- Tech3 extends its partnership with KTM for the new 850cc era from 2027, turning down Honda.
- Joan Mir turns his back on Honda and switches to Gresini-Ducati for 2027.
- Marc Márquez is working on a possible comeback at the Italian GP in Mugello after his double surgery.
The MotoGP silly season opened a new chapter in Barcelona. While points were being fought for on track, the future of entire teams and the career of a reigning world champion were being decided off it. The decisions affect not just individual riders but shift the balance of power across the entire paddock. With the switch to the new 850cc prototypes, 2027 already promises upheaval, and the latest moves show how intensively manufacturers and teams are already preparing for it.
Why is Tech3 staying with KTM instead of switching to Honda?
After months of negotiations, Tech3 has decided to continue its partnership with KTM. The multi-year agreement was announced on Saturday at the Catalan GP in Barcelona and secures KTM four RC16 machines on the MotoGP grid going forward.
The decision was by no means a foregone conclusion. Honda had been aggressively courting Tech3 in recent weeks and wanted to expand its MotoGP programme to six motorcycles from 2027. Alongside its existing satellite team LCR, Tech3 was to bolster Honda’s line-up as a second customer team. An attractive offer, especially with Honda investing heavily in the new 850cc generation as it aims to return to the front.
Guenther Steiner, the former Formula 1 team principal and Tech3’s new CEO since early 2026, made no secret of the fact that he had spoken with several manufacturers. At a press conference in Barcelona, he explained that the talks had also helped him develop a better feel for MotoGP, which was still new territory for him. In the end, two factors proved decisive: the established relationship with KTM and the determination of the decision-makers in Austria.
In motorsport, the strongest partnerships are often the ones you already know inside out. With KTM and Tech3, we’re not starting from zero. Thanks to all the work by Hervé Poncharal and the team over the past few years we have a solid foundation with KTM, and that gives us a real advantage as we head into a completely new regulatory era. For both sides, this is about building on what already works. That continuity puts us in the best possible position to adapt quickly and stay competitive when the new rules come in.”
Steiner was also referring to Hervé Poncharal, who co-founded Tech3 in 1990 with Guy Coulon and Bernard Martignac and stepped down from his role at the end of 2025 following the sale to the consortium led by Steiner. The partnership with KTM has been in place since 2019, after Tech3 had previously fielded Yamaha machinery for many years.
KTM needed four motorcycles for development
For KTM, too, the deal was far from straightforward. The Austrian manufacturer’s financial difficulties last year had at times even raised doubts about its entire MotoGP involvement. KTM has since found a more stable economic footing with new Indian owners, but the negotiations with Tech3 had to account for the changed circumstances.
KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer emphasised the strategic importance of the four-bike line-up for development work in Barcelona. Four motorcycles, four riders and four crew chiefs with their respective engineers simply deliver far more data than just two factory bikes. With the new 850cc era in mind, dropping back to only two machines would have been a significant disadvantage against the competition.
“We’re very pleased to continue our journey together with Tech3. This year marks a new chapter for the team, in line with the dynamic growth of MotoGP. We’ve aligned our strategy and ambitions, and we’re heading into the future with real excitement to keep pushing and making a difference in this championship. A special thanks to Guenther Steiner and the entire Tech3 Team for their loyal commitment and passion for this project. That dedication is a key part of our strength as a group. There is strong belief in the factory, and together we look at 2027 and beyond with full focus and the clear objective to compete at the very highest level.”
Beirer said he had deliberately not put pressure on Tech3 and had given the new management the time to evaluate all options. KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister was also present at the press conference in Barcelona and underlined the significance of the agreement.
What does the Tech3 deal mean for the 2027 rider market?
The contract extension has immediate implications for MotoGP’s rider carousel. The two current Tech3 riders Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini are contractually tied to KTM but have one-year options that KTM can exercise by a certain date.
Viñales, who has been recovering from a lingering shoulder issue and made his comeback at the Catalan GP, was open to staying with KTM. Since the factory seats appear to be earmarked for Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio, Viñales would remain at Tech3.
The situation is different for Bastianini. The Italian is reportedly close to a move to Trackhouse-Aprilia, provided KTM releases him from his option. That would create an open seat at Tech3, for which a rookie could also be considered. Steiner left open who will ride for Tech3 in 2027 but stressed that the decision would be made jointly with KTM.
