Francesco Bagnaia will continue to race for the factory Ducati Lenovo Team for 2025 and 2026 MotoGP after securing a two-year contract extension with the Italian brand.
Reigning double MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia has confirmed that he will continue to compete in the premier bike racing class with the factory Ducati team through at least the conclusion of the 2026 season.
The announcement comes just a few days before the two-time World Champion launches his bid towards claiming his third MotoGP world title with Ducati.
Bagnaia’s contract extension will run for a further two years, keeping him at the Ducati Lenovo Team until the final MotoGP season under the current technical regulations in 2025 and 2026. His current agreement was set to expire at the end of 2024.
By extending his current contract, he will become the second rider to partner with Ducati for a total of eight years, cementing his legacy in the history of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer.
“We’re thrilled to announce that Ducati and Pecco Bagnaia are teaming up for another two seasons,” the team wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Bagnaia made his MotoGP debut with Pramac Ducati in 2019 after securing the Moto2 World Championship the previous year, and was eventually promoted to the factory seat in 2021.
Following a string of impressive performances at the conclusion of the year that saw him place second in the overall standings behind Fabio Quartararo, Bagnaia went on to win in 2022 and 2023, earning Ducati its first championships since Casey Stoner in 2007 and also becoming the first Italian to do so on an Italian bike: the Desmosedici GP.
During his tenure with the team, he has secured 18 MotoGP victories, 18 pole positions and 35 podiums.
“I am so happy to continue racing with the team of my dreams!” Bagnaia said. “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.”
Ducati Corse General Manager Luigi Dall’Igna reflected on the history Ducati and Bagnaia had made together.
“We are extremely happy to have Bagnaia with us again for 2025 and 2026,” he said. “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 [MotoGP] World Champion and has proven on more than one occasion that he truly deserves the number one 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.”
Bagnaia’s retention by Ducati is the first major update to the 2025 MotoGP lineup that has been confirmed. However, the announcement comes after reports that Moto2 star Fermin Aldeguer has signed a contract with Ducati to ride for the Pramac squad in 2025.
Aldeguer might be the next rider to be announced by the bike manufacturer following the confirmation that its World Champion will continue to race for Ducati for a further two years.
Bagnaia has secured one of the top two MotoGP seats that were up for grabs as the seat alongside him in the Ducati factory garage remains. The current holder of that spot is Enea Bastianini, but candidates for the second set of red leathers for 2025 include Fabio Quartararo, Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin, and Marco Bezzecchi.
