Francesco Bagnaia has been with Ducati since entering MotoGP, making his way from the Pramac satellite team to the factory team, where he has already secured two titles in the premier class. Now, officially, the future is open as his current contract expires at the end of the year – a situation Ducati does not want to prolong. Ducati Corse’s general manager, Gigi Dall’Igna, assured La Gazzetta dello Sport that his goal is to renew with Bagnaia before the start of the season in March.
However, he is aware that the matter is not simple, stating: ‘Will he renew before Qatar? That’s the goal, although a two-year contract for a two-time world champion is always complicated’.
In theory, Bagnaia has no reason to leave Ducati, as he is on the most competitive bike currently. Money is unlikely to be an issue. However, other manufacturers also have potentially vacant spots, and it is possible that the Italian rider may seek a new challenge. It wouldn’t be unprecedented for a rider to leave a winning manufacturer to attempt to replicate success with another team, as Valentino Rossi did when he switched from Honda to Yamaha in 2004.