Photo by Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Francesco Bagnaia was the heartbeat of the factory Ducati team, until Marc Marquez joined in the 2025 season and he dominated MotoGP to earn his first title since 2019.

The Bologna Bullets had built themselves on the success that Bagnaia had achieved over the four previous seasons. Bagnaia won the 2022 title to secure Ducati their first title since 2007 with Casey Stoner. He also retained the crown in 2023, and fell a mere 10 points shy in 2024.

But Marquez quickly ruined Bagnaia’s status and finished the 2025 MotoGP season as the champion with 545 points, while the Italian finished the year only fifth with 288 points. Such was his authority that retaining Marquez for 2027 is Ducati’s top priority, instead of Bagnaia.

Marquez and Bagnaia are both currently due to be out of contract at the end of 2026, in line with most riders on the grid. It is even now said that Bagnaia faces taking a pay cut to stay at Ducati in 2027, as any new contract for Marquez will set the Borgo Panigale natives’ budget.

Photo by Alex Juarez/Anadolu via Getty Images

Claudio Domenicali wants Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez both at ‘the top’ in 2026

Bagnaia will need a huge response in 2026 to show Ducati why he deserves a future in their factory team. The 28-year-old only secured two Grand Prix wins and eight podiums through the 22 rounds in 2025, whereas Marquez scored 11 wins and 15 podiums from his 18 races.

READ MORE: Ducati’s top five riders of all time, including Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia

Francesco Bagnaia on his MotoGP future

“I want to continue with Ducati. My ambition is to end my career with them.”

👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say Comment Like or Comment

Marquez sustained a season-ending shoulder injury in Indonesia, where he failed to finish a race for just the second time in 2025 after the Americas GP. The 32-year-old salvaged a P12 result after he crashed in the Spanish GP, marking the only time he finished off the podium.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali was not surprised by Marquez’s performances, although his teamwork did astound in 2025. Now, Domenicali wants Bagnaia to join Marquez at the very top of MotoGP in 2026, having finished 2025 with six retirements over the final seven races.

Domenicali told Gazzetta dello Sport: “I knew Marc Marquez’s talent and determination, but I didn’t expect to discover a guy with such great teamwork skills.

“In 2026, we want to be able to achieve success with him and Pecco Bagnaia together, to take both our riders to the top.”

Francesco Bagnaia cannot start 2026 the same way he finished the 2025 season

Bagnaia won the Japanese Grand Prix in September to do the double at Motegi following his Sprint win, but it would mark his only finish in the final seven Grands Prix. Marquez winning the 2025 title in Japan, with five rounds to spare, also overshadowed the Italian’s triumphs.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number

Francesco Bagnaia failed to score points in 18 of his 44 races in 2025.

Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images

👇 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say Comment Like or Comment

Ducati also only saw Bagnaia score points in three of the final 10 Sprint Races in 2025, with Sprint wins in Japan and Malaysia plus P8 in the Sprint in Portugal. Before Bagnaia failed to score a point all weekend at Misano in September, he was comfortably P3 in the standings.

Bagnaia might have trailed Marquez atop the standings by 250 points through 15 of the 22 rounds, yet he led Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi by 40 points and KTM’s Pedro Acosta by 54. He ultimately finished the 2025 season 65 points behind Bezzecchi and also 19 behind Acosta.

Ducati will not accept Bagnaia starting the 2026 season the same way that he finished the 2025 campaign. If Bagnaia is to realise Domenicali’s ambition of having both factory Ducati riders perform at the top in 2026, the Turin native simply must start 2026 on the front foot.