MotoGP's summer break has settled the biggest question hanging over the 2027 grid: who lines up in the factory Ducati garage once the sport switches to its new 850cc regulations. The answer reshapes the top of the paddock. Marc Marquez stays, Pedro Acosta arrives from KTM, and Francesco Bagnaia - Ducati's two-time champion - walks away to Aprilia.
Ducati confirmed Marquez's renewal on 23 June, tying the reigning champion to the factory team through 2028. The 32-year-old framed the decision as the natural continuation of a partnership that has already delivered a title.
"When I decided to join Ducati, I was convinced it was the most competitive project. They believed in me, and we built a relationship based on trust and hard work," Marquez said. "With this renewal, they have once again reaffirmed this commitment, respecting my times and giving me the peace of mind I needed to make the right decision."
Ducati general manager Luigi Dall'Igna, the engineer behind the Desmosedici's dominance, was equally committed to the pairing.
"As an engineer, working with Marc has impressed me. He brought the Desmosedici GP to peak performances, enhancing every component," Dall'Igna said. "The ambitions remain unchanged, and I am happy to be able to live, both sportingly and personally, a new chapter in this Ducati story together with Marc."
The bigger shift sits alongside him. Acosta, 22, is leaving KTM - the manufacturer that guided him from the Red Bull Rookies Cup through two world titles - because he is no longer willing to wait for a bike capable of winning a championship.
"Things come like that. I already said when I signed my factory contract, that the only thing that I wanted was a bike to win the championship. It is clear that this bike has not arrived yet," Acosta said. "To be honest, I have no more time to lose. I got a lot of experience in KTM, but also I was feeling that [Ducati] was the challenge that I needed for my career."
"We had to swallow that Pedro wants to leave us because he's been so long with us: Rookies Cup, Moto3 world champion, Moto2 world champion, broken leg, coming back; so many things we went through together," Beirer said. "There is one moment that was quite frustrating honestly because we never planned for a replacement. We were putting all the cards on him somehow."
To make room, Ducati is letting go of Bagnaia, whose entire premier-class career - back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023, 31 wins and 63 podiums - has been in factory red. He is bound for Aprilia on a four-year deal running to 2030, partnering Marco Bezzecchi.
Bagnaia insists the move is a leap he chased rather than a push he resisted.
"I'm super excited. I'm very happy," he said of the Aprilia switch. "I pushed a lot for a long-term contract, and four years seems a lot in terms of our sport, but I really believe in the project, and the support I received from them is fantastic."
He was candid that the split had been building. "It's quite clear that last year was difficult. We started having different approach, different mindset, and I start building the decision last year, half season, more or less."
His immediate focus is a proper send-off. "There are still 13 races to go, so I really want to end my career in Ducati with fantastic results."
Ducati is bracing for the consequences. Team manager Davide Tardozzi has acknowledged that a Bagnaia in Aprilia colours will be a genuine threat given his raw pace, while stressing the squad will always remember the two titles, 31 wins and 63 podiums he delivered in red.
The knock-on effects run down the grid. Acosta's departure clears KTM's factory seats for Alex Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio, while Fabio Quartararo's Honda renewal and Jorge Martin's move to Yamaha round out a silly season that has redrawn nearly every leading ride before a single 850cc bike has turned a wheel.
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*Originally published on [Motorsports Global](https://motorsports.global/article/ducati-pairs-marquez-and-acosta-as-bagnaia-bolts-to-aprilia). Visit for full coverage.*