Francesco Bagnaia goes to the Aragon Grand Prix desperately needing a response to falling 72 points behind Ducati teammate Marc Marquez in the 2025 championship.
Form has eluded Bagnaia in recent events, with the 28-year-old scoring just four points over the last two rounds at Le Mans and Silverstone. The Italian also abandoned the race-winning strategy in the French Grand Prix, before Bagnaia crashed while P13 in the British Grand Prix.
MotorLand Aragon was not a happy hunting ground for the Turin native in the 2024 MotoGP season, as well. Bagnaia only achieved P9 in last term’s Sprint Race in Alcaniz and crashed in the Aragon GP with Alex Marquez, who has outscored the Ducati racer by 48 points in 2025.
Now, the 2025 season heads for a track Marc Marquez loves with four more Aragon GP wins than any other rider in premier class history. The championship leader even secured his first wins aboard a Ducati there in 2024, as the 32-year-old did the Aragon GP double for Gresini.
Carlo Pernat thinks rumours that Yamaha want to sign Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia are ‘absurd’
Yet the talk surrounding Bagnaia before the 2025 Aragon GP does not only concern the two-time MotoGP champion’s recent lack of form. Rumours even emerged at the British GP that Yamaha see Bagnaia as their forbidden dream for 2026 if he breaks his contract with Ducati.
The Turin native is tied down in Borgo Panigale through 2026 and he is even firmly opposed to terminating his contract early. Yet Yamaha would swoop if he were available and they are not alone, as Aprilia could target Bagnaia to replace Jorge Martin amid interest from Honda.
But legendary MotoGP rider agent Carlo Pernat refuses to believe there is any chance that Bagnaia could leave Ducati to join Yamaha or any other team in 2026. Although Pernat does not rule out the possibility that the 30-time Grand Prix winner could leave after next season.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Francesco Bagnaia from net worth to race number
Pernat has told MOW: “In my opinion, all the rumours going around could be true. There is only one that I would define as absurd and that is that Pecco Bagnaia could terminate his agreement with Ducati early to wear the colours of Yamaha. There is a lot of talk about it, but I won’t believe it, even when I see the #63 on an M1.
“That Bagnaia and Ducati separate is a possibility because when there is competition and millions of euros involved, nothing is forever. But both Pecco and Ducati have no intention of considering the hypothesis before the natural expiry of the contract.
“When a few days ago Pecco himself said that contracts must be respected, I don’t think he was only talking about Martin. Almost certainly, that was an answer to those who perhaps sought him out in recent weeks.”
Tensions are brewing at Ducati amid Pecco Bagnaia’s lack of results beside Marc Marquez
Ducati and Bagnaia agreed on a £6m per year contract through 2026 in March 2024 after he won back-to-back riders’ championships over the two previous campaigns. The Italian’s deal also includes bonuses, such as winning another title, which can increase his salary to £8.5m.
But Marquez has humbled the rider who has been a part of the Bologna Bullets’ ranks since 2018 when Bagnaia was still competing in Moto2. It is even said that Ducati are running out of patience with Bagnaia’s excuses that his lack of form in 2025 is due to not liking the GP25.
Marquez has shown the GP25 is more than just a race-winning package with his three Grand Prix victories and six Sprint triumphs. Yet Ducati’s front fork is Bagnaia’s major issue with the GP25, and he only has one win which came when Marquez crashed out of the Americas GP.
