Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta now under one roof at Ducati
Ducati has confirmed that 22-year-old rising star, Pedro Acosta, will join its factory MotoGP team for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, where he will line up alongside 6-time MotoGP champion, Marc Marquez. The announcement comes just a day after Ducati signed Marquez’s services through 2028.
Acosta’s rise through the Grand Prix ranks has been nothing short of rapid. He captured the 2021 Moto3 world championship with Red Bull KTM Ajo before stepping up to Moto2 and claiming another title with the same squad in 2023. After arriving in MotoGP, he quickly established himself as one of the sport’s brightest young stars, making him one of the most sought-after riders on the grid.
Pedro Acosta
His move to Ducati is also a significant blow to KTM. The Austrian manufacturer helped develop Acosta from his Moto3 days all the way to the premier class, only to see him leave for a rival factory team. While Marquez still remains as one of the strongest riders in MotoGP, at 33 years old, attention is already shifting toward the next generation. Acosta is widely seen as one of the riders capable of filling those shoes.
The deal also marks the end of an era for Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia, who will leave the factory Ducati squad at the conclusion of the 2026 season. Bagnaia played a major role in Ducati’s modern success, delivering multiple world championships and helping establish the Desmosedici as the benchmark bike in MotoGP.
This also sets the stage for a fascinating 2027 season. On paper, Ducati has assembled a dream team. But MotoGP history has shown that putting two elite riders in the same garage doesn’t always lead to harmony. Yamaha learned that firsthand during the Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo era, when a championship-winning partnership eventually grew into one of the sport’s fiercest rivalries.
Will Acosta arrive as Marquez’s teammate, a.k.a. sidekick? Or will the young Spaniard waste no time challenging the rider many regard as the definition of modern MotoGP?
