MotoGP 2026 Season: The Complete Overview – Teams, Riders, Calendar & Standings

• The last 1000cc season: 22 rounds, 11 teams, 22 riders – with the return of the Brazilian GP after 21 years
• French GP at Le Mans: Martín celebrates double victory (Sprint + Race) and makes history with Aprilia’s first-ever 1-2-3 on Sunday. Bezzecchi’s championship lead shrinks to just one point (128:127). Marc Márquez misses Le Mans and Barcelona after highsider injury (metatarsal fracture) – comeback planned at the Italian GP in Mugello
• Catalan GP in Barcelona (Round 6): Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) wins the twice-interrupted main race – retroactive tyre pressure penalties overturn the result: Aldeguer (P2) and Bagnaia (P3, first Ducati factory team podium of 2026) displace penalised Mir to P17. Álex Márquez (collarbone + C7 vertebral fracture, operated Sunday evening) and Zarco (knee pain) hospitalised – both miss Mugello and Balaton, Márquez comeback earliest in Brno. Bezzecchi leads the championship 142:127 ahead of Martín
• Italian GP at Mugello (Round 7): Bezzecchi wins his home race ahead of Martin, Aprilia celebrates its fourth one-two finish of the season. Bagnaia saves third by 0.034 seconds over Ogura, preventing a triple Aprilia podium. Bezzecchi extends his championship lead to 173:156 points. In Saturday’s sprint, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) claimed his first victory, Marquez returned from double surgery in fifth
• Hungarian GP at Balaton Park (Round 8): Marc Márquez completes his second consecutive Balaton treble and celebrates his 100th victory across all classes with the Grand Prix win – only Agostini (122) and Rossi (115) have more. Jorge Martín takes out championship leader Bezzecchi in Turn 1, both score zero. Acosta second (13th MotoGP podium without a win), Bagnaia third. Bezzecchi still leads the championship 180:160 over Martín
• Marc Márquez enters as defending champion but is still recovering from his Indonesia crash injuries
• Yamaha switches to a V4 engine for the first time in the MotoGP era – Toprak Razgatlıoğlu joins from WorldSBK
• The 2027 rider market heats up: Tech3 confirms it will stay with KTM, Joan Mir leaves Honda for Gresini Ducati, David Alonso joins the Honda factory team, Holgado also to Gresini, Puig steps down as team manager, Brivio joins HRC – almost all contracts expire at the end of 2026

The 2026 MotoGP season is the last under the current 1000cc regulations. From 2027, new rules with 850cc engines and Pirelli instead of Michelin as tyre supplier will apply. This makes the current season a turning point: riders are not only fighting for the championship title, but also for their position in the major reshuffle that accompanies the new era.

This page is your central hub for everything about MotoGP 2026: current championship standings, the complete race calendar, all teams and riders at a glance, analyses of the competitive order, and links to our detailed individual reports. This page is updated after every race weekend.

Teams and Riders 2026

Eleven teams with 22 full-time riders make up the 2026 MotoGP field. Ducati fields the largest contingent with three customer teams, followed by KTM, Aprilia, Yamaha and Honda with two teams each.

* Aldeguer suffered a fractured femur during training. Michele Pirro substituted at the Thai GP.

Marc Márquez enters as defending champion. The Spaniard dominated 2025 after switching to the Ducati factory team, clinching his seventh MotoGP title five rounds before the season finale. However, he is still dealing with the aftermath of his heavy crash in Indonesia: shoulder and chest muscles are not fully recovered. In an interview ahead of the Spanish GP, Márquez openly admitted that his right arm will “never be 100 percent again” after ten surgeries – but ruled out retirement: “As long as I’m competitive, I won’t stop.”

Beyond 2026, opinions differ on who could seriously threaten Márquez in the long run: Miguel Oliveira rates him as the greatest of all time in purely riding terms and sees only Pedro Acosta as a genuine rival, while the MotoGP chief medical officer adds an explanation on the mental level (➜ MotoGP’s Next Generation: Why Only Acosta Can Threaten Marquez).

Marco Bezzecchi took over the championship lead at the Brazilian GP. The Aprilia factory rider dominated the Sunday race at Goiânia from start to finish, winning by over three seconds – his fourth consecutive Grand Prix victory. Jorge Martín finished second, his best result yet on the Aprilia RS-GP. Fabio Di Giannantonio took third after an intense battle with Marc Márquez. Francesco Bagnaia had a weekend to forget, crashing out of the race. Pedro Acosta lost the championship lead and could only manage seventh. Yamaha surprised at Goiânia: Quartararo qualified fourth and finished sixth in the sprint. Honda shows cautious progress.

