2027 MotoGP Season: The Complete Overview – Teams, Riders, Calendar and the New 850cc Rules

• New regulations with 850 cubic centimeters of displacement and Pirelli as the control tire
• Season opener on March 5, 2027 in Buriram, Australia moves from Phillip Island to Adelaide
• Almost all factory seats have been filled anew, with up to five rookies moving up
• The Concorde Agreement secures the series with all five manufacturers through 2031

The 2027 MotoGP season marks the biggest technical and personnel break of recent years. With the switch from 1,000 to 850 cubic centimeters of displacement, the tire change from Michelin to Pirelli and the removal of ride-height devices, the premier class changes fundamentally. At the same time, the majority of rider contracts expire at the end of 2026, so the 2027 field looks largely different.

This page brings together all developments surrounding the new era: regulations, dates, teams and riders, the state of testing and the changes in the smaller classes. Everything about the current season can be found in our overview of the 2026 MotoGP season.

Who Rides for Which MotoGP Team in 2027?

Of the 22 seats on the 2027 grid, 17 are officially confirmed. Two more are regarded as taken but have not been made official by the team or the manufacturer, and three are still open: the second Tech3 seat and the allocation of David Alonso and Diogo Moreira across the two Honda teams.

According to consistent reports, both Honda youngsters have a contract with HRC, but which of them sits in the factory team and which one at LCR has not been decided. In the plans so far, Maverick Viñales and Brad Binder are left without a seat. Table as of September 11, 2026.

What Changes in MotoGP in 2027?

A completely new technical set of regulations applies from 2027. Displacement drops from 1,000 to 850 cubic centimeters, aerodynamics are cut back, and the ride-height devices disappear. At the same time, Pirelli replaces the previous tire supplier Michelin.

The new tires are more than a change of supplier. From 2027, Pirelli will fit the MotoGP tires with colored stripes on the sidewall, so that it is visible from the outside which compound a rider is currently using. KTM test rider Pol Espargaró assumes that the change will shift the balance of power in the premier class considerably.

→ MotoGP 2027: Why the New Rules Are Already Shaping Everything
→ Pirelli gives MotoGP tyres colour markings: what really changes in 2027
→ Pirelli Won’t Build a Marquez Tire: What Really Matters in 2027

There are changes in the sporting rules as well. The Grand Prix Commission is abolishing wildcard entries entirely from 2027, which means test riders such as Dani Pedrosa and Michele Pirro lose their last opportunity to race. The reduction from two bikes to one per rider, pushed by Aprilia and Ducati, has failed, however: KTM refused to agree, so the manufacturers association MSMA lacked the required unanimity. It remains at two machines per rider. The promoter is also demanding that every manufacturer keep a permanently contracted replacement rider on hand from 2027, a request the manufacturers have so far rejected.

The format of the race weekend is changing as well. On October 7, 2026, the Grand Prix Commission confirmed a new format after the teams had approved it in a vote at Spielberg. From 2027, the sprint and the Grand Prix each get their own qualifying session and therefore separate grids. On Friday, FP1 (45 minutes) and FP2 (30 minutes) are followed by a 15-minute Sprint Qualifying; on Saturday, FP3 (20 minutes) is followed by Q1 with every rider and Q2 with the fastest twelve for the Grand Prix. Unlike in Formula 1, the sprint stays on Saturday afternoon, while the Sunday Warm-up is dropped and replaced by a ten-minute open pit lane. A three-stage qualifying with Q1, Q2 and Q3 did not get a majority. Overall, track time per weekend drops by around 25 minutes, in the very first year of the 850s.

In the paddock, the new format is divisive. Francesco Bagnaia, Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi welcome the second qualifying session because a botched Friday no longer costs both grids. Pedro Acosta and Marc and Álex Márquez, by contrast, warn of more risk, more mental strain and more injuries, while Fabio Quartararo and Jack Miller see the reduced practice time in the first year of the 850s as a problem. The riders had little say: only four of them attended the Safety Commission in Motegi where Carlos Ezpeleta explained the format. Bagnaia has asked for the Warm-up to return, and the series has signaled it is open to talks.

