- 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.
| 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. 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
Current Championship Standings after the Hungarian GP at Balaton Park (Round 8)
Despite the double DNF of both factory Aprilia riders, the top of the table is unchanged: Marco Bezzecchi still leads with 180 points, 20 clear of teammate Jorge Martín (160) – both left Hungary empty-handed. Behind them the field has tightened considerably: Fabio Di Giannantonio remains third on 138 points but now has only a six-point cushion over Pedro Acosta (132). Race winner Marc Márquez made up 30 points on Bezzecchi in a single weekend and sits fifth on 108 points ahead of Ai Ogura (105). Francesco Bagnaia moves up to seventh (99) with his third consecutive podium. In the constructors’ standings, Aprilia’s lead over Ducati has shrunk to 13 points.
| Pos | Rider | Team / Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marco Bezzecchi | Aprilia Racing | 180 |
| 2 | Jorge Martín | Aprilia Racing | 160 |
| 3 | Fabio Di Giannantonio | VR46 Ducati | 138 |
| 4 | Pedro Acosta | Red Bull KTM | 132 |
| 5 | Marc Márquez | Ducati Lenovo | 108 |
| 6 | Ai Ogura | Trackhouse Aprilia | 105 |
| 7 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati Lenovo | 99 |
| 8 | Raúl Fernández | Trackhouse Aprilia | 93 |
| 9 | Álex Márquez | BK8 Gresini Ducati | 67 |
| 10 | Fermín Aldeguer | BK8 Gresini Ducati | 60 |
Standings after the Hungarian Grand Prix at Balaton Park (June 7, 2026). Next round: Czech GP in Brno, June 19–21, 2026 – featuring the planned comeback of Alex Marquez after his injury layoff.
→ 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
→ Johann Zarco: Burns Delay Knee Surgery a Month After Catalunya
→ 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
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 | ✓ Martín |
| 6 | May 15–17 | Catalan GP | Barcelona | ✓ Di Giannantonio |
| 7 | May 29–31 | Italian GP | Mugello | ✓ Bezzecchi |
| 8 | Jun 5–7 | Hungarian GP | Balaton Park | ✓ M. Márquez |
| 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
→ 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.
→ MotoGP widens the starting grid: What changes from the Sachsenring onward
→ 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. Márquez is negotiating with Ducati, Bagnaia is linked to Aprilia, Quartararo is moving to Honda and has a secured seat as the number one rider in the HRC factory team. 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 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. 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. 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. Another far-reaching proposal is on the table: the manufacturers have proposed reducing the number of available motorcycles per rider from two to one from 2027 – a cost-cutting measure that would end flag-to-flag races in their current form and fundamentally change race operations. 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. 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 is scheduled for June 22 in Brno, after the Czech Grand Prix – Honda is nominating Gresini-Ducati-bound Joan Mir alongside Luca Marini, while KTM brings its test rider Pol Espargaro back at a private Misano test.
→ 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
→ 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







