European politics in MotoGP: Italy versus Spain – Aprilia versus Ducati

The sky over Noale is Azzuro – that was the headline of Aprilia Racing’s press release announcing the signing of Francesco Bagnaia. What had been known for months is now official: Pecco will ride for the Noale-based factory team from 2027. The length of the contract is more than just a footnote: the deal between the two-time world champion and Aprilia is for four years and thus covers a large part of the MotoGP era up to 2031, which was only finalised a week ago.

Bagnaia’s team-mate had already been confirmed. Aprilia is so pleased with Marco Bezzecchi’s performance that ‘Bez’ was signed up for a further two years, up to and including 2028, whilst the Sepang tests were still underway last February. The new dream team, led by Massimo Rivola, is anything but a coincidence: Aprilia is treating its involvement in the premier class not merely as a sporting mission, but rather as a matter of national importance.

A vision for Italy

The words of motorsport director Rivola are unambiguous: “Michele Colaninno and I share the same vision of supporting Italy, which is why we both thought of Marco and Pecco for the next chapter of Aprilia Racing. Bagnaia’s arrival is a testament to the value of Italian sport, which has distinguished itself on the world stage in recent months thanks to the successes of Kimi Antonelli in Formula 1, Jannik Sinner in tennis and Federica Brignone at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, has distinguished itself on the world stage. That is why Pecco’s inclusion fills us with pride and gives Italian sport a further boost on the international stage.”

The background to this unequivocal commitment to the home of the Aprilia project: rival Ducati’s line-up is anything but nationally focused.In other words: the fact that Ducati Corse is chasing titles with Spanish heavyweights Marc Márquez and Pedro Acosta was a golden opportunity for its rival from Noale, which operates on an equal sporting footing.

Fermin Aldeguer not only holds a Spanish passport but also has a contract with Ducati Corse and will therefore ride for the VR46 Racing junior team in 2027. The only Italian at Ducati in 2027 and 2028 will be his new team-mate: Superbike World Championship dominator Nicolo Bulega.

This is because the third Italian Ducati team, Gresini, is also fielding two Spaniards: Joan Mir and Dani Holgado. This means that five out of six Ducati Desmosedici bikes will be ridden by Spaniards in 2027. Whilst this makes sense from a sporting perspective, it has enough potential to spark a national row – one that Aprilia is deliberately turning into a ‘Pro-Italy’ campaign.

Will Fernandez have to make way?

If one thinks the ‘Project Azzuro’ through to its logical conclusion in relation to the Aprilia customer team, Enea Bastianini’s move to Trackhouse Racing makes sense. The Italian will replace the Japanese rider Ai Ogura, who is moving to Yamaha. That leaves the question of who will take the seat on the fourth Aprilia RS-GP. Current Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez is rightly worried about his job – an eighth-place finish in the World Championship and two podium finishes in 2026 might not be enough. After all, at least two Italians could step in – and further fuel the vision of Piaggio Group CEO Colaninno and Racing CEO Rivola. Luca Marini, a seasoned rider and – like Bezzecchi and Bagnaia – a founding member of the VR46 Academy, is ready to step in. If, on the other hand, the strategy is to focus on the next generation – prego – there’s Celestino Vietti. The Moto2 winner and Boscoscuro star rider is also a product of the Rossi academy. Admittedly, Vietti hasn’t exactly shone for his consistency over the years, but with the dream team of Bezzecchi and Bagnaia in the factory squad, the satellite team could afford to run the rookie experiment alongside Bastianini.

Forza Italia and Viva España – the head-to-head battle between the two strongest MotoGP nations is set to reach a whole new level in 2027. It is nothing new that nationality plays a role alongside riding ability when it comes to rider contracts. That it is being used for a brand campaign within Europe, however, is.