- Of the ten factory seats, only Marc Marquez at Ducati and Marco Bezzecchi at Aprilia stay put in 2027
- Yamaha ran its 850cc V4 for the first time at Brno, with the next date due in September at the Red Bull Ring
- Jorge Martin leads the championship after Silverstone by 31 points over his team-mate
The current 2026 season is the last one under today’s rules, and the paddock has long been talking about what comes afterwards. Engines with 850 cubic centimetres, a ban on ride-height devices, less aerodynamics and a switch of tyre supplier from Michelin to Pirelli all fall into the same year. What is interesting about this is less the regulations themselves than the question of how the riders deal with them. Four voices from recent days show how differently the same upheaval can be viewed.
What bothers Cal Crutchlow about today’s MotoGP races?
Cal Crutchlow does not see the technology as the cause of the lack of overtaking, but the tyre. In his view, everyone today rides permanently on the limit because nobody has to ration anything any more.
The Briton puts the problem bluntly: “What it is at the minute is these guys can’t pass each other because they’re so on the limit.” For him the solution does not lie in the future but in the past. “I know what would make the racing better, they just go back to the old tyre where you had to manage it,” he says.
Between 2015 and 2020 riders had to ration the race and the tyres, he explains. He makes it explicitly clear that the best rider did not necessarily win back then. But the bikes were harder to ride, and that is why there was considerably more overtaking.
The background is a rule that has been policed more strictly since 2023. Anyone who falls below the prescribed minimum pressure at the front tyre picks up a time penalty after the sprint or the Grand Prix. Many riders have since preferred to run too much pressure. In the slipstream of the rider ahead this gets worse still, because the tyre builds up even more temperature there. That is exactly what is meant to change with the new supplier.
What has changed most for Crutchlow since 2011?
For Crutchlow it is the physical load. Downforce presses the bikes onto the track so hard that the handling has shifted fundamentally.
He describes it with a simple image: a wheelie is no longer possible, no matter how hard you pull on the bars. The three-time MotoGP winner, who took over Johann Zarco’s LCR Honda in 2026, has been racing in the class since 2011 and therefore knows both extremes. Personally he prefers the period from 2015 to 2019. Back then there was enough downforce and enough aerodynamics, and the bikes were already hard to ride.
How does Toprak Razgatlioglu rate the first 850cc test?
Toprak Razgatlioglu draws a positive conclusion, even though by his own account Yamaha was not yet fully prepared for the date at Brno. This test was purely about trying out the new engine at all.
Yamaha fitted the 850cc V4 into the chassis that the team uses for the 1000cc bike this season. The layout is new for the brand in any case, as it is the first four-stroke bike with a V4 engine that Yamaha has raced. Razgatlioglu is contesting his first MotoGP season in 2026, having moved from the BMW team in the Superbike World Championship to Pramac Yamaha over the winter.
The Turk admits the limitation himself: “Also, when we did the test we were not really 100 per cent ready for this test, just try the engine.” His conclusion is unambiguous nonetheless: “I believe in this project.”
He assesses the situation soberly. The other manufacturers will keep developing, but so will Yamaha. For next year he expects a gradual convergence and thinks it possible to fight for special results by then. He does not expect a reliable picture until later, though. The next 850cc test is scheduled for September, the day after the Grand Prix of Austria at the Red Bull Ring. There he mainly wants to look at lap times, because the pure riding feel on the new machinery is different anyway.
Which rider moves does Marc Marquez find interesting?
Marc Marquez names Pedro Acosta, Fabio Quartararo and Pecco Bagnaia. First, though, he made it clear that he would actually rather talk about the tyres, because he sees the most exciting change there.
Marquez is one of the few for whom nothing changes on the personnel side. Of the ten factory seats, only he himself at Ducati and Marco Bezzecchi at Aprilia remain unchanged. Acosta arrives from KTM as his future team-mate at Ducati, and Marquez describes him as one of the most interesting talents, now moving onto winning machinery.