→ MotoGP weekend 2027: Two qualifying sessions, no Warm-up, less practice
→ MotoGP Format 2027 Divides the Riders: Why They Have Little Say
→ MotoGP Sprint Qualifying From 2027: What Changes at a Race Weekend
→ MotoGP Bans Wildcards from 2027: The End of an Era for Test Riders like Pedrosa and Pirro
→ KTM Stops One-Bike Rule: MotoGP Sticks With Two Bikes in 2027
→ MotoGP Considers Scrapping the Two-Bike System from 2027

At its September 2026 meeting, the Grand Prix Commission also wrote the 20,000 rpm rev limit explicitly into the MotoGP regulations. Until now the limit only existed in the software of the standard ECU; for the new generation of 850cc engines it is now set down in the rulebook as well. Practice starts at the pit lane exit are being dropped at every circuit, with MotoGP naming 2027 as the date. In Moto2, all teams begin the 2027 season without concessions, while the switch to 100 percent non-fossil fuel in Moto2 and Moto3 has been pushed back to 2028.

→ MotoGP rev limit: Why 20,000 rpm is now written into the regulations

For the riders themselves, 2027 brings an economic change: from that season onward, a binding minimum base salary of 500,000 euros (around 590,000 US dollars) per year applies to all riders in the premier class for the first time. On the supplier side, Brembo has developed a new brake caliper that is around 80 grams lighter and was already in use at the Misano test.

→ MotoGP Introduces Minimum Salary: €500,000 for All Riders from 2027
→ Brembo Brake Caliper for MotoGP 2027: Lighter and Already in Testing
→ KTM Copies Aprilia’s F-Duct: Aero Arms Race Ahead of the 850cc Era

When Does the 2027 MotoGP Season Start?

The 2027 season begins from March 5 to 7, 2027 in Buriram. The Grand Prix of Thailand thus opens the new era with the 850cc engines.

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

Preparation time is short. The published test dates provide only five official test days with the new machines for the regular riders, right before the biggest rule change in years.

→ MotoGP Testing 2027: Why the Riders Only Get Five Days on the 850s

In the calendar itself, the most striking change is in Australia: the Grand Prix leaves Phillip Island and moves to Adelaide, where a street circuit is set to be used for the first time in the history of the motorcycle world championship. South Australia’s Premier Peter Malinauskas has since presented a revised track design: compared with the first plan from February 2026, the circuit has become shorter, has three corners fewer and runs completely differently at one decisive point. Criticism of the move comes from Casey Stoner: the six-time Phillip Island winner rejects a street circuit mainly on safety grounds and says he will fight to get Phillip Island back on the calendar.

→ MotoGP leaves Phillip Island: Adelaide gets its first street circuit in history
→ MotoGP Adelaide 2027: New Layout, Three Corners Fewer Than Planned
→ Casey Stoner fights for Phillip Island: His case against Adelaide

The Hungarian Grand Prix, on the other hand, will not be on the 2027 calendar: on September 22, 2026, MotoGP confirmed that Balaton Park is out after just two editions. Low attendance, a promoter in liquidation and a Hungaroring without MotoGP homologation were the deciding factors. Argentina takes over the vacant slot with a return to Buenos Aires from April 9 to 11, 2027, while the Austrian GP at Spielberg moves to August 27 to 29. The season finale is once again held in Valencia, from November 26 to 28, 2027. The full calendar, again with 22 Grands Prix, was published on September 25, 2026.

→ MotoGP without Hungary: Why Balaton Park is out after just two years

The calendar features 22 Grands Prix on five continents, running from March 5 to 7 in Buriram to November 26 to 28 in Valencia. Buenos Aires joins as round four and the Adelaide Street Circuit as round 21, while Balaton Park and Phillip Island drop out. The German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring is held from July 9 to 11, and Brno a week later is the final race before the summer break. The calendar is officially provisional: Buenos Aires and Adelaide still need FIM homologation, and the contract for Austin has yet to be signed.

→ MotoGP Calendar 2027: Two New Circuits, Three Dates Still Subject to Confirmation

The 2027 Teams and Riders in Detail

The 2027 rider field is largely settled. Almost all contracts ran out at the end of 2026, and the rider market only got moving after the new Concorde Agreement had been signed. Up to five rookies move up into the premier class, while several well-known names no longer find a seat.

Five newcomers are expected: Daniel Holgado joins Gresini on a two-year deal, Senna Agius is reported to get a one-year contract directly with Tech3, Izan Guevara moves to Pramac Yamaha, David Alonso to Honda, and Nicolò Bulega arrives from World Superbike. Moto2 championship leader Manuel Gonzalez misses out and stays with IntactGP in 2027.

