Bastianini to make MotoGP graduation with Ducati in 2021
Moto2 frontrunner Enea Bastianini has confirmed he has signed for Ducati to step up to MotoGP in 2021, with the Avintia team his likely destination.


Bastianini is currently eight points off the championship lead in Moto2 in just his second season in the intermediate class, and has been linked to a MotoGP step since Andrea Dovizioso’s factory Ducati departure was confirmed last month.
It has long been thought Bastianini would join the Avintia squad, which became an official Ducati satellite team for 2019 with the arrival of Johann Zarco. The latter will now either join Pramac in place of Francesco Bagnaia, or be moved directly to the factory squad to replace Dovizioso, while Bagnaia stays at Pramac with full factory support.
During the MotoGP world feed broadcast of FP2, Avintia boss Ruben Xaus confirmed Zarco will be leaving the team at the end of the year and is “99 percent” sure Bastianini will take his place.
“It’s clear that we were looking to upgrade the situation of the team,” said Xaus. “Things are happening very fast. I thought it was going to be in two years, but suddenly were moving correctly and we got a quicker situation, and in just one year we step up.
“It’s clear for next year that Johann is not going to be with us, I’m very happy for him because he deserves to be on a factory bike with Ducati and it’s clear that for us we have a good spot for the young generation to come up and show good things. We have proved we can really be fast on track, and I’m sure that a young Italian will come in.
“I am 99 percent [sure] that Bastianini will join us next year.”
Read Also:
Bastianini has since confirmed the signing of his Ducati deal, though doesn’t know yet where he will be placed.
“Yeah, I have signed for Ducati,” he revealed. “At the moment I don’t know the team, but I think in the next week – or I don’t know – it will be possible to confirm this.
“For me it’s really important to be the next year with Ducati, it’s a good family for me, it’s an Italian bike. I think [it will] be possible to be fast in MotoGP, but we will see.”
Ducati said last month that it would take a decision on its full 2021 line-up ahead of the Misano double-header.
KTM Moto2 rider Jorge Martin – who has been ruled out of the San Marino GP due to COVID-19 – is set to join Pramac, while current Moto2 points leader and Valentino Rossi’s half-brother Luca Marini has been linked to a Ducati ride.
Current Avintia rider Tito Rabat is looking less likely to remain in that spot for 2021, with Marini a likely option to replace him.

Misano MotoGP: Quartararo leads Petronas 1-2 in FP2
MotoGP stars hit out over new track surface at Misano

Latest news
Tony Stewart again joins NASCAR broadcast team for Daytona 500, Clash
Tony Stewart will once again join the FOX Sports broadcast team for the season-opening Daytona 500, as well as The Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Helio Castroneves rules out 2023 Daytona 500 NASCAR bid
During a media availability ahead of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, Helio Castroneves confirmed that he will not attempt to run the 2023 Daytona 500.
Reaume Brothers NASCAR shop suffers 'significant' fire damage
The Reaume Brothers Racing shop in Mooresville, N.C., sustained “significant” damage in a fire Thursday morning and three people were treated for injuries.
Rolex 24: WTR Acura tops much-interrupted FP1 at Daytona
Five red flags disrupted the first practice session of race week for the 61st running of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, with Filipe Albuquerque putting the Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura on top.
The other Suzuki signing that could transform Honda's MotoGP form
Following Suzuki's decision to quit MotoGP, both of its former riders have landed at Honda for 2023. But perhaps its biggest signing from the now-defunct team could instead be a highly-rated technical manager. Is Ken Kawauchi the right man at the right time to steer HRC back to glory?
How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team
Suzuki's unexpected departure left more than 40 professionals virtually jobless for the 2023 MotoGP season. But that human drama has been successfully corrected by the paddock itself, with most former Suzuki crew members absorbed into other operations.
How one MotoGP team went from title challengers to losing it all in four years
The Petronas Sepang Racing Team came into MotoGP with a bang in 2019 as regular front-runners, with wonder rookie Fabio Quartararo mounting a title challenge in 2020. But it all went wrong for the Razlan Razali-helmed squad as the team changed hands and tumbled down the order - and RNF Racing plans to right this in 2023
Is Marc Marquez ready to reclaim his MotoGP throne?
Marc Marquez’s sixth premier MotoGP title seems a long time ago given the injury woes he has faced in the three years since. At the end of a fraught 2022, in which he had a fourth major operation on his right arm, the Spaniard speaks exclusively to Motorsport.com.
How MotoGP's underachiever is working to reverse its fortunes in 2023
As European manufacturers emerged as the strongest force in 2022 in a changing of the guard for MotoGP, one powerhouse couldn’t quite match the feats of Ducati and Aprilia. Its motorsport chief tells Motorsport.com why this is and what it is doing to become a consistent frontrunner in the class of kings
How MotoGP riders are preparing for the physical stress of sprint races
With the expansion of the calendar to 21 grands prix and the introduction of sprint races, the 2023 MotoGP season will take the riders to almost 1,300 kilometres of more competition than this year, a factor that forces adjustments in their physical preparations.
Luca Marini: Why he's more than just Valentino Rossi's brother
Surname pressure is something many have had to deal with in their motorsport careers. And while Luca Marini doesn’t have that, his familial relation and the team he rides for in MotoGP have cast a brighter spotlight on his progress. But, as he has shown in 2022 – and as he reveals to Motorsport.com – Marini is so much more than just the brother of a legend.
Ranking the top 10 MotoGP riders of 2022
The 2022 MotoGP season was another hotly contested championship, with Francesco Bagnaia emerging as the title winner after the campaign went to the wire. Motorsport.com picks out the 10 best performers of the season
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.