The future of Red Bull’s sponsorship at Tech3 also remains unclear. Whether the energy drink giant will support the satellite team alongside the factory squad in 2027 has not yet been determined, according to Steiner.
Why is Joan Mir leaving Honda after three years?
The Tech3 decision in favour of KTM also set the final domino in motion for Joan Mir. With Tech3 as a KTM partner, Honda was left without the option to offer the 2020 world champion a seat in its expanded structure. The factory seats at HRC for 2027 are reportedly already earmarked for Fabio Quartararo and Moto2 talent David Alonso. At LCR, Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira are on long-term contracts.
But Mir had already made his decision against Honda before that. During the sprint in Barcelona, he publicly confirmed for the first time that he will leave Honda after three years. His reasoning was unequivocal.
“About this topic, I can’t say much, understandably. What I can say is: after Jerez, I decided not to continue with Honda. That’s correct, I won’t be staying there.”
When asked whether a lack of communication from Honda or a specific conversation had been the deciding factor, Mir responded bluntly.
“In Jerez I had zero information from Honda’s management about how things would continue for me. And one thing is clear: I don’t deserve that. That’s exactly why I decided I don’t want to continue there.”
The 28-year-old Mallorcan joined Honda in 2023 and experienced the Japanese manufacturer’s most difficult period in MotoGP. In the current 2026 season, he has scored just eight championship points after several crashes, despite repeatedly showing pace. He qualified fifth in Austin and finished sixth in the Le Mans sprint.
Mir follows Márquez’s path to Gresini
According to consistent reports from the paddock, Mir has reached an agreement with Gresini-Ducati. The contract is said to already be signed and covers the 2027 and 2028 seasons. His teammate will be Moto2 graduate Daniel Holgado.
The move is reminiscent of Marc Márquez’s step at the end of 2023, when the Spaniard terminated his Honda contract and rode for Gresini without a salary. His personal sponsors funded his income at the time. The gamble proved to be a turning point: Márquez returned to a race-winning motorcycle, subsequently secured a seat in the Ducati factory team, and won his seventh MotoGP title in 2025.
When asked whether he would be willing to take the same path and ride without a salary if necessary, Mir replied: “Yes, I would do that now.” Whether it will actually come to that, however, he left open.
At Gresini, Mir would also have the opportunity to work with a familiar figure. Frankie Carchedi, the crew chief who played a key role in Mir’s 2020 world championship with Suzuki, is already at Gresini and has guided Marc Márquez, Di Giannantonio and Aldeguer to race victories there.
Gresini faces a complete reset for 2027. Alex Marquez is moving to KTM, Fermin Aldeguer is heading to VR46 as part of his Ducati factory contract. Mir won the competition for the open seat over Enea Bastianini, who is now the favourite for a move to Trackhouse-Aprilia.
When can Marc Márquez return to MotoGP?
While Mir and Tech3 were sorting out their futures, reigning world champion Marc Márquez was absent in Barcelona. The 33-year-old is currently recovering in Madrid from a double surgery performed on May 10 at the Ruber International Hospital. Both procedures went without complications, according to Ducati.
The trigger was a heavy highside crash in the Le Mans sprint. Márquez lost control of the Desmosedici on his penultimate lap, caught his right foot on the asphalt and slammed down hard on his right side after a violent ejection. The diagnosis: a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
But the foot injury was only part of the story. Márquez used the already necessary surgery to bring forward a shoulder procedure that had originally been scheduled for after the Catalan GP. Two screws and a bone fragment were removed from his right shoulder. The screws dated back to a 2019 operation that was intended to fix frequent dislocations of the joint. A collision with Marco Bezzecchi at the Indonesian GP in late 2025 had damaged those screws: one broken, one displaced.
The hidden problem behind an inconsistent season
What made the shoulder issue so critical was this: the displaced screw was pressing on the radial nerve in Márquez’s right arm while in riding position on the motorcycle. This nerve controls three fingers of the hand and thus essential functions for controlling the bike. After the Le Mans weekend, Márquez explained that he had effectively been riding the entire 2026 season so far “with one and a half arms.”
The Ducati rider had hidden the problem from his team for a long time. In a video released by Ducati, Márquez confessed to his crew with visible emotion that he had seen a doctor after the Jerez GP and had told no one about it. The screw caused intermittent problems: sometimes the arm functioned normally, sometimes the strength in his hand failed without warning. Márquez spoke of crashes where he himself did not understand why they had happened, because his body was not executing what his mind wanted.
