After eight successful seasons and shared goals, Ducati Corse and Francesco Bagnaia will embark on different paths at the end of the 2026 MotoGP Championship.
The Valencia GP will be the last in which Pecco will bring on track the red of the Ducati Lenovo Team.
A shared growth path based on trust, commitment, and mutual support that brought the Riders’ Title back to Borgo Panigale, 15 years later, in 2022 (Stoner 2007 – Bagnaia 2022). An unprecedented winning streak, culminating in the second title in 2023, 31 victories (11 of which in the 2024 season), 62 podiums, and 28 pole positions. One of the most promising talents in the Italian nursery, Pecco joined Ducati – very young and as a rookie in MotoGP – in 2019. Thanks to the support of a top-level technical Team, meticulous attention to details, and extensive development of all components, over the years he has brought the Desmosedici GP, the bike he had dreamed since childhood, to peak performances, exploiting its full potential.
A successful sporting partnership with equally significant personal value for a rider who has grown both professionally and personally within the Ducati Corse garages. An unrepeatable streak that makes Pecco, to date, the most successful rider on the Desmosedici GP.
Respecting such a strong and consolidated relationship, Ducati and Pecco will commit to their fullest ability to achieve the best possible results with the Ducati Lenovo Team till the end of the 2026 season and close this cycle on a high note.
Claudio Domenicali (CEO Ducati Motor Holding)
“Pecco has written some of the most memorable chapters in Ducati’s history, bringing the MotoGP World Title back to Borgo Panigale in 2022 after the first one secured in 2007. That triumph marked the beginning of the most successful era for the brand in the premier class, with four Riders’ Titles won, two of them by Pecco himself. The 2022 title has a special meaning for me, as it was the culmination of a restructuring process within Ducati Corse that allowed us to return to the forefront after a particularly difficult period. But sporting results tell only part of Pecco’s value: his clean and elegant riding style (I like to call him “Il Pinturicchio”), together with his great fairness on track – combined with remarkable determination when overtaking – made Ducatisti fall in love with him. On top of that, he is a great professional and a great person away from racing. The most recent seasons have been more challenging from both a sporting and technical point of view, but I am sure Pecco will give his all until his very last day in red and will be happy to meet all the fans at the upcoming World Ducati Week, taking place from 3 to 5 July in Misano. He will surely thrill us on his Panigale V4 during the Lenovo Race of Champions! On behalf of everyone at Ducati, our heartfelt thanks, Pecco.”
Luigi Dall’Igna (General Manager of Ducati Corse)
“Pecco is one of those riders with whom the spark ignited immediately. We sought him out and wanted him from a very young age to build a project around him. He’s fast and, above all, clever. The goal was to bring the Desmosedici GP to its full potential. We achieved it. Thanks to the work of the entire Team and the technology, but above all thanks to Pecco’s talent, which, 15 years later, has brought Ducati’s red back to the top of the rankings. During all these seasons spent together, we’ve built a mature and solid relationship, founded on gratitude, trust, and respect. It’s the same relationship that has allowed us to overcome difficult times, always united. Pecco will forever remain a Champion in the history of Borgo Panigale and in my personal history as well. With Ducati, he fulfilled his childhood dreams, and we achieved ours alongside him. In relationships, it’s not always easy to recognize and understand when a cycle has ended and change is needed. The deep bond of mutual affection that unites us will not change and will be the key for managing all the races till the end of the season and for closing this journey on a high note”.
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