Aprilia and Ducati have recently been embroiled in a symbolic battle to be seen as Italy’s national MotoGP team.
Until recently there was no question Ducati He holds this mantle, but now it’s Aprilia who lead, with Rimini native Marco Bezecchi at the top of the Touring ranks.
And from next year, Aprilia Francesco Bagnaia joins from Ducati, replacing the Yamaha-bound Jorge Martin, who will headline the all-Italian line-up.
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‘They are supporting Italy’, Apria said after signing Francesco Bagna.
Bagnaia lost his Ducati seat to Pedro Acosta As the Spanish wave continues with Ducati.
Satellite announcements are still pending, but next year five of the six DesmoCED drivers will be Spanish. VR46 has heard the signing of Niccolò Bulega The only exception.
Acosta will replace Marc Marquez in the factory team, Fermin Aldeguer will switch to VR46 and Gresini will form the new partnership of Joan Mir and Dani Holgado.
According to recent reports, Aprilia management were not impressed with Ducati.. The two groups feel responsible for promoting Italian talent, but only one of them lives.
Apria Mugello called it ‘our home’. After Bezecchi’s victory last month, a move that probably ‘infuriated’ Ducati.
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When the announcement was made on Thursday morning, it was no surprise to see a lot of focus on Bagnaya’s nationality. The team updated its logo to reflect the Italian flag.
Their official statement begins with the line ‘The sky is blue and above’, a reference to the colors of the Italian national team.
Team boss Massimo Rivola spoke about Bagnaia’s heritage rather than driving in his comments.
“(Piagi Group CEO) Michele Colanino and I share the same vision of supporting Italy, which is why we both considered Marco and Peco for the next Aprilia racer,” he said.
“The arrival of Bagnaia is a confirmation of the value of Italian sport, which has been achieved in recent months on the world stage by Kimi Antonelli in Formula 1, Jannik Sinner in tennis and Federica Brignon at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.”
“That’s why the reception of Pecco fills us with pride and gives Italian sport a further boost at the international level.”
Aprilia are rolling out their new marketing strategy early on, but it’s clear that it’s partly aimed at Ducati. They feel that the question of representing Italy in the MotoGP is now beyond dispute.
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