With the second name it is not just the rider that interests him. Quartararo is leaving Yamaha for Marquez’ former employer Honda, which is why the question of how Honda develops the new bike also comes into play for him. Of the two he says: “If Fabio has the bike, he will be fast. If Pedro has the bike, he will be fast.” The third name, his current team-mate Bagnaia, who is moving to Aprilia, he simply rates as a very good rider.
How does Jorge Martin explain his move to Yamaha?
Jorge Martin points to his own history at Aprilia. That step, too, was judged a mistake from the outside at the time, and today the brand leads the championship.
The Spaniard said in an interview with DAZN Spain during the weekend at Silverstone: “When I signed with Aprilia, it seemed like a disaster. ‘Where are you going with Aprilia, a team that’s never won?’ But today, they’re in the lead.” What is said about the decision in one or two years is accordingly of no concern to him.
He also describes the Yamaha move as a more calmly taken decision than the one in 2024, which he had to make at short notice. The benchmark was what is best for him and his family.
On track things are going well for him at the moment. At Silverstone he took pole position, the lap record, the sprint win and second place in the Grand Prix, growing his lead over team-mate Bezzecchi to 31 points. Martin openly admits that leading the championship at times seemed absurd to him after the difficult months with the Aprilia. He sees his consistency as the real safeguard, with the exceptions of Balaton and Barcelona.
A changed view of risk and pressure
What stands out with Martin is how clearly he addresses the personal side. He still finds the nickname “Martinator” from 2016 fitting, but thinks an adjustment is conceivable. He compares the many crashes and injuries to a rucksack that every fracture goes into and that eventually becomes heavy.
His view has shifted mentally as well. After winning the title in 2024 he first had to rediscover the hunger he had before. He considers good phases harder than bad ones, because in a crisis the goal lies clearly ahead of you. He sees an advantage in already knowing the pressure of a title fight, even if he concedes that Marc Marquez brings greater experience with more titles behind him.
He describes the relationship with Aprilia as repaired, without glossing over it. Twelve months ago the collaboration was close to ending; these days rider and team go out for dinner together, and Martin took his crew to Ibiza for two days. At the start of the season Fabiano Sterlacchini came to Andorra with the message that he wanted to bring back the Jorge of 2024. Martin does not consider friendship necessary; what matters is the shared will to win.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What does Cal Crutchlow criticise about MotoGP in 2026?
Crutchlow criticises the fact that riders no longer have to ration the tyre and therefore run permanently on the limit. That makes overtaking difficult. He would return to a tyre construction that has to be actively managed during the race.
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How did Yamahas first test with the 850cc engine go?
The first 850cc test took place at Brno, with Yamaha fitting the new V4 into the current chassis of the 1000cc bike. Toprak Razgatlioglu rates the outing as positive, but concedes that the team was not 100 per cent prepared for it. The next test follows in September at the Red Bull Ring.
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Which factory riders stay with their team in MotoGP 2027?
Of the ten factory seats, only two remain unchanged: Marc Marquez at Ducati and Marco Bezzecchi at Aprilia. All other factory seats are being reassigned, including the move of Pedro Acosta to Ducati and of Fabio Quartararo to Honda.
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How big is Jorge Martins championship lead?
After the weekend at Silverstone, Jorge Martin leads the championship by 31 points over his team-mate Marco Bezzecchi. There he took pole position, the lap record, the sprint win and second place in the Grand Prix.
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Why is Jorge Martin moving to Yamaha in 2027?
Martin explains the step as a decision he took in the interest of himself and his family. He points out that his move to Aprilia was initially seen as a mistake too, and that the brand now leads the championship. Unlike in 2024, he had more time for the decision this time.
➜ This article is part of our comprehensive overview: 2026 MotoGP Season: The Complete Overview – Teams, Riders, Calendar & Championship Standings. Find all key information on this topic in one place.
