Bagnaia to be replaced by Acosta at Ducati

Francesco Bagnaia is set to leave Ducati at the end of the MotoGP season and will be replaced by rising star Pedro Acosta.

Italian Bagnaia joined Ducati as a rookie in 2019 and ended their 15-year wait for a world championship when he won the title in 2022.

The 29-year-old will leave as the most successful rider in Ducati history, with 31 victories, 62 podiums and 28 pole positions.

“We’ve grown together, we’ve weathered every kind of situation together without ever giving up and we’ve always spurred each other on to give our all,” Bagnaia said in a post on Instagram.

“I feel the need to start afresh with a new challenge, but I’ll never forget what we’ve been. You’re part of me, and you always will be.”

Spaniard Acosta, 22, is a former Moto2 and Moto3 world champion and will join Ducati on a two-year deal from Red Bull’s KTM.

Bagnaia’s status as Ducati’s leading rider was challenged last year when Marc Marquez joined the team and won a seventh world title.

Bagnaia is widely reported to be joining compatriot and championship leader Marco Bezzecchi at Aprilia for the 2027 season.

Bagnaia is seventh in the championship standings on 127 points – 53 behind Bezzecchi – after nine of the 22 races this season.

The Netherlands GP takes place from Friday until Sunday.