Ducati Corse CEO Gigi Dall’Igna responded in the conversation by saying the most important thing was his body. Márquez replied: “Yes, I understand that now.” At the end, he apologised to his crew for the commotion and received applause from the team in return.
Team manager Davide Tardozzi described Márquez’s performance given the injury as extraordinary. Despite the nerve damage, the Spaniard had claimed two sprint victories in the current season and set a new lap record in Q1 at Le Mans.
Mugello as the target, Hungary as the fallback
After the Barcelona weekend, Márquez posted a photo on social media showing him smiling during physiotherapy. The message was clear: recovery is progressing.
A medical check-up in Madrid is scheduled for the coming week. If the doctors give the green light, Márquez wants to train intensively and attempt to get back on the motorcycle before the Italian GP at Mugello on May 31. Should the shoulder not yet be ready, the Hungarian GP at the Balaton Park Circuit on June 7 would be the alternative. The Hungarian circuit is considered physically less demanding than the high-speed Tuscan track at Mugello.
Márquez has repeatedly stressed that he does not want to repeat the mistakes of 2020, when he returned too early after his severe upper-arm fracture in Jerez and ultimately missed the entire season. Ducati did not nominate a replacement rider for Barcelona, as the regulations allow for consecutive races. Should Márquez also miss Mugello and Hungary, however, the team would need to field a substitute.
After the Le Mans weekend, his championship deficit stood at 71 points behind leader Marco Bezzecchi. A title defence is therefore hardly realistic, but Márquez’s return at full fitness also has an important dimension for Ducati: only with a healthy Márquez can the manufacturer assess how competitive the GP26 really is and adjust the development direction for the 2027 850cc project accordingly.
What will the 2027 MotoGP grid look like?
The decisions from Barcelona are fitting into an increasingly clear picture of the 2027 MotoGP grid. The new 850cc era brings not only a new technical rulebook but also one of the most extensive rider reshuffles in years. Some line-ups are considered largely confirmed, others remain open.
At Ducati, Marc Márquez and Pedro Acosta are set to form the factory team. VR46-Ducati will field Fermin Aldeguer and a yet-to-be-determined second rider, with an Italian reportedly preferred. At Gresini-Ducati, Joan Mir and Daniel Holgado are on the list.
Honda is planning with Fabio Quartararo and David Alonso in the factory team. LCR retains Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira. Aprilia is banking on Marco Bezzecchi and Pecco Bagnaia in the factory team, while Trackhouse is expected to field Raúl Fernández and likely Enea Bastianini.
KTM is lining up Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio for its factory team. At Tech3, Maverick Viñales has a strong chance of staying, with the second seat still open. Yamaha is fielding Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura as a strong combination, and Pramac-Yamaha has also secured a high-profile addition in Toprak Razgatlioglu.
Some experienced riders such as Franco Morbidelli and Alex Rins, on the other hand, could be facing a departure from the premier class. Brad Binder’s future is also uncertain, although a seat at Tech3 would still be possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why did Tech3 choose KTM over Honda?
Tech3 CEO Guenther Steiner attributed the decision to the established relationship with KTM and the determination of the Austrian decision-makers. The multi-year partnership since 2019 provides a solid foundation for the new 850cc era from 2027, whereas a switch to Honda would have meant starting from scratch.
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Where is Joan Mir going after leaving Honda?
According to consistent reports, Mir has reached an agreement with Gresini-Ducati for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. He is thus following the path of Marc Márquez, who also moved from Honda to Gresini in 2024 and from there rose to the Ducati factory team.
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When will Marc Márquez return after his double surgery?
Márquez underwent surgery on his right foot and right shoulder on May 10, 2026. His target is a comeback at the Italian GP in Mugello on May 31. If recovery takes longer, the Hungarian GP on June 7 would be the alternative.
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What was the hidden shoulder problem with Márquez?
A displaced screw from a 2019 operation was pressing on the radial nerve in Márquez’s right arm, impairing control of three fingers on his hand. He rode the entire 2026 season so far with this limitation and hid the problem from his team.
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What will the 2027 MotoGP grid likely look like?
Ducati is planning with Márquez and Acosta in the factory team, Honda with Quartararo and Alonso. Aprilia is banking on Bezzecchi and Bagnaia, KTM on Alex Marquez and Di Giannantonio. At Yamaha, Martin and Ogura will ride. Mir is heading to Gresini-Ducati, Bastianini likely to Trackhouse-Aprilia.
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