Gresini Racing and Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team have both committed their futures to Ducati ahead of MotoGP’s new technical era, with VR46 confirming a three-year contract extension through the end of the 2029 season one day after Gresini announced its own agreement with the Italian manufacturer.
The new deal ensures Valentino Rossi’s team will continue as Ducati’s factory-supported satellite outfit, extending a partnership that began in 2022 and reinforcing the manufacturer’s six-bike presence under the 2027 regulations.
Ducati will field two factory entries with Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta while supplying four additional 850cc Desmosedici GP prototypes to its satellite teams. Joan Mir and rookie Daniel Holgado will ride for Gresini, while Fermin Aldeguer has already been confirmed at VR46. The team’s second rider has yet to be announced, although World Superbike championship leader Nicolo Bulega is widely expected to secure the remaining seat.
MotoGP’s 2027 regulations introduce sweeping technical changes, including smaller 850cc engines, reduced aerodynamics, the removal of ride-height devices and a switch to Pirelli tires. Ducati’s six machines will begin the season with identical specifications before diverging according to factory support throughout the campaign.
Although every Ducati will start with the same machinery, the manufacturer will continue operating two specification levels. Factory-supported riders will receive performance upgrades introduced during the season, while satellite-spec motorcycles are expected to remain largely unchanged after the opening round, reflecting their lower operating cost.
Aldeguer, who remains under contract with Ducati, will continue receiving full factory support at VR46 and will benefit from technical developments introduced by the factory team during the season.
Mir will also ride a factory-spec Ducati despite being contracted directly by Gresini, with the independent team paying for the higher-specification machine. His teammate Holgado, however, will compete on a satellite-spec GP27 that is not expected to receive significant upgrades during the year.
VR46’s second motorcycle will likewise remain a satellite-spec machine regardless of whether Bulega ultimately joins the team, even if the Italian races under a Ducati factory contract.
Between 2022 and 2024, Ducati placed eight motorcycles on the MotoGP grid through its factory operation, Pramac Racing, Gresini and VR46. Pramac effectively functioned as a semi-factory team and delivered Ducati the 2024 riders’ championship with Jorge Martin.
That arrangement ended when disagreements between Ducati management and Pramac owner Paolo Campinoti prompted the team to switch manufacturers and become Yamaha’s satellite partner.
The loss of Pramac reduced Ducati’s presence to six motorcycles while rival Aprilia strengthened its structure through Trackhouse Racing, creating greater competitive balance on the grid.
Ducati subsequently explored opportunities to add another customer team and restore its eight-bike presence, but those ambitions were blocked when MotoGP’s Grand Prix Commission approved new regulations limiting manufacturers to a maximum of six identical motorcycles on the grid beginning in 2027.
The same regulatory package, announced on June 22, also confirmed the elimination of ride-height devices and increased spacing between motorcycles on the starting grid as part of the sport’s broader technical overhaul.
