Top riders already signed, but there is excitement
The MotoGP rider market has reached the final stretch. Next month will be decisive to complete the maneuvers that have already seen the top riders settle very early on the most coveted seats, although there are still several situations yet to be defined. Below is the table with those who have already signed (and those who already had contracts), followed by an analysis of the negotiations related to the still available seats.
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MotoGP 2027 rider market, who has already signed
| Team | Rider 1 | Rider 2 |
| Ducati Lenovo | Marc Marquez | Pedro Acosta |
| Ducati VR46 | Fermin Aldeguer | ? |
| Ducati Gresini | ? | ? |
| Honda HRC | Fabio Quartararo | ? |
| Honda LCR | Johann Zarco | Diogo Moreira |
| Yamaha Monster | Jorge Martin | Ai Ogura |
| Yamaha Pramac | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ? |
| Aprilia Racing | Marco Bezzecchi | Francesco Bagnaia |
| Aprilia Trackhouse | ? | ? |
| KTM Red Bull | Alex Marquez | ? |
| Team Tech3 | ? | ? |
12 seats out of 22 are therefore already occupied among those who already had a valid contract also for 2027 (Zarco, Moreira, and Razgatlioglu), those who have renewed (Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez), and those who have defined their future (Bagnaia, Quartararo, Acosta, Alex Marquez, Martin, Ogura, and Aldeguer). There are still 10 seats available, and obviously there are definitely more contenders than free bikes. Let’s analyze the still fluid situations in a ‘cascade’ going in order of market value starting from the riders.
Fabio Di Giannantonio
The VR46 rider has never finished worse than sixth place in the GP and already has two podiums to his name. He is currently third in the World Championship with 71 points, 14 more than Marc Marquez. Ducati would like to confirm him in VR46, but the Roman rider – rightly – demands a contract adjustment in line with his performances. Di Giannantonio has raced in VR46 as a rider with a direct contract with Ducati in the last two years, so it is up to the Borgo Panigale factory to decide whether to open the purse strings further, but it should not be forgotten that already ‘on the payroll’ are Marc Marquez (with a surely huge contract not even remotely comparable to the one valid for 2025-2026), Pedro Acosta (who instead did not put money first in the choice for 2027), and Fermin Aldeguer (who has a direct contract with Ducati like Di Giannantonio since 2025). Di Giannantonio certainly has an offer from KTM to complete the official team alongside Alex Marquez, but this start of the season has attracted the attention of the entire paddock. If Ducati does not raise the offer and Di Giannantonio decides to settle elsewhere, it would be absolutely legitimate; riders’ careers are not that long, and Diggia can aspire to a top-rider status.
Enea Bastianini
It seemed all done for his return to Gresini, but at Jerez Bastianini said he still has to make a decision. So the offers on the Italian rider’s desk are more than one, and among these could also be the Trackhouse team’s offer, which was left orphaned by Ogura. Bastianini was already close to Aprilia two years ago, before then-manager Carlo Pernat obtained a richer offer from KTM. The KTM option should not be underestimated because if a few months ago Maverick Vinales’ move was considered certain, the injuries suffered by the Spanish rider have changed the scenarios to the point that KTM is now on Di Giannantonio’s trail.
Nicolò Bulega
Fermin Aldeguer’s arrival at Ducati VR46 seemed to have closed the door for the Superbike dominator, but in reality now all bets are off and Bulega can widely play his cards on multiple tables. Currently, there is still room in Ducati both in VR46 and Gresini depending on the moves of Di Giannantonio and Bastianini. Aprilia Trackhouse, on the other hand, is to be ruled out on paper because Davide Brivio has declared he wants an experienced rider, not a rookie, although Bulega did two MotoGP races at the end of 2025.
Who will Brivio take?
Davide Brivio certainly did not jump for joy when Ai Ogura rightly accepted the most classic of offers that cannot be refused from Yamaha, but the Japanese rider’s departure should have simplified future plans. Without Ogura, Raul Fernandez’s stay is highly probable, one seat remains to be assigned, and Brivio has a very long list of candidates including former protégés like Joan Mir and Maverick Vinales.
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From Moto2 with fury for passport and talent
There are two riders currently racing in the middle class with great chances of making the jump to the top category in 2027. The first is David Alonso, who is strongly sought after by Honda HRC. Being Colombian, he fits perfectly with Liberty Media’s expansion plans, but the start of the Moto2 season has not been exciting. The season is still very long, and Alonso has all the time to dominate it, but meanwhile, the Australian Senna Agius has climbed to the top step of the podium twice in a row in the last two races. Liberty Media has pushed to get the first city GP in Australia in 2027 in Adelaide, and Agius could be the big threat to Jack Miller’s permanence in MotoGP.
Spanish riders pushing
Liberty Media has been clear: the ‘Spain’ and ‘Italy’ quotas are too many in MotoGP; if before in the Dorna era being Spanish was an advantage in climbing to the premier class, now it risks being a handicap. Manu Gonzalez, Izan Guevara, and Dani Holgado are currently first, third, and fifth in the riders’ standings. It is unlikely there will be room for more than one of them at the top level; recently Dani Holgado has been linked to the Gresini team.
The Tech3 case
Gunther Steiner’s Tech3 team still has to decide which bike it will race with in 2027, and this obviously can be a factor in the rider market. If negotiations with Honda materialize, for example, a future could be guaranteed for both Luca Marini and Joan Mir should both express the desire to continue racing with Honda.
Who will be left out?
We have reviewed all those who have market, now we must face the issue related to those who seem destined to step aside, even though from Liberty Media comes a significant lifeline. The new American ownership, in fact, wants there always to be a third rider in the boxes ready to substitute in case of injury to one of the main riders. This scenario could keep riders like Brad Binder, Alex Rins, Jack Miller, and Franco Morbidelli ‘in the game’ and give further space to those pushing from Moto2 without particular openings.
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