→ MotoGP 2027: Generational Shift Pushes Five Veterans Out of the Field
→ MotoGP Rookies 2027: Why Holgado and Agius Are Making the Leap Now

Ducati

Marc Márquez has extended his contract with Ducati until the end of 2028. Alongside him, Pedro Acosta will ride for the factory team from 2027, while Francesco Bagnaia leaves the team at the end of the 2026 season. Acosta has since explained why his patience with KTM ran out; he sits on the Ducati for the first time on December 1.

Ducati is taking an unusual route when it comes to distributing equipment: the manufacturer starts with six Desmosedici GP27 machines, but only four riders receive updates over the course of the season. Those are factory riders Márquez and Acosta, Joan Mir at Gresini and one VR46 rider. VR46 has extended through the end of 2029, Gresini remains a customer team for several years. At VR46, Fermín Aldeguer switches from Gresini to Valentino Rossi’s squad and gets current factory equipment there for the first time. Nicolò Bulega joins as the second VR46 rider, coming to MotoGP from the Superbike World Championship. Franco Morbidelli makes way for him: the current VR46 rider ends his MotoGP career after nine years at the end of the 2026 season and takes over Bulega’s Panigale V4 R in the Aruba.it Racing Ducati factory Superbike team in 2027, on a one-year contract with an option for a second season.

→ Marc Márquez stays with Ducati: Contract until 2028 and championship fight
→ Bagnaia Leaves Ducati: Acosta Becomes New Márquez Teammate
→ Ducati 2027: Two MotoGP Riders Go a Whole Year Without Updates
→ Aldeguer to VR46: Ducati Puts Him on Equal Terms With Its Factory Riders in 2027
→ Bulega to race MotoGP for VR46 in 2027: the rookie with the Ducati head start
→ Morbidelli moves to the Superbike World Championship: Why Ducati is betting on him
→ Pedro Acosta Has No Friends in the Paddock: What Awaits Him at Ducati in 2027

Aprilia

Francesco Bagnaia has signed a four-year contract with Aprilia through the end of 2030 and, together with Marco Bezzecchi, forms an all-Italian factory team from 2027.

→ Bagnaia to Aprilia: Why the Four-Year Contract Through 2030 Stands Out

KTM

The factory seats freed up by Acosta’s departure have been filled: KTM signs Álex Márquez as well as Fabio Di Giannantonio, whose arrival ends Brad Binder’s seven years with the factory team. Tech3, led by Günther Steiner, has officially confirmed the multi-year contract extension with KTM. As its first rider for 2027, Tech3 has signed Luca Marini, who leaves the Honda factory team after three years. Maverick Viñales finds no place in Steiner’s plans, and neither does Binder. Binder moves to BMW in the Superbike World Championship for 2027, where he will race alongside Miguel Oliveira.

KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister has also stated that KTM Factory Racing will not take on any external investors, despite a valuation in the hundreds of millions.

→ KTM Reshuffles MotoGP Factory Team: Marquez and Diggia Arrive in 2027
→ Marini leaves Honda: Tech3 confirms KTM switch for 2027
→ Marini Set for Tech3 Move: KTM Rebuilds Its Customer Team for 2027
→ Vinales counters KTM rumours: why his shoulder now decides
→ KTM Factory Racing Remains Off Limits: Why Mattighofen Turned Down Over 100 Million Euros

Honda

Fabio Quartararo moves to Honda and has a secured place as the number one rider in the HRC factory team, officially confirmed for 2027 and 2028. Joan Mir has confirmed his departure after the 2026 season and has signed a two-year contract with Gresini-Ducati. David Alonso will also ride a Honda from 2027, with the factory seat still open. Honda is reshuffling its sponsors as well: according to media reports, Red Bull returns to the factory team as a sponsor for 2027 and 2028. As a result, Quartararo has to end his eight-year MotoGP partnership with Monster, and Honda is said to be covering the buyout. Neither Honda nor Red Bull has officially confirmed the deal yet.

At the same time, Honda is restructuring its management: Alberto Puig hands over the team manager post at the end of 2026 and moves into an overarching advisory role at HRC. Davide Brivio leaves Trackhouse and joins HRC in 2027, whether as team manager or in a commercial role is still open. Engineer Kurt Trieb has left Honda again after less than a year and has returned to KTM.