At the Americas GP in Austin (Round 3), the championship lead changed hands. Jorge Martín won the sprint with a bold medium rear tyre strategy, overtaking long-time leader Francesco Bagnaia on the final lap. Marco Bezzecchi crashed from second position on lap eight, losing his championship lead. The biggest talking point was a collision between Marc Márquez and pole-sitter Fabio Di Giannantonio at Turn 12 – Márquez lost the front under braking and took out the VR46 rider. The FIM stewards penalised Márquez with a long-lap penalty for Sunday’s race. Pedro Acosta initially finished third but was subsequently demoted to eighth after a tyre pressure infringement. Bezzecchi and Marini both lost two qualifying positions for Sunday’s race. Maverick Viñales withdrew from the entire weekend due to a shoulder surgery. At the Spanish GP in Jerez, Viñales remains absent – designated replacement Pol Espargaró also fell injured, leaving Tech3 to race with Bastianini only. For the French GP at Le Mans (Round 5), Jonas Folger steps in as replacement – the KTM development rider returns to Tech3 for his first MotoGP outing in nearly three years.

In Sunday’s Grand Prix, Bezzecchi struck back emphatically. Despite starting fourth, he took the lead on lap one and never looked back – his fifth consecutive Grand Prix victory. With 121 consecutive laps led, he broke the historic record of Jorge Lorenzo (103 laps, 2015). Martín finished second (+2.036 sec), Acosta third. Marc Márquez fought back from eleventh to fifth after serving his long-lap penalty. Ai Ogura retired with a gearbox failure, Bagnaia slipped to tenth. Bezzecchi reclaimed the championship lead with 81 points.

The Spanish GP at Jerez (Round 4) delivered historic scenes. The Sprint turned into the first flag-to-flag sprint in MotoGP history when sudden rain caught the field on slick tyres. Marc Márquez led from pole but crashed on lap eight on the wet track. In a controversial move, he picked up his bike, crossed the track perpendicularly and rode directly into pit lane to switch to his wet-weather bike – a manoeuvre the FIM stewards deemed legal, though it drew sharp criticism from Johann Zarco and others. Márquez won the chaotic sprint by over three seconds. Bagnaia and Morbidelli completed the podium, while championship leader Bezzecchi (tear-off stuck under rear tyre) and Martín (technical failure) both scored zero.

In Sunday’s race under dry conditions, Álex Márquez dominated on the Gresini Ducati. Marc Márquez again started from pole and led briefly, but lost the front at Turn 11 on lap three and crashed out. Álex Márquez took control and built a gap of over two seconds to Bezzecchi by the flag – his first win of 2026 and second consecutive Jerez triumph. Di Giannantonio finished third, Martín fourth. Bagnaia suffered another technical retirement on lap 13 – the Ducati factory team has now gone nine Grands Prix without a podium. Bezzecchi’s run of five consecutive GP victories and 121 consecutive laps in the lead both came to an end, closing a historic chapter of dominance. Four Aprilias finished in the top six.

The French GP at Le Mans (Round 5) delivered a spectacular Sprint on Saturday. Jorge Martín started from eighth on the grid, catapulted his Aprilia RS-GP to the front in the opening corners and controlled the 13-lap race with authority – his 18th career Sprint victory and second win of 2026. Francesco Bagnaia secured second, while Bezzecchi salvaged third to preserve his championship lead, which shrank from eleven to six points. Marc Márquez suffered a violent highsider at Turn 13 one lap from the end – his third heavy crash of the season. Six riders retired in total, including Di Giannantonio and Morbidelli (VR46 scoreless). Quartararo confirmed Yamaha’s upward trend with fifth place in front of the home crowd.

In Sunday’s Grand Prix, Martín wrote MotoGP history. Starting from seventh, he worked his way forward patiently, passed Bezzecchi three laps from the end and won by 0.477 seconds. Ai Ogura completed the first-ever Aprilia 1-2-3 in premier class history – his maiden MotoGP podium and the first dry-race podium for a Japanese rider since 2012. Bagnaia crashed again (lap 16), making it four Sunday retirements in five races. Bezzecchi’s championship lead shrank to a single point (128:127). Marc Márquez missed the race due to injury and will also sit out the Catalan GP in Barcelona.

