Pecco Bagnaia, double fracture confirmed: returns to Italy for surgery

The Ducati rider was injured on Saturday and brought his Lusail Grand Prix to an early end: he needs to undergo surgery.

Francesco Bagnaia just can’t catch a break in a 2026 MotoGP season that keeps giving him reasons to feel disappointed. After some strong practice sessions and qualifying, an incident following contact caused by Fermin Aldeguer occurred in the sprint race, leaving the three-time world champion with physical injuries.

A short while ago, the Ducati Lenovo Team provided a further update, confirming fractures to the fourth and fifth metatarsals in his right foot and announcing that Bagnaia will return to Italy this afternoon for surgery to treat the injury. The operation is expected to take place between tomorrow and Tuesday.

There are still two rounds left in the 2026 MotoGP season: Portimao (November 20–22) and Valencia (November 27–29). Naturally, the Piedmontese rider’s goal is to be there and bring his time with Ducati to the best possible conclusion. Unfortunately, this last year has been one to forget, but it cannot erase the glorious past. Pecco was the one who brought the riders’ title back to Borgo Panigale in 2022, fifteen years after Casey Stoner won Ducati’s only previous title. He retained the championship in 2023, before incredibly losing out to Jorge Martin in a season in which he won no fewer than eleven races. It was a huge disappointment, and he was left with no small amount of regret for throwing away what would have been his third MotoGP title.

Until 2024, Bagnaia was consistently at the front. Then, from 2025, things began to change: Marc Marquez’s arrival in the garage and a Ducati Desmosedici GP25 that did not suit him made life increasingly difficult. The GP26 seemed to have restored his confidence during the first tests, but the season did not unfold as he had hoped. There were few standout performances from him, and frustration took over.

Pecco and Ducati’s split became inevitable. He will join the Aprilia factory team, while Pedro Acosta will take his place in red. Although things did not end on the best note, Bagnaia’s time as a Ducati rider remains a success story, and nothing can erase that.

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