Francesco Bagnaia could ride Aprilia’s 2027 bike early under proposed MotoGP amnesty
Photo by Hazrin Yeob Men Shah/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Francesco Bagnaia could be allowed to test Aprilia’s bike while still contracted to Ducati under a proposed ‘amnesty’ for riders who are switching teams. Bagnaia, one of several top names on the move for 2027, has already signed with Aprilia, and it’s just a matter of time before his departure from Ducati is officially announced. Formal confirmation of his switch is expected soon.
Elsewhere, Fabio Quartararo is moving from Yamaha to Honda, with Jorge Martin set to replace him. Alex Marquez will leave Gresini for KTM and, perhaps most notably of all, Pedro Acosta will become Marc Marquez’s Ducati teammate. Francesco Bagnaia could test for Aprilia while still being a Ducati employee Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images Bagnaia, along with other full-time riders, has been cleared to test 2027 bikes on 22 June, following the Czech GP.
But Ducati don’t want him joining in, worried he might take their secrets over to Aprilia. The same rule is expected to apply to any rider who has already agreed terms with another team for 2027. Even those without contract extensions are at risk of being left out of the session entirely.
There’s no real incentive for teams to let contracted riders train elsewhere mid-season, and allowing them to switch garages during the season probably wouldn’t benefit anyone involved. As Motorsport Espana point out though, it’s important that all 2027 riders get a chance to test the new 850cc bikes before pre-season testing begins. Safety can’t be compromised by a lack of preparation.
This is why there’s talk of introducing an ‘amnesty’ that would allow riders like Bagnaia, Quartararo, Martin and Acosta to join their future teams at the post-season Valencia test. Even though many contracts run until 31 December, removing restrictions by that stage could benefit every factory involved. It seems more likely than not that this approach will be adopted closer to winter testing.