→ Le Mans Sprint: Martín Storms from Eighth to Victory, Márquez Crashes in Highsider
→ MotoGP Catalunya: Just One Point Between Bezzecchi and Martin, Marquez Out After Double Surgery
→ MotoGP in Miami? Liberty Media Pushes Street Circuit Plans

The Catalunya Sprint (Round 6) produced the closest sprint finish in MotoGP history: Álex Márquez held off Pedro Acosta by just 0.041 seconds after a twelve-lap battle at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Championship leader Bezzecchi could only manage ninth from twelfth on the grid, while Martín crashed for the fourth time that weekend. Bezzecchi’s lead grew marginally to two points (129:127). World champion Marc Márquez missed the entire Barcelona weekend after undergoing double surgery on his right shoulder and right foot following his Le Mans crash.

The Sunday main race became one of the most dramatic Grands Prix in recent history: the red flag was shown twice. After a severe high-speed crash involving Álex Márquez (triggered by a technical failure on Acosta’s KTM at over 200 km/h), the race was red-flagged for the first time – both Márquez and, following a second restart incident, Zarco were taken to hospital. In the shortened 12-lap race, Di Giannantonio moved past Acosta on lap 8 and claimed his first Grand Prix victory since the 2023 Qatar GP – also the first win for Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team since that same season. Retroactive tyre pressure penalties (five riders each receiving 16 seconds) significantly altered the result: Joan Mir, who had crossed the line in second, lost his position due to insufficient tyre pressure. Fermín Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) moved up to second, Francesco Bagnaia to third – the Ducati Lenovo Team’s first Grand Prix podium of the 2026 season. Bagnaia had also been under suspicion but was cleared after his low tyre pressure was attributed to a leaking rim. Bezzecchi (fourth) extends his championship lead to 142:127 over Martín. Martín was taken out in an Aprilia-internal collision with Fernández for his fifth crash of the weekend and afterwards apologised for shoving team manager Paolo Bonora. Acosta went down on the final lap in contact with Ogura.

→ Catalunya Sprint: Alex Marquez Wins by 0.041 Seconds Over Acosta – Closest Sprint Finish in MotoGP History
→ Catalan GP Race: Di Giannantonio Wins the Double-Chaos – Two Red Flags, Márquez and Zarco Hospitalized
→ Barcelona Update: Álex Márquez with Collarbone and C7 Fractures, Mir Loses Podium via Tyre Pressure Penalty
→ MotoGP Catalunya 2026: Two Red Flags, Two Riders Hospitalized and a Safety Debate Long Overdue
→ Jorge Martin hospitalized after sixth crash: All-clear in Barcelona
→ Catalan GP 2026: Barcelona’s Black Sunday – Results, Injuries and Penalty Controversy
→ Alex Marquez After Barcelona Horror: Mugello and Balaton Without the Vice World Champion
→ MotoGP 2026: Honda Restructures, Rossi Analyzes and Razgatlioglu Battles the Tires
→ Marc Marquez Plans Mugello Comeback: What the Ducati Champion Expects After Double Surgery

At the Italian GP in Mugello (Round 7), the Saturday Sprint delivered a surprise: Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) won his first sprint in the premier class by 1.289 seconds over Jorge Martin and Fabio Di Giannantonio. Championship leader Bezzecchi could only manage fourth, his lead over Martin shrinking to twelve points (148:136). Marc Marquez returned from his double surgery to finish fifth. Tyre choice proved decisive: Fernandez and Martin were the only riders on the medium rear tyre and finished first and second. The day before, Martin had set a new MotoGP top speed record of 368.6 km/h, while Bezzecchi secured pole position with a new Mugello lap record. Yamaha endured a difficult weekend: Cal Crutchlow, standing in for the injured Zarco, finished the sprint last. Meanwhile, Aprilia and Monster Energy announced a multi-year partnership with title sponsor status from 2027.

→ Mugello Friday: Marquez Comeback, Ducati on Top, Aprilia in Trouble
→ Mugello Sprint: Raul Fernandez Wins – Underdog Beats Factory Aprilias
→ Mugello Race: Bezzecchi Wins Home Grand Prix – Aprilia’s Fourth One-Two of 2026
→ Marquez Comeback at Mugello: What It Reveals About His Future

At the Hungarian GP at Balaton Park (Round 8), Marc Marquez made an emphatic return: just one week after his Mugello comeback, the world champion took pole position (1:36.785) and won the sprint from start to finish – his first victory since his double surgery on shoulder and foot, and his 18th career sprint win, drawing level with record holder Jorge Martin. Pedro Acosta finished second, championship leader Marco Bezzecchi defended third. In Sunday’s main race, Marquez completed the treble: after a hard-fought duel with Pedro Acosta he won by 1.343 seconds – his 100th victory across all classes, a milestone previously reached only by Giacomo Agostini (122) and Valentino Rossi (115). The race lost its championship leaders in Turn 1: Jorge Martin took out teammate Marco Bezzecchi, with Raul Fernandez and Fermin Aldeguer also eliminated. Bagnaia finished third for his third consecutive podium, while substitute Iker Lecuona took seventh on his Gresini debut. Alex Marquez and Johann Zarco remained sidelined through injury – Lecuona and Cal Crutchlow (LCR) deputised for them.

