Pecco Bagnaia: The Whole Truth About His Relationship with Marc Márquez

After Assen, Pecco Bagnaia’s life will never be the same again—but not because of what happened on track. The two-time MotoGP champion has become a father and had to return to Italy on a private plane. In the previous days he officially announced his next destination: starting in 2027 he will be an Aprilia rider. He will no longer share the garage with Marc Marquez, but with Academy friend Marco Bezzecchi.

Another unlucky weekend for Pecco Bagnaia, forced to retire halfway through the race due to an engine problem. As soon as he got off his Ducati GP26, he took off his leathers to fly to Italy, where Domizia Castagnini gave birth a few weeks ahead of the August due date. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it in time for the delivery, but everything went well and he was able to hold his firstborn. "I can’t describe how amazing my life is! Today I discovered a new emotion, and it’s the strongest I’ve ever felt," the Piedmont native wrote on social media. Bagnaia becomes the third MotoGP rider-dad, after Maverick Viñales, father of two daughters, and Jack Miller.

Starting next year, his professional life will also undergo a radical change. After eight years with the Ducati brand, Pecco will leave the red garage to climb aboard the Aprilia RS-GP. Over the last two seasons it hasn’t been easy to share the garage with a phenomenon like Marc Marquez. Even so, their relationship has always been excellent and sincere. From the start many predicted a difficult coexistence, also due to the historic rivalry between Marquez and Valentino Rossi. Instead, there has always been professional honesty, total calm, and collaboration. "It’s clear that after what happened between Marc and Valentino, there were a lot of rumors about our relationship in the garage," Bagnaia told MotoGP.com. But he never let himself get dragged into those situations. "I was never interested in that kind of quarrel."

From the very first test of the Spaniard on the Ducati, hands were extended to work in a single direction. "I tried to help Marc when he needed it, and he did the same for me. Many times he was in trouble, but he always tried to help me in a very positive way," added the VR46 Academy protégé. "Marc is a very intelligent racer and we work very well together." Both acknowledge the inevitable sporting rivalry between two riders aiming to win every Grand Prix. But off the track they maintain a relationship based on respect, sincerity, and teamwork to continue developing the Desmosedici.

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