Will Francesco Bagnaia Leave Ducati to Join Yamaha?
The hot rumor shaking the MotoGP paddock ahead of the 2025 Aragon Grand Prix suggests that Francesco Bagnaia might leave Ducati for Yamaha. However, the Ducati Lenovo Team’s star rider, Francesco Bagnaia, firmly denied these speculations on Friday (6/6/2025), reaffirming his commitment to the team that has brought him two world championship titles.
The rumor of Bagnaia’s potential move to Yamaha surfaced after a report from Sky Sport Italia stated that Yamaha considered Bagnaia their “dream recruit” for MotoGP 2026. The speculation gained traction due to Bagnaia’s inconsistent performance in the 2025 season, including a disappointing 12th-place finish in the Aragon Sprint (7/6/2025). A photo of Bagnaia wearing a Yamaha-signature blue jacket further fueled the rumors. However, Bagnaia swiftly dismissed the talk during a media session at the MotorLand Aragon circuit.
“I don’t understand these rumors. I already said at Silverstone, I would never break a contract I’ve signed. That’s my life principle,” Bagnaia stated firmly, as quoted by Crash.net on Saturday (7/6/2025). Bagnaia’s contract with Ducati runs until the end of 2026, and he emphasized that there is no reason to leave the team that led him to MotoGP world titles in 2022 and 2023.
The rumor emerged amid Bagnaia’s struggles with the Ducati GP25. After seven rounds of the 2025 season, Bagnaia trails the championship leader, Marc Marquez, by 72 points. MotoGP commentator Michael Laverty even questioned Bagnaia’s ability to recover in the remaining races, especially given the strong performances of the Marquez brothers, Marc and Alex. Nevertheless, Bagnaia is working diligently to find solutions by adjusting the bike’s setup and his riding style, including testing a longer Ohlins front fork in Aragon.
“I’m working hard to find the best feeling with the bike. We’re trying different things because the bike is the same as in previous races, but we need different solutions,” Bagnaia explained.
The speculation about Bagnaia’s move has sparked discussions about the MotoGP 2026 rider market dynamics. Yamaha, now led by Paolo Pavesio, aims to strengthen its team with two elite riders to restore its former glory. Despite having Fabio Quartararo, reports suggest Yamaha believes Quartararo alone is “not enough” and views Bagnaia as the ideal addition. However, MotoGP analyst Carlo Pernat dismissed the rumor as illogical, citing Bagnaia’s strong relationship with Ducati and his existing contract.
Meanwhile, at Ducati, team manager Gigi Dall’Igna has urged the entire team to support Bagnaia in regaining his competitiveness. Aragon is a crucial moment for Bagnaia to reverse his negative trend after two races without a podium.
With this clarification, Bagnaia emphasized his focus on halting Marc Marquez’s dominance at Aragon, where he claimed his first MotoGP victory in 2021. Will Bagnaia return to the winner’s circle, or will the rumors continue to loom? The main Aragon race on Sunday (8/6/2025) at 7:00 PM WIB will be the proving ground.
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MotoGP Standings 2025
| Posisi | Pembalap | Tim | Poin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Marquez | Ducati Lenovo Team | 233 |
| 2 | Alex Marquez | BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP | 201 |
| 3 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Lenovo Team | 140 |
| 4 | Franco Morbidelli | Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | 115 |
| 5 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team | 99 |