→ Quartararo Moves to Honda: What’s Behind the MotoGP Coup
→ David Alonso to Ride for Honda From 2027: Factory Seat Still Open
→ Alberto Puig Hands Over Honda Team Manager Post
→ Davide Brivio Leaves Trackhouse to Become Honda’s Key Figure for 2027
→ MotoGP 2027: Honda Signs David Alonso, Holgado Joins Gresini Ducati
→ Honda MotoGP 2026: 109 Points Instead of 141, Eyes Already on 2027
→ Quartararo Without Monster: What Red Bull’s Honda Comeback Changes for 2027

Yamaha

Yamaha enters the new era with two world champions from 2024: Jorge Martín joins the factory team, and Ai Ogura moves there from the Trackhouse team in 2027, replacing Álex Rins. Quartararo leaves the team for Honda. Jack Miller ends his time in the premier class after twelve years and will ride for Yamaha in the Superbike World Championship from 2027 on a two-year contract, taking over the seat from Xavi Vierge. The title sponsor is changing too: according to reports, Monster moves to Aprilia as title sponsor from 2027, leaving Yamaha to look for a new name sponsor for the first time since 2019.

→ Yamaha Signs Martin and Ogura: A Restart for the 850cc Era
→ Quartararo Leaves, Martin Arrives: Yamaha’s Factory Team Reset for 2027
→ Jack Miller Leaves MotoGP: Yamaha Signs Him for World Superbike
→ Jorge Martín on Ducati: “Contracts Mean Nothing to the Manufacturers”
→ Senna Agius to Tech3: Why Moto2 Leader Gonzalez Misses Out

How Are the 850s Performing in Testing?

All five manufacturers have now run their 850cc prototypes on track. Honda showed video footage of its RC214V prototype for the first time in March 2026, and test rider Takaaki Nakagami had already been out on the bike in Sepang in December 2025. At the third Sepang test, Aleix Espargaró also rode the 850, but crashed and underwent spinal surgery in Barcelona. Two fractures of the thoracic vertebrae T3 and T4 were confirmed, and two further vertebrae were stabilized. Nakagami and Stefan Bradl then took over the test program.

Michele Pirro completed the first public shakedown of the Ducati Desmosedici GP27 at the Misano World Circuit, for the first time with an 850cc engine and Pirelli tires under race conditions. The first multi-manufacturer test with regular riders took place on June 22, 2026 in Brno, where Aprilia set the pace with the fastest reported times. At the accompanying Pirelli test, several riders spoke of noticeably less power on corner exit and a more natural riding feel without ride-height devices.

→ Honda Shows New RC214V for MotoGP 2027 on Video for the First Time
→ Honda RC214V Back in Sepang: Espargaro Joins 850cc Development
→ Aleix Espargaro Undergoes Surgery in Barcelona After Sepang Crash
→ Ducati GP27 Shakedown Misano: Pirro Tests, Bagnaia Struggles
→ Aprilia Sets the Pace at the First 850cc Test in Brno
→ MotoGP 850cc Test: Why the Machine Feels Like a New Class
→ MotoGP 2027: Honda sends Mir to test 850cc bike despite Ducati switch
→ MotoGP 2027: Honda Warns Against Premature Conclusions About the New 850cc Bikes

At the last Pirelli test with regular riders, held at Spielberg on September 21, 2026, Diogo Moreira set the fastest unofficial time on the 850cc Honda with a 1:28.4, around a second quicker than the fastest race lap of the Austrian GP the day before. Pedro Acosta on the 850cc KTM and Johann Zarco on the Honda followed, while the Yamaha riders were a second or more down. There was no official timing. Riders switching manufacturers for 2027 were not allowed to take part and will only try the Pirelli tires for the first time at the Valencia test on December 1.

→ Pirelli Test Spielberg: Honda on Top, the 850s Set 1000cc Times

Test riders Takaaki Nakagami (Honda) and Pol Espargaró (KTM), who have ridden both the prototypes and the current 1000cc bikes this season, describe the 850s as more natural, simpler and far less physically demanding. According to Nakagami, the softer Pirelli tyres make the biggest difference, more so than the weight saving of over 10 kg. October belongs to the test riders once more: Aprilia, Ducati, KTM and Yamaha test at Jerez on 7 and 8 October, Honda follows at Sepang on 14 and 15 October, again with a recovered Aleix Espargaró.

