stoner immediately recognized a scenario he himself had experienced. The story could have taken a different turn, however. A few weeks after the statements of Stoner, bagnaia was having a perfect weekend in Motegi.
A victory that seemed like a response to both its critics and its own manufacturer. But ultimately, it changed nothing. The decision of Ducati seemed already taken. The arrival of Peter Acosta had been agreed upon for several months and bagnaia no longer fit into the long-term project envisioned by Luigi Dall'Igna.
At DucatiNo one is really hiding this logic. Since the arrival of Gigi Dall'Igna, only one rule seems to prevail: choose the driver considered to be the fastest at time T, regardless of his past.
It was this philosophy that had led Ducati to recruit Marc MarquezIt is she who grows today bagnaia towards the exit to welcome Peter AcostaA strategy of formidable effectiveness in sporting terms, but one that also reinforces the image of a team where recognition never lasts very long.
This recognition seems to have been expressed by Noale. For ApriliaThis signing goes far beyond simply recruiting a two-time world champion. Massimo rivola acquires a rider who knows the Desmosedici perfectly, who participated in the development of the dominant motorcycle of recent years, and who arrives with immense motivation: to demonstrate that Ducati was mistaken. Associated with Marco BezzecchiBagnaia will form an all-Italian team capable of becoming one of the main opponents of Ducati 2027 soon.
Finally, this story goes far beyond a simple transfer. It tells the story of the philosophy of Ducati : to look only towards the future. And above all, she reminds us that a man had perfectly summed it up a year before everyone else. Casey Stoner.
