VOLUME 63 ISSUE 26 JUNE 30, 2026 P29
World Champion alongside Marc
Marquez beginning in 2027.
Bagnaia has signed a four-
year deal with the Noale manu-
facturer and will partner with
Marco
Bezzecchi, creating an all-
Italian rider lineup at the factory
Aprilia squad for the first time
in the team's MotoGP history as
MotoGP prepares to enter the
new 850cc era in 2027.
The signing represents a
major statement of intent from
Aprilia, which has emerged as
Ducati's strongest rival during
the 2026 season. Bezzecchi's ti
-
tle challenge and Aprilia's recent
race-winning
form have helped
establish the RS-GP as a genuine
championship contender, mak-
ing the factory team an increas-
ingly attractive destination for
top
riders.
Bagnaia's arrival also triggers
a significant reshuffle across
the rider market. Ducati's lineup
of Marquez and Acosta gives
the Bologna manufacturer an
all-Spanish pairing featuring
two of the sport's biggest stars,
while Jorge Martin is set to
depart from Aprilia for Yamaha
to pair with Ai Ogura, although
that agreement is yet to be
confirmed. Several factory and
satellite teams are expected to
finalize their 2027 rosters in the
coming weeks as the remaining
seats fall into place.
For Bagnaia, the switch marks
the start of a new chapter after
delivering Ducati's first MotoGP
riders' title in 15 years in 2022
and adding a second crown in
2023. By the time he departs at
the end of 2026, he will leave as
one of the most successful rid
-
ers in Ducati history.
CN
manufacturer after progress-
ing through the KTM ranks
from
the junior categories to
the premier class.
The signing is expected to
have implications throughout
the rider market, with several
teams now expected to final
-
ize their lineups ahead of the
2027
season.
CN
Cairoli To Race Three Rounds
of U.S. Pro Motocross
N
ine-time MXGP World Champion Antonio Cai-
roli announced he'll be lining up during the Pro
Motocross
Championship this summer. The Ital-
ian native, who now serves as a Ducati test rider,
is set to
race rounds five, six and seven starting at
RedBud on July 4, followed by Southwick on July
11 and Spring Creek on July 18. He'll be pitted
with the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati team
alongside Dylan Ferrandis and Justin Barcia.
Cairoli raced two rounds of the series last year,
RedBud and Spring Creek, as he developed the
new Ducati Desmo450 MX here in the United
States. Before that, he raced five rounds during
the 2022 season for Red Bull KTM. The South
-
wick round will also see Lucas and Sacha Coenen
on
the gate for a full Euro invasion.
CN
(Right) Tony Cairoli will race three
rounds of Pro Motocross this
summer aboard a factory Ducati
Desmo450 MX.