→ MotoGP 850cc: Why Nakagami and Espargaro Don’t Miss the 1000cc Bikes

Those involved assess the scale of the change differently. Tech3 team boss Günther Steiner describes the switch to 850 cubic centimeters as a small step back in order to take two steps forward in the end: less power and less aerodynamics are intended to make the races closer. Pol Espargaró, by contrast, expects a marked shift in the pecking order and sees Moto2 graduates at an advantage at the start, because the package of an 850 and Pirelli tires is closer to Moto2 than to MotoGP as it has been so far.

→ MotoGP 850cc: Steiner expects a step back first, then the progress
→ MotoGP 2027: Crutchlow, Marquez and Martin on the big upheaval

At Yamaha, the upheaval has already led to an open dispute. Fabio Quartararo no longer wants to take part in the development work for 2027 because Yamaha did not want to let him use the new tires at the Pirelli test after the Austrian GP. Team director Massimo Meregalli has since accused the Frenchman of a lack of objectivity.

→ Quartararo Halts Yamaha Development: The Pirelli Test Was the Trigger
→ Yamaha hits back at Quartararo: Meregalli holds up Miller as the example

What Changes in Moto2 in 2027?

Moto2 is getting new technology in 2027 as well. Triumph is completely reworking the race engine and supplying a newly designed three-cylinder with a new cylinder head and new crankcases: around six percent more peak power, two kilograms less weight and a changed displacement. Because the mounting points move at the same time, Kalex, Boscoscuro and Forward have to build completely new chassis.

→ Triumph Moto2 Engine 2027: More Power Forces New Chassis

Who Runs MotoGP from 2027?

The commercial basis for the new era has been in place since June 2026. Ducati, Aprilia, Honda, KTM and Yamaha have signed a framework agreement with the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group for the period from 2027 to 2031, releasing the rider market that had been blocked for months. It was preceded by an open conflict in which the manufacturers boycotted a Liberty dinner in Jerez.

MotoGP is also realigning itself at the top of the series: Carlos Ezpeleta was promoted to deputy CEO of the MotoGP Group on August 25, 2026, while his father Carmelo remains CEO.

→ MotoGP Future Secured: All Five Manufacturers Sign Through 2031
→ MotoGP Concorde Agreement sealed: Rider market for 2027 now in motion
→ MotoGP Manufacturers Boycott Liberty Dinner in Jerez
→ Carlos Ezpeleta Becomes MotoGP Deputy CEO: Liberty Backs the Family

It remains open whether the new regulations will attract additional manufacturers. CFMoto has clearly named the order of its racing plans: World Superbike first, then MotoGP.

→ New manufacturers for MotoGP from 2027: These brands are considered realistic candidates
→ CFMoto plans MotoGP entry: World Superbike first, then the premier class

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the 2027 MotoGP season start?
The 2027 MotoGP season begins from March 5 to 7, 2027 in Buriram. The Grand Prix of Thailand thus opens the first season under the new 850cc regulations.

What changes technically in MotoGP in 2027?
Displacement drops from 1,000 to 850 cubic centimeters, the aerodynamics are cut back and the ride-height devices are dropped. In addition, Pirelli replaces previous tire supplier Michelin and marks the compounds with color on the sidewall for the first time.

Who rides for the Ducati factory team in 2027?
Marc Márquez and Pedro Acosta will form the Ducati factory team from 2027. Márquez has extended through the end of 2028, Acosta comes from KTM, and Francesco Bagnaia leaves the team at the end of the 2026 season for Aprilia.

Why is MotoGP switching from Michelin to Pirelli?
Pirelli takes over tire supply for all three Grand Prix classes from 2027. The change is part of the new regulations, and several riders report a noticeably different handling after the first tests.

Where does the 2027 Australian GP take place?
The Grand Prix of Australia moves from Phillip Island to Adelaide in 2027. It will be the first street circuit in the history of the motorcycle world championship, and its layout has already been shortened compared with the first draft.

Conclusion and Outlook

MotoGP 2027 starts with more unknowns than any season in recent years. A new displacement, a new tire supplier, less aerodynamics and a rider field that looks different from 2026 at almost every factory seat make predictions difficult.

The decisive factor is likely to be which manufacturer makes the best use of the short test phase. Five official test days are few for a change of this scale, and the first meaningful comparisons with the full field and official timing will come no earlier than the Valencia test on December 1, 2026.

This page will be updated continuously as new dates, rider decisions or technical details become known. All the background can be found in the linked articles. What is happening on the production side in 2027 is covered in our overview of the 2027 motorcycle releases.