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Ducati announces Bagnaia MotoGP contract extension
Francesco Bagnaia has been a Ducati rider throughout his entire MotoGP career starting in 2019 with Pramac Racing, then moving to the factory team in 2021. He ended Ducati’s 15-year title drought in 2022 and secured a second championship last year by defeating Jorge Martin in the season finale at Valencia. Confirming General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna’s prediction, Ducati extended Bagnaia’s contract until the end of 2026 ahead of the 2024 season, which begins this weekend in Qatar. Bagnaia expressed his joy in continuing to race for his dream team, emphasizing his pride in representing the Italian manufacturer. Securing Bagnaia’s medium-term commitment was a strategic move by Ducati after the rider’s remarkable success in the past seasons, making him the highest-paid Italian rider in MotoGP with a salary estimated to be around seven million euros plus performance-based bonuses. Ducati’s focus now shifts to filling the second factory seat, with Enea Bastianini, Jorge Martin, and potentially Marc Marquez as contenders.
