Who Will Ducati Pick To Partner With Marc Marquez in 2027? Pedro Acosta or Alex Marquez

Rumors are already swirling about who goes where for the 2027 MotoGP season, with one pointing to Alex Marquez leaving for KTM of all teams. But Ducati would be stupid not to sign him to race alongside brother Marc.

Last year, the storyline that kept the MotoGP season alive in my heart, personally, was the brother vs. brother title fight between Marc and Alex Marquez. The former later took the title, but for a long while, it was nail-bitingly close, as the two traded barbs throughout the season, each inching ahead of each other at certain times. It was brilliant to watch, and it made Marc's title clincher all the more special. 

But we're now past that, and while we haven't even begun to see what the 2026 MotoGP season will entail, as we're only at the start of testing, we're already firmly in silly season regarding rider changeups. Why? Because the 2027 season is set to be a complete overhaul of the motorcycles everyone's racing, a change that's so radical, everyone's already jockeying for who they think will come out on top of the regulation tossup. 

Two riders are key to the talks, however, with one being Alex Marquez and the other Pedro Acosta. And the team the two are circling is that of Marc Marquez's triumphant Ducati factory squad. The question on everyone's minds, however, is whether Ducati will create one of the best storylines in recent racing history with a factory-backed Marquez ticket, or does it hedge on its future and that future being one with Acosta rising to replace Marc Marquez when he inevitably retires?

On that, I'm not sure, but I'd love to see the Marquez boys in red. 

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The reason I'm writing about this is that The Race just published a story about how Alex Marquez is circling the KTM team of all folks, which is honestly laughable. First and foremost, Bajaj, the new parent company of KTM, hasn't stated whether or not the brand would be leaving the sport yet. In fact, when asked, they declined to give us comment. There's also the rumor that KTM was selling its grid spots to itself so that it could then later sell them off. 

You also need to add that the brand's sister team, Tech 3, was just sold off to a group led by former Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner ahead of the 2026 season. Likewise, there's a rumor that Red Bull is parting ways with KTM, which is likely due to the financial malfeasance, and that the team's racing efforts as of late have been...wanting. While Pedro Acosta took the brand to fourth in the rider's championship, he was still a whopping 200 points off Marc Marquez's title-winning cumulative, and 50 points off of a podium third place. The next three KTMs were 11th, 14th, and 18th, respectively.

A reminder, Alex Marquez nabbed 2nd in the rider's championship, so KTM's parity would likely not be all that attractive. 

Now imagine a Ducati Marquez ticket, even though they're already technically doing that as Gresini Racing runs Ducati motorcycles. But a factory-backed Marquez e. Marquez grid would be one to watch, as not only is Marc chasing a 10th world championship—which he might secure this 2026 season—but one that gives Alex a real shot at a title, too. And with more spotlight on the sport thanks to its purchase by Formula 1's Liberty Media, imagine the coverage and limelight for Ducati. That's publicity you just can't manufacture. 

But there is the Acosta of the situation. 

It's no secret that Marc Marquez is getting older. And Alex ain't a spring chicken himself. The 2027 season is a whole new era for MotoGP, with all-new motorcycles and what's likely to be an all-new marketing playbook from Liberty Media. I say the latter, as you likely won't feel the conglomerate's might until next year, as it'll take a while to come to grips with what they have. Because of that, there's a real chance that Ducati might want to look toward the future where Marc Marquez is gone. Who's going to carry on the legacy of Ducati and Borgo Panigale? Acosta could be that future, as the Spaniard is frighteningly fast even on a shit-ass bike like the KTM. 

He is, however, young and arrogant, and he's come to blows with Marc Marquez a number of times. That hot-headedness, alongside him saying that his idol was Marquez but retconning it to Rossi could mean that the team dynamics aren' kosher. It's a good storyline, too, i.e., garage vs. garage, but does Ducati want that kind of smoke going into a new rule change year? Eh...

So what's my conclusion? First and foremost, there's not a chance Alex Marquez is going to KTM. I'm not sure KTM will even be on the grid in 2027 despite what their team principal continues to put out there. Second, either Alex or Pedro wouldn't be bad for Ducati, but in very unique ways. And both really rest on what Marc is going to do. Either way, I've got my popcorn at the ready.