Checkered Weekend: Ducati Signs Acosta, Rosenqvist Leaving Meyer Shank & Roush Performance Makes a Surprising Switch

MotoGP's rider market exploded this week with one of the biggest lineup announcements in years at Ducati. IndyCar's Indy 500 champion is on the move despite winning at the Brickyard just weeks ago. And a storied performance tuner just changed sides in the truck wars. Here is the weekend in motorsport.

Ducati Confirms Acosta, Officially Ends the Bagnaia Era

Pedro Acosta will join Marc Marquez at the factory Ducati Lenovo Team for the 2027 and 2028 MotoGP seasons, with Francesco Bagnaia confirmed as departing at the end of the current campaign to join Aprilia. The announcements came in quick succession this week. Marquez's new deal was confirmed Tuesday. Bagnaia's departure was announced Wednesday morning. Acosta's signing followed two hours later. The timing was tied to the conclusion of Concorde Agreement negotiations between manufacturers and MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group, which only reached a resolution last Friday and had been holding up rider market announcements across the paddock.

The Acosta signing is the headline move. The 22-year-old Spaniard arrives at Ducati with a resume that already includes the 2020 Red Bull Rookies Cup, the 2022 Moto3 title as a rookie, and the 2023 Moto2 crown in his second season. He made his MotoGP debut with the satellite GasGas Tech3 team in 2024, taking five podiums, was promoted to KTM's works team in 2025 with another five top-three finishes, and has added three more this year. A premier class win has not come yet, but the talent has never been in question.

"Pedro is undoubtedly one of the most talented young riders in the MotoGP paddock," said Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali. "At just 22 years old, he is the kind of rider with whom a new and exciting chapter can be written. We believe that, alongside Marc, he represents the ideal complement for a team that wants to continue playing a leading role in the future."

The signing also means Ducati's 2027 lineup will feature no Italian riders for the first time since Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden shared the garage in 2010.

Bagnaia's exit is the other side of the story and it deserves its own recognition. The 29-year-old brought Ducati its first MotoGP title since Stoner in 2007 when he won the championship in 2022, then defended it in 2023. He has 31 victories with the manufacturer across eight seasons, six of them with the factory team. The past 18 months have been difficult, with Marquez's arrival at the factory squad in 2025 shifting the dynamic significantly. Marquez won last year's title by 257 points over Bagnaia.

He will head to Aprilia, where he will partner Marco Bezzecchi on a team currently leading the 2026 manufacturers standings. Jorge Martin, the 2024 champion, is heading to Yamaha. The top of the grid is being reshuffled entirely.

"In relationships, it is not always easy to recognise and understand when a cycle has come to an end and change becomes necessary," said Ducati general manager Gigi Dall'Igna. "The deep bond and mutual affection between us will not change."

Bagnaia has 13 grands prix remaining to add to his Ducati legacy.

Rosenqvist Leaving Meyer Shank After Indy 500 Win

Felix Rosenqvist will leave Meyer Shank Racing at the end of the 2026 IndyCar season, the team confirmed this week, just weeks after the Swede delivered the organization its greatest result with victory at the Indianapolis 500.

Rosenqvist informed MSR ownership of his intention to accept an offer elsewhere ahead of last weekend's Road America round. His destination has not been confirmed, but reports indicate Andretti Global or Arrow McLaren as the most likely landing spots. He will finish out the season in the No. 60 MSR Honda before making the move after the September 6 championship finale at Laguna Seca.

The 34-year-old is currently sixth in the championship standings. His career had stalled in the middle part of the decade before joining MSR, where he has rediscovered form and turned himself back into one of the more coveted free agents in the paddock.

"It's unfortunate that Felix has decided to move on from MSR, particularly given everything we've accomplished together, including this year's Indy 500 victory," said co-owner Mike Shank. "Felix has played an important role in helping build this program into what it is today, and we're grateful for his contributions both on and off the track."

MSR made a significant counteroffer to retain Rosenqvist but was unable to keep him. The team now has two seats to fill for 2027 and has reportedly attracted considerable interest from free agents across the paddock. Marcus Armstrong, who nearly won at Road America in the No. 66 MSR Honda, is also due for a contract extension discussion. "Our focus at MSR is on the future and ensuring we have the right driver in place for the 2027 season," Shank said. "We've made tremendous progress over the last few years, and maintaining that momentum is a top priority."

Roush Performance Switches From Ford to Ram

In news that would have seemed unlikely to most, Roush Performance has announced a partnership with Ram to develop a new high-performance truck. Roush is known to many in the car community for it's long-standing association with Ford performance vehicles.

Details on the project remain limited. A silhouette image posted to Roush's Instagram suggests the collaboration could produce an enhanced version of the TRX or RHO, both of which already sit at the top of the performance truck segment. Roush has not confirmed specifications or a timeline.

Roush currently offers a lineup of modified Ford trucks including the Nitemare street truck and the lifted RT6, along with aftermarket parts for the Bronco and Mustang. No further details are expected until closer to the vehicle's reveal.