→ Marc Marquez Wins Hungary Sprint: First Victory After Shoulder Surgery
→ Marc Marquez Claims 100th Victory: Martin Takes Out Bezzecchi in Hungary

→ MotoGP Concorde Agreement sealed: Rider market for 2027 now in motion
→ MotoGP 2026: Ducati Preparation and Aldeguer’s Training Crash
→ Ai Ogura Signs with Yamaha for 2027: Factory Team with Two World Champions
→ MotoGP 2027: Márquez Hesitates at Ducati, Bagnaia to Aprilia?
→ MotoGP 2027: Honda Signs David Alonso, Holgado Joins Gresini Ducati
→ MotoGP 2027: Ducati’s Tire Crisis, the Driver Market Earthquake, and a Surprising Engineer’s Return
→ Vinales counters KTM rumours: why his shoulder now decides
→ Marini Set for Tech3 Move: KTM Rebuilds Its Customer Team for 2027

Current Championship Standings after the British GP at Silverstone (Round 12)

At the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Aprilia swept the top three places in both the sprint and the Grand Prix. Raúl Fernández took the main race for Trackhouse ahead of Jorge Martín and Marco Bezzecchi, who reached the podium despite collarbone and knee injuries. Seven riders retired and only 16 were classified. The official result was only settled hours after the chequered flag: a subsequent 16-second penalty for Fabio Quartararo over missing tyre-pressure sensor data shifted every classification from 12th place down. At the top of the table, Jorge Martín extends his lead to 240 points – 31 clear of Bezzecchi (209). Next come Ai Ogura (203), who crashed out of the race, Marc Márquez (200) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (199). For the reigning champion, seventh place saw his deficit grow from 18 to 40 points. After twelve of 22 race weekends, the season resumes at Aragón at the end of August.

Several side stories made headlines around the Dutch GP: a number of frontrunners picked up injuries – Marco Bezzecchi was ultimately given the all-clear after his crash, while Pedro Acosta underwent successful surgery on his right wrist and is targeting a return at the German GP at the Sachsenring, subject to a medical check, and Fermín Aldeguer faces a longer break. Ducati works rider Pecco Bagnaia became a father on race morning, started anyway and retired after 15 laps with a technical failure. Maverick Viñales misses the restart after the summer break at Silverstone: behind the withdrawal is a previously undetected crack in his left shoulder that may explain months of weakness – Pol Espargaró takes over the Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16.
→ Marc Marquez Wins Sachsenring Sprint and Breaks the Sprint Record
→ Viñales on the Verge of Quitting MotoGP: KTM Tells a Very Different Story of the Split
→ MotoGP Assen: All Clear for Bezzecchi, Surgery for Acosta
→ Pedro Acosta Undergoes Successful Surgery: Comeback at Sachsenring Planned
→ Pecco Bagnaia: Became a father in Assen, raced anyway
→ MotoGP Concerns Ahead of the Sachsenring: Marquez, Vinales, Bezzecchi
→ MotoGP Before the Sachsenring: Title Fight Wide Open, Marquez Chases Records
→ Marc Marquez Wins at the Sachsenring and Closes in on the Championship Lead
→ Sachsenring: Why Alex Marquez and Di Giannantonio Really Crashed
→ MotoGP Summer Break: Bagnaia Surgery, the Marquez Brothers and Lorenzo’s Verdict
→ MotoGP 2026: Marquez Closes the Gap as Five Riders Chase the Title
→ Ducati Drops Out of Rank A: Aprilia Now Level in the Title Fight
→ Vinales out at Silverstone: New diagnosis explains his weakness

Standings after the British GP at Silverstone (August 9, 2026). Next round: Aragon GP at MotorLand Aragón, August 28–30, 2026.

→ Acosta after fifth place at Silverstone: two demands for KTM

→ Silverstone aftermath: Quartararo scores no points, Ducati admits its deficit

→ Raul Fernandez Wins at Silverstone: Marc Marquez Loses Championship Ground

→ Márquez without control of his right arm: Ducati shows it itself

→ Silverstone Sprint: Ducati Puzzled, Michelin Explains the Tyre Drop-Off

→ Marc Marquez Closes the Gap: What’s Behind His Strong European Run

→ Marquez vs. Aprilia: What Matters Before the Brno Weekend

→ Alex Marquez Ahead of MotoGP Comeback in Brno: What the Return Depends On

→ Bagnaia Wins the Brno Sprint – Bezzecchi Crash Costs Championship Points

→ MotoGP Brno 2026: Ogura Claims Pole, Bagnaia Wins Sprint

→ Marquez Wins at Brno: What the Victory Means for the MotoGP Title Fight

→ Ai Ogura Wins at Assen: First MotoGP Victory for Japan in 22 Years

→ Pedro Acosta at Assen: KTM Reliability Woes and a Frustrating Sprint

Over the summer break KTM received the approval of all the other manufacturers to open the sealed RC16 engines and replace a faulty supplier part. The work is scheduled for the week before the Aragon GP at the factory in Austria, supervised by an IRTA technician; at Silverstone the four KTM riders are still running the previous interim solution with reduced maximum revs.

→ KTM Allowed to Open MotoGP Engines: What Changes from Aragon

→ Johann Zarco: Why the Knee Surgery Won’t Happen and the Comeback Is Near

During the summer break, the focus is shifting to 2027: a crew chief reshuffle runs through several garages. Jorge Martín is set to work with David Muñoz at Yamaha, Valentino Rossi’s former crew chief, while his previous crew chief Daniele Romagnoli stays at Aprilia and will look after Francesco Bagnaia going forward. Bagnaia’s long-time crew chief Christian Gabbarini is assigned to Pedro Acosta at Ducati. At the same time, rider manager Carlo Pernat describes a fractured mood at Aprilia since the two factory riders collided at Balaton Park – the phase that, together with a race ban and heavy crashes at Assen and the Sachsenring, dropped Marco Bezzecchi from the championship lead to fourth. After surgery on his left collarbone, Bezzecchi sat on a motorcycle again for the first time at a test in Misano in late July; at Silverstone he started despite collarbone and knee injuries and finished third.

→ Bezzecchi Tests at Misano: Why Silverstone Is Still Open

→ MotoGP 2026: Martin Gets Rossi’s Former Crew Chief as Aprilia Struggles

→ Thailand GP Sprint: Acosta Wins, Márquez Penalised
→ Thailand GP Race: Bezzecchi Dominates, Márquez Retires
→ Marc Márquez: On the Road to Victory #100
→ MotoGP 2026: Between Comeback, New Beginnings and Power Struggles
→ Brazil Sprint: Márquez wins after Di Giannantonio mistake
→ Brazil Race: Bezzecchi dominates with four consecutive wins
→ Ducati Under Pressure: Aprilia Dominates, Marquez Can’t Do It Alone
→ Austin Sprint: Martin wins, Bezzecchi crashes, Márquez collides with Di Giannantonio
→ MotoGP Penalty Storm at COTA: Marquez, Acosta and Two Qualifying Offenders Caught
→ Austin GP Race: Bezzecchi Makes History with Fifth Consecutive Win and New Laps-Led Record
→ Ducati in Crisis: Aprilia Dominates MotoGP 2026 at Will
→ MotoGP 2026: Marquez Trains on Panigale V2, Ducati Adds Rear Aero
→ Tech3 Travels to Jerez With Just One Rider: Vinales Out, Espargaro Injured
→ Marc Marquez on Injuries, Comeback and Career End
→ Jerez Sprint: Marquez Wins After Crash in Rain-Soaked Chaos, Bezzecchi and Martin Scoreless
→ Jerez Sprint Analysis: Why the FIM Did Not Penalise Marquez
→ Spanish GP Race: Álex Márquez Wins in Jerez, Champion Marc Márquez Crashes Out Early
→ Jerez Analysis: Álex Márquez Wins, but Ducati’s Crisis Runs Deeper
→ Aprilia RS-GP26: New “Elephant Ears” Open Up Third Aero Field in MotoGP
→ Jonas Folger Celebrates MotoGP Comeback: What His Return Means for Tech3 at Le Mans
→ Jorge Martin After Hungary Crash: Penalty for Brno and Impact on Championship Battle

→ Honda Wildcard for Nakagami in Motegi: Why It Could Be the Last One

Race Calendar 2026

The 2026 MotoGP season comprises 22 rounds. Highlight: The return of the Brazilian GP at Goiânia after a 21-year absence. The Qatar GP has been postponed from April to November 8 due to the Middle East conflict – Portugal and Valencia each move back one week. Whether the race is actually run at Lusail is now open: MotoGP no longer rules out staging the Grand Prix of Qatar in another country. A decision is due by the end of August.

* The Phillip Island contract expires at the end of 2026. Australia is expected to move to the Adelaide area in 2027 – the new venue has not been officially confirmed, with the Motorsport Park The Bend, some 100 kilometres south of the city, under discussion.

→ Phillip Island Stays a Racetrack: Fox Denies Golf Course Rumor
→ MotoGP at the Formula 1 Race in Austin: Regular Riders Left Out

→ MotoGP Qatar GP in doubt: race could move to another country
→ MotoGP 2026 Calendar: Qatar GP Postponed to November Due to Middle East Conflict
→ MotoGP 2026: Premium Strategy, Qatar Cancellation and Open Rider Market
→ MotoGP in Miami? Liberty Media Pushes Street Circuit Plans
→ Suzuka 8 Hours 2026: Miller and Zarco Bring MotoGP Speed to Endurance Racing

Pre-Season: Tests at Sepang and Buriram

During the Sepang Shakedown (Jan 28–30) Honda surprised with fastest times on all three days. At the Official Sepang Test (Feb 3–5) Márquez returned from injury with the fastest lap. At the Buriram Test (Feb 21–22) Bezzecchi set the pace. Less than one second separated the top 13.

→ Sepang Shakedown Day 1 · Day 2 · Day 3
→ Test Summary · Yamaha V4 Crisis

Technical Regulations 2026

Engines frozen – exception for Honda and Yamaha (Concession Rank D). Ducati runs the 2024 engine. Yamaha V4: Historic switch from inline-four. New FIM helmet rule: Chaos at the season opener. Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup: New support series at MotoGP events – Andrea Iannone joins Nitiracing from Mugello.

Start-line safety: In response to a series of serious start-line crashes, MotoGP is widening the gap between grid rows by three metres from the Sachsenring (July 12); ride-height devices will also be banned at the start from the British Grand Prix onward. The front holeshot device ban has also been brought forward and already applies from the Dutch Grand Prix in Assen, while a limit of six motorcycles per manufacturer follows from 2028.

→ MotoGP widens the starting grid: What changes from the Sachsenring onward

→ MotoGP Assen 2026: Raul Fernandez Leads Trackhouse to a Historic One-Two

→ MotoGP Assen: Heat and Crashes Spark New Safety Debate

→ MotoGP Brings Forward Holeshot Ban: What Changes at Assen and Beyond

→ New FIM Helmet Rule: Chaos at Season Opener

→ Acosta Criticizes the 850cc Engine and Demands More Rider Influence in MotoGP

Outlook: What’s Coming in 2027?

From 2027: 850cc engines and Pirelli tyres. With the new Concorde Agreement, all five manufacturers (Ducati, Aprilia, Honda, KTM and Yamaha) signed a joint commercial framework agreement for the 2027 to 2031 period for the first time in June 2026, unblocking the rider market that had been frozen for months (➜ MotoGP Future Secured: All Five Manufacturers Sign Through 2031). Almost all rider contracts expire at the end of 2026. Marc Márquez has since extended his Ducati contract through the end of 2028 (➜ Marc Márquez stays with Ducati: Contract until 2028 and championship fight), Bagnaia has since signed a four-year contract with Aprilia through the end of 2030 and will form an all-Italian factory team with Marco Bezzecchi from 2027 (➜ Bagnaia to Aprilia: Why the Four-Year Contract Through 2030 Stands Out), Quartararo is moving to Honda and has a secured seat as the number one rider in the HRC factory team – Honda has since officially confirmed the move for 2027 and 2028 (➜ Quartararo Moves to Honda: What’s Behind the MotoGP Coup). It is now officially confirmed that Pedro Acosta will join Marc Márquez at the Ducati factory team for 2027 and 2028, while Francesco Bagnaia leaves the factory team at the end of the 2026 season – former World Champion Kevin Schwantz has called the pairing a ‘Spanish dream team for the Italian manufacturer’. The KTM factory seats freed up as a result have since been filled: for 2027, KTM signs Álex Márquez as Acosta’s successor and Fabio Di Giannantonio, whose arrival ends Brad Binder’s seven-year factory stint (➜ KTM Reshuffles MotoGP Factory Team: Marquez and Diggia Arrive in 2027). Tech3 under Günther Steiner’s leadership officially confirmed a multi-year contract extension with KTM at the Catalan GP in Barcelona – Honda’s bid for a second satellite team fell through. Tech3’s 2027 line-up now points to a complete rider change: Luca Marini is reported to have agreed a two-year deal with KTM running to the end of 2028, leaving Honda after three seasons, while Moto2 rider Senna Agius is seen as set for the second seat – neither KTM nor Tech3 has officially confirmed either signing. Maverick Viñales, who rejected reports of an immediate MotoGP exit and intends to finish the 2026 season as contracted, has no place in team boss Günther Steiner’s plans, and neither does Brad Binder, who lost his factory seat to Fabio Di Giannantonio; Viñales misses Silverstone through injury, with Pol Espargaró taking over the RC16 (➜ Vinales counters KTM rumours: why his shoulder now decides, ➜ Marini Set for Tech3 Move: KTM Rebuilds Its Customer Team for 2027). Also in Barcelona, KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister announced that KTM Factory Racing will not take on external investors – a clear signal that the restructured manufacturer intends to continue its MotoGP programme under its own steam after the Bajaj takeover. Joan Mir has confirmed his departure from Honda after the 2026 season and signed a two-year deal with Gresini-Ducati for 2027–2028. His teammate will be Moto2 graduate Daniel Holgado. Ducati has also settled its satellite structure: VR46 has extended through the end of 2029, while Gresini remains a customer team for several more years – and although all six Ducati riders will start 2027 on a Desmosedici GP27, only four of them (Marc Márquez, Pedro Acosta, Mir at Gresini and a VR46 rider yet to be named) will receive technical updates during the season (➜ Ducati 2027: Two MotoGP Riders Go a Whole Year Without Updates). Meanwhile, Honda is restructuring its leadership: Alberto Puig is stepping down as team manager at the end of 2026 and will move into a broader advisory role at HRC. Davide Brivio is leaving Trackhouse and will join HRC in 2027 in a role yet to be finalised – whether as the new team manager or in a commercial capacity remains open. Additionally, MotoGP promoter MSEG is pushing for each manufacturer to maintain a dedicated substitute rider from 2027 – the manufacturers have so far been opposed. The push by Aprilia and Ducati to reduce the number of available motorcycles per rider from two to one from 2027 has failed: KTM refused to agree, leaving the manufacturers association MSMA without the required unanimity. It stays at two machines per rider (➜ KTM Stops One-Bike Rule: MotoGP Sticks With Two Bikes in 2027). The Grand Prix Commission has also decided to abolish wildcard entries entirely from 2027 – test riders like Pedrosa and Pirro lose their last opportunity for race appearances. For the current 2026 season, no manufacturer may use 850cc machinery for any remaining wildcard entries. Engineer Kurt Trieb has left Honda after less than a year and returned to KTM. Yamaha has now finalised the second factory seat alongside Jorge Martín: Ai Ogura is moving from Trackhouse to the Japanese factory team for 2027, replacing Álex Rins – Yamaha is entering the new 850 cc era with two 2024 world champions (➜ Quartararo Leaves, Martin Arrives: Yamaha’s Factory Team Reset for 2027). Martín has explained in detail the contract experiences he had at Ducati and why he attributes his move to Yamaha to the new regulations: → Jorge Martin on Ducati: “Contracts Mean Nothing to the Manufacturers”. Raúl Fernández is considered the most likely successor for Ogura at Trackhouse, though the team is also losing Brivio as team principal.

All five manufacturers have now put their 850cc prototypes on track. Honda released the first video footage of its RC214V prototype in March 2026 – test rider Takaaki Nakagami had already ridden it at Sepang back in December 2025. In early April, Honda completed a third Sepang test, with Aleix Espargaro riding the 850cc prototype for the first time. However, the test ended in a major setback: Espargaro crashed and subsequently underwent spinal surgery in Barcelona. Of the four vertebral fractures initially assumed, examinations confirmed two fractures at thoracic vertebrae T3 and T4 – two further vertebrae were additionally stabilised. The procedure at Quirón-Dexeus Hospital went according to plan, but Espargaro remains sidelined indefinitely – a significant blow to Honda’s development programme. Nakagami and Stefan Bradl will take over the test programme for the time being. Ducati (Pirro), Aprilia (Savadori), KTM (Pol Espargaró) and Yamaha (Dovizioso) all tested together in Jerez this week, also trialling the new Pirelli tyres. Shortly afterwards, Michele Pirro completed the first public shakedown of the Ducati Desmosedici GP27 at the Misano World Circuit – the first time the 850cc engine ran on Pirelli rubber under race conditions. Meanwhile, Honda technical director Romano Albesiano warned against premature performance comparisons – calling them “worthless” at this stage of development. The first joint 850cc test with regular MotoGP riders took place on June 22 in Brno, after the Czech Grand Prix – Honda nominated Gresini-Ducati-bound Joan Mir alongside Luca Marini, while KTM brought its test rider Pol Espargaro back at a private Misano test. At the test, Aprilia set the pace with the fastest reported times, while Marc Márquez had a minor crash without consequences. At the accompanying Pirelli test, the regular riders then evaluated the 850cc machines and the new tires for the first time – several spoke of noticeably less power on corner exits and a “more real,” more natural riding feel without ride-height devices. The next private test with race riders follows in September, right after the Red Bull Ring weekend. Tech3 team principal Günther Steiner describes the switch to 850 cc as a small step back in order to make two forward: less power and less aerodynamics should make the racing closer. KTM test rider Pol Espargaró, on the other hand, expects the pecking order to shift considerably and sees Moto2 graduates at an advantage early in the new era, because the 850 cc and Pirelli package currently feels closer to Moto2 than to the current MotoGP (➜ MotoGP 850cc: Steiner expects a step back first, then the progress). How the riders themselves view this upheaval varies widely: Cal Crutchlow sees the core problem in the tyre, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu already rates Yamaha’s new project as being on the right track, and Jorge Martín explains the reasoning behind his switch to Yamaha (➜ MotoGP 2027: Crutchlow, Marquez and Martin on the big upheaval).

Moto2 also gets new technology in 2027: from then on Triumph supplies a newly designed three-cylinder with a new cylinder head and new crankcases – around six percent more peak power, two kilograms lighter and with a changed displacement. Kalex, Boscoscuro and Forward have to build completely new chassis for it (➜ Triumph Moto2 Engine 2027: More Power Forces New Chassis).

→ Aprilia Sets the Pace at First 850cc Test in Brno, Marquez Crashes Without Injury
→ MotoGP 850cc Test: Why the Machine Feels Like a New Class
→ MotoGP 2027: Why the New Rules Are Already Shaping Everything

→ MotoGP 2027 Starts on 5 March: Buriram Opens the 850cc Era

→ KTM Copies Aprilia’s F-Duct: Aero Arms Race Ahead of the 850cc Era
→ Pirelli Won’t Build a Marquez Tire: What Really Matters in 2027
→ Austin Summit: New Agreement Getting Closer, 2027 Rider Market Set to Explode
→ Honda RC214V: First test of the 850cc prototype on video
→ Honda RC214V Back in Sepang: Espargaro Joins 850cc Development
→ Aleix Espargaro operated on in Barcelona after Sepang crash: Honda test rider gets all-clear
→ Ducati GP27 850 cc Shakedown Misano: Pirro tests, Bagnaia struggles
→ MotoGP 2027: Honda Warns Against Premature Conclusions About the New 850cc Bikes
→ Márquez Hesitates, Bagnaia to Aprilia?
→ Honda Signs Alonso, Holgado to Gresini
→ David Alonso to Ride for Honda From 2027: Factory Seat Still Open
→ New Manufacturers from 2027
→ The Last 1000cc Season · Upheaval at the End of the 1000cc Era
→ Ducati’s Tire Crisis, Driver Market Earthquake and Engineer’s Return
→ MotoGP 2027: Acosta to Ducati, Tech3 Poker, and Substitute Rider Dispute
→ MotoGP 2027 Paddock Check: Acosta’s Career Warning and Yamaha’s V4 Crisis
→ MotoGP Manufacturers Boycott Liberty Dinner in Jerez, Forcing New Negotiation Strategy
→ MotoGP Bans Wildcards from 2027: The End of an Era for Test Riders like Pedrosa and Pirro
→ Davide Brivio Leaves Trackhouse to Become Honda’s Key Figure for 2027
→ Alberto Puig Steps Down as Honda Team Manager: What the Change Means for MotoGP 2027
→ MotoGP 2027: Tech3 stays with KTM, Mir moves to Gresini-Ducati and Márquez fights for his comeback
→ KTM Factory Racing: Investor Rejection Signals Independence After Bajaj Takeover
→ MotoGP Considers Abolishing the Two-Motorcycle System from 2027: What It Means for Riders and Races
→ MotoGP 2027: Honda sends Mir to test 850cc bike despite Ducati switch
→ Yamaha Signs Martin and Ogura: A Restart for the 850cc Era
→ Brembo Brake Caliper for MotoGP 2027: Lighter and Already in Testing
→ MotoGP Safety: Marquez Sees the Real Problem in 44 Race Starts – Ducati’s Six Bikes for 2027, Zarco Update
→ MotoGP 2027: Generational Shift Pushes Five Veterans Out of the Field
→ Marc Marquez at the Sachsenring: The Win That Puts Him Level With Agostini
→ Honda MotoGP 2026: 109 Points Instead of 141, Eyes Already on 2027
→ Toprak Razgatlioglu: 12 Points in MotoGP, but the Turnaround Is Set for 2027
→ CFMoto Plans MotoGP Entry: World Superbike First, Then the Premier Class