Francesco Bagnaia is set to join Aprilia, Jorge Martín will move to Yamaha, Fabio Quartararo is heading to Honda, and Joan Mir will ride for Ducati. The rider merry-go-round in MotoGP is in full swing, with Marc Márquez being one of the few exceptions. Of the five world champions in the premier class over the past ten years, the Spaniard is the only one staying put for next season. With the upcoming transition from 1000cc to 850cc machines, the field is undergoing a major reshuffle during the silly season.
Márquez recently inked a new two-year contract with the Ducati factory team, keeping him with the squad until at least 2028. Joining him in the future will be his compatriot, Pedro Acosta, who makes the switch from KTM and replaces two-time MotoGP champion Bagnaia. This means the manufacturer from Bologna will field a lineup without an Italian rider for the first time since 2010.
Aprilia, on the other hand, now has two local heroes under contract in its factory team: Bagnaia and Marco Bezzecchi. Bezzecchi had already signed in February as the first rider for 2027, even going so far as to “marry” his machine in a ceremony. He had always aimed for “a long-term commitment,” the current championship runner-up said at the time. The 27-year-old is tied to the team until the end of 2028 and, like Márquez, will face the switch to the new engines with the same outfit.
Martín, who claimed the world title on a Ducati in 2024 before making the move to Aprilia, is now set to join Yamaha. In considering the future for himself and his family, it had been the “right call” to move on, the championship leader said recently. In other words, it makes financial sense.
Whether it also makes sporting sense is debatable. Quartararo, champion with Yamaha in 2021, is leaving the Japanese manufacturer after years of frustration. The Frenchman has been lagging behind the field since 2023 and has not stood on the top step of the podium in four years. A similar story applies to Mir. The Spaniard won the championship with Suzuki in 2020, but after the manufacturer’s withdrawal, he joined the Honda factory team and endured one disappointment after another. He finished 15th in the 2025 championship standings, his best result with HRC to date. Mir will now move on to the Ducati customer team Gresini.
The KTM factory team is undergoing a complete overhaul for next year. Alex Márquez (Spain) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Italy) are joining from Ducati, replacing Acosta and Brad Binder (South Africa), who has been forced to leave MotoGP. Honda has yet to decide whether David Alonso (Colombia) or Diogo Moreira (Brazil) will get the nod for the factory team. That decision will simultaneously clarify who will start for the LCR outfit.
Five of 22 seats are still vacant for 2027. The Ducati team of legend Valentino Rossi (VR46) is without riders, as is Tech3 KTM. Pramac Yamaha still has one seat available, while Trackhouse Aprilia filled its open spot on Monday with Enea Bastianini (Italy). So the silly season is far from over.
