The 2027 MotoGP rider market is reaching fever pitch

Fabio Quartararo to Honda, Jorge Martin to Yamaha, and Pedro Acosta to Ducati - these are some of the rumours already doing the rounds for MotoGP 2027, despite the 2026 campaign having not even started.

Quartararo, Martin and Acosta are three of the biggest names in the sport as it stands, but there’s a real chance that all three could be wearing new colours this time next year. Motorsport.com recently reported that Quartararo was set to join Honda on a two-year deal, but the Yamaha star has since said no deal has been agreed as of yet, although he has had talks with the Japanese company. 

Quartararo joining Honda would be huge, not just because he’s a world champion, but because it would see Yamaha lose its top rider to its biggest rival.

What that would do is open a factory seat at the Iwata-based company, which, according to Motorsport.com, could be filled by 2024 MotoGP champion Martin. Signing for Yamaha, as it stands, would likely mean riding a bike that’s less competitive than the Aprilia RS-GP.

But if Yamaha has a strong 2026 season, backed up by solid performance from its new V4 engine, then it could instantly become a very desirable destination heading into the new regulations in 2027.

The potential MotoGP rider merry-go-round would not be complete without mentioning Pedro Acosta, who has been heavily linked with a switch to the official Ducati team. That would not be to replace Marc Marquez, but instead to join the reigning world champion, creating arguably the best rider pairing since Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi at Yamaha.  

Acosta has been linked to Ducati for some time, and should he move to the factory team alongside Marquez, it would see him replace Francesco Bagnaia, who not so long ago was the golden boy at the Borgo Panigale brand thanks to his back-to-back titles.

Seeing Bagnaia race for anyone other than Ducati would have been unthinkable just one year ago, but it looks like a genuine possibility heading into 2027. Of course, Bagnaia could potentially find a seat with one of the satellite Ducati teams, if he’s replaced by Acosta, although Yamaha could have two factory seats open it decides to not re-sign Alex Rins, and if Quartararo heads for the exit door. You would imagine that Aprilia could also be an option for Bagnaia if Martin leaves.

Marc Marquez picks up where he left off in testing

While the off-track rumours about riders going to new teams might be dominating the headlines, on-track it was the same story as much of 2025 on the opening day of official testing in Malaysia. That’s because nine-time world champion Marc Marquez ended day-one of the Sepang test fastest aboard his Desmosedici GP26. 

Fellow Ducati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio was second quