- The last 1000cc season: 22 rounds, 11 teams, 22 riders – with the return of the Brazilian GP after 21 years
- Spanish GP at Jerez: Álex Márquez wins Sunday’s race, Marc Márquez crashes out on lap 3 – Bezzecchi’s five-race win streak ends but championship lead extended to 101 points
- 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: David Alonso joins the Honda factory team, Holgado moves to Gresini Ducati – 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.
| Team | Rider 1 | Rider 2 | Motorcycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ducati Lenovo Team | Marc Márquez (#93) | Francesco Bagnaia (#1) | Desmosedici GP25 |
| BK8 Gresini Racing | Álex Márquez (#73) | Fermín Aldeguer (#54)* | Desmosedici GP24 |
| VR46 Racing Team | Fabio Di Giannantonio (#49) | Franco Morbidelli (#21) | Desmosedici GP25 |
| Aprilia Racing | Jorge Martín (#89) | Marco Bezzecchi (#72) | RS-GP 25 |
| Trackhouse MotoGP | Raúl Fernández (#25) | Ai Ogura (#79) | RS-GP 25 |
| Red Bull KTM Factory | Pedro Acosta (#31) | Brad Binder (#33) | RC16 |
| Red Bull KTM Tech3 | Maverick Viñales (#12) | Enea Bastianini (#23) | RC16 |
| Monster Yamaha MotoGP | Fabio Quartararo (#20) | Álex Rins (#42) | YZR-M1 (V4) |
| Pramac Yamaha MotoGP | Toprak Razgatlıoğlu | Jack Miller (#43) | YZR-M1 (V4) |
| Honda HRC Castrol | Joan Mir (#36) | Luca Marini (#10) | RC213V |
| Castrol Honda LCR | Johann Zarco (#5) | Diogo Moreira (#88) | RC213V |
* 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.”
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.
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.
→ MotoGP Future After the Austin Summit: New Agreement Getting Closer, 2027 Rider Market Set to Explode
→ 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
Current Championship Standings after Round 4 (Spanish GP)
Marco Bezzecchi remains at the top of the MotoGP 2026 standings despite his winning streak coming to an end. After four race weekends, the Aprilia rider leads with 101 points, eleven ahead of teammate Jorge Martín (90 points). Fabio Di Giannantonio moves up to third with 71 points, Pedro Acosta sits fourth on 66 points. Marc Márquez loses further ground after his pointless Sunday in Jerez and lies fifth with 57 points – now 44 behind the leader. Álex Márquez jumps to 53 points and seventh after his Jerez victory. Bagnaia’s crisis season continues with just 34 points in ninth. Aprilia continues to dominate the constructors’ championship.
| Pos | Rider | Team / Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia Racing | 101 |
| 2 | Jorge Martín | Aprilia Racing | 90 |
| 3 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | VR46 Ducati | 71 |
| 4 | Pedro Acosta | Red Bull KTM | 66 |
| 5 | Marc Márquez | Ducati Lenovo | 57 |
| 6 | Raúl Fernández | Trackhouse Aprilia | 54 |
| 7 | Álex Márquez | BK8 Gresini Ducati | 53 |
| 8 | Ai Ogura | Trackhouse Aprilia | 48 |
| 9 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Lenovo | 34 |
| 10 | Enea Bastianini | Red Bull KTM Tech3 | 30 |
Standings after the Spanish GP (26.04.2026). Sprint + race combined.
→ 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
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.
| Rd | Date | Grand Prix | Circuit | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 27 – Mar 1 | Thai GP | Buriram | ✓ Bezzecchi |
| 2 | Mar 20–22 | Brazilian GP | Goiânia | ✓ Bezzecchi |
| 3 | Mar 27–29 | Americas GP | Austin | ✓ Bezzecchi |
| 4 | Apr 24–26 | Spanish GP | Jerez | ✓ A. Márquez |
| 5 | May 8–10 | French GP | Le Mans | – |
| 6 | May 15–17 | Catalan GP | Barcelona | – |
| 7 | May 29–31 | Italian GP | Mugello | – |
| 8 | Jun 5–7 | Hungarian GP | Balaton Park | – |
| 9 | Jun 19–21 | Czech GP | Brno | – |
| 10 | Jun 26–28 | Dutch GP | Assen | – |
| 11 | Jul 10–12 | German GP | Sachsenring | – |
| 12 | Aug 7–9 | British GP | Silverstone | – |
| 13 | Aug 28–30 | Aragon GP | MotorLand | – |
| 14 | Sep 11–13 | San Marino GP | Misano | – |
| 15 | Sep 18–20 | Austrian GP | Red Bull Ring | – |
| 16 | Oct 2–4 | Japanese GP | Motegi | – |
| 17 | Oct 9–11 | Indonesian GP | Mandalika | – |
| 18 | Oct 23–25 | Australian GP | Adelaide* | – |
| 19 | Oct 30 – Nov 1 | Malaysian GP | Sepang | – |
| 20 | Nov 6–8 | Qatar GP | Losail | – |
| 21 | Nov 20–22 | Portuguese GP | Portimão | – |
| 22 | Nov 27–29 | Valencia GP | Valencia | – |
* Australia moves from Phillip Island to Adelaide (street circuit) in 2027.
→ MotoGP 2026 Calendar: Qatar GP Postponed to November Due to Middle East Conflict
→ MotoGP 2026: Premium Strategy, Qatar Cancellation and Open Rider Market
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.
→ New FIM Helmet Rule: Chaos at Season Opener
Outlook: What’s Coming in 2027?
From 2027: 850cc engines and Pirelli tyres. Almost all rider contracts expire at the end of 2026. Márquez is negotiating with Ducati, Bagnaia is linked to Aprilia, Quartararo could move to Honda. Pedro Acosta is reportedly set to join Marc Márquez at the Ducati factory team for 2027 – former World Champion Kevin Schwantz has called the pairing a ‘Spanish dream team for the Italian manufacturer’. Tech3 under new owner Günther Steiner is negotiating with both KTM and Honda for a 2027 partnership – Honda aims to expand its paddock presence, while KTM motorsport boss Pit Beirer insists on keeping the team. 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 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. Raúl Fernández is considered the most likely successor at Trackhouse.
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.
→ 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
→ Márquez Hesitates, Bagnaia to Aprilia?
→ Honda Signs Alonso, Holgado to Gresini
→ 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
