He has won the last two MotoGP championships for Ducati, but his contract was set to expire at the end of the 2024 season. Earlier today, Ducati announced that it has signed a two-year extension with Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia, ensuring that he stays on the Italian factory’s MotoGP team through the end of the 2026 season.
Here is the announcement from Ducati:
- The Italian Rider, Two-Time World Champion with the Ducati Lenovo Team, Will Ride the factory Desmosedici GP in 2025 and 2026 as Well
Just days before the start of the 2024 MotoGP World Championship, Ducati Corse and Francesco Bagnaia solidified their future together by putting pen to paper, announcing the signing of an agreement that binds the two-time MotoGP World Champion to the Borgo Panigale manufacturer for the 2025 and 2026 seasons as well.
The contract renewal ensures continuity for an all-Italian winning pair: a perfect combination of the technology and performance of the Desmosedici GP and the talent, passion, and determination of Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia.
Born in Turin in 1997 and residing in Pesaro, Bagnaia joined Ducati with Pramac Racing in 2019. With the extension of his current contract, he will further solidify his place in the history of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer, becoming the second rider to be linked with Ducati for a total of eight years.
Bagnaia made a name for himself in 2020 by securing his first MotoGP podium in his home race at Misano Adriatico, and in 2021, he was promoted to the factory team. During his first year riding the red Ducati Lenovo Team machine, he narrowly missed out on winning the World Title, finishing as the runner-up after an exhilarating season finale. The year 2022 marked Bagnaia’s breakthrough, as he clinched his first MotoGP Riders’ World Title, also becoming the first Italian to do so on an Italian bike: the Desmosedici GP. This victory marked Ducati’s second Riders’ World Title, following Casey Stoner’s success in 2007, 15 years earlier. With the number 1 on his bike’s front fairing, Bagnaia was again crowned World Champion in 2023, thanks to another remarkable season that saw him claim 15 podiums, 7 victories, and 7 pole positions.
Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team)
“I am so happy to continue racing with the team of my dreams! Wearing these colours is an honour for me. It’s fantastic and a source of pride. Together with Ducati, my team, and all the guys at Ducati Corse, we’ve achieved incredible things. In these three more years (including 2024) ahead of us, we’ll continue to give our best to achieve as much success as possible. I am overjoyed and ready to hit the track in Qatar for the first race of the year.”
Claudio Domenicali (CEO Ducati Motor Holding)
“Pecco is truly the perfect rider for Ducati. He represents our values at their best: style, elegance, and performance. Not only is he fast, determined, and tenacious on track, but he also stands out for his elegance and education off the track. I am very happy for this renewal, which I am sure Ducatisti all over the world will welcome with enthusiasm.”
Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“We are extremely happy to have Bagnaia with us again for 2025 and 2026. Together, we have written an important page of motorcycling history: Pecco was the first Italian rider to win a World Title in MotoGP with an Italian bike, our Desmosedici GP. Together, we brought back a Riders’ World Title that had been missing for 15 years, and we did it again last year. He is a two-time World Champion and has proven on more than one occasion that he truly deserves the number 1 on the fairing of his bike. In addition to these results, Bagnaia continues to demonstrate that he is in perfect harmony with his bike and team. For all these reasons, it was natural for us to want to continue with him. Therefore, we look forward to this new chapter together, confident that we can achieve other important results.”
Statistics from 2019 to date
GP Starts with Ducati in MotoGP: 86
First GP: Qatar 2019
Wins: 18
First GP Win: Aragón 2021
Podiums: 35
First Podium: San Marino 2020
Pole Positions: 18
First Pole: Qatar 2021
Fastest Laps: 13
Points: 1085
World Titles: 2 (MotoGP 2023, MotoGP 2022)
Bagnaia and the Ducati Lenovo Team will hit the track for the opening Grand Prix of the 2024 MotoGP World Championship from March 8th to 10th at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar.
Lamest world champ ever
Why do you say that?
Pedro Acosta or MM93. Note a vote but the ones I like most.
I like Done Pepdro
Italian rider, Italian team, hot bike. Must have been a terribly difficult decision for him.
KEK yup kept him up all night
Some years ago Valention Rossi got the opportunity to drive the Ferrari F1 cars a few times. In his 3rd drive he was 11th quick among the F1 regulars which demonstrated beyond a doubt that he could be a winning driver. I am really surprised MotoGP didn’t lose him to an “all the money in the world” deal then and there.
I think he realized that to get from 11th quick to top 3 would require having come up thru karts, where he had that burn-in on bikes.
Edit: So I do -not- agree that this showing demonstrated he could be a winning driver.
I’ve watched young promising young drivers get guest/test drives in F1 cars and are barely able to get them down a straightaway. That Rossi came to understand how to drive the aerodynamics and get to within 30 sec./lap of the slowest regular F1 driver (let alone beat over half of them) in only 3 drives in one, without any kind of prep in an open wheel race car, is miraculous. He’d absolutely have been a win capable driver.
But Rossi is first and foremost a motorcycle guy. Sure he can drive a car. But once you have enough money, which is different for everyone, then you stop chasing the stuff so hard. Rossi has been doing really well for a long time now. Why race a car when you can race a motorcycle unless it’s a fun one off race?
He probably didn’t know it at the time but his Moto GP legacy had all but been set by then. His last drive in a F1 car was 2008 and his last title in MotoGP came in 09.
The complicating factor was likely that the offer didn’t put him straight onto the Ferrari team, he’d have started at Minardi which was a back marker. I think you’re right about the money. He was making tons and likely wouldn’t earn as much in the car. I think it was more about the competitive prospect.
They already did their laps. Nothing to say about race. Pedro Acosta is interesting.
In other news, the sun will raise tomorrow bringing with it several hours of daylight. After which, the sun will set and it will get dark outside.
Well said, Mick, as always.
Most all of the current riders pick him as the contender for this seasons win. After some learning curve, he seems to be able to be competitive at the end of most races, a good choice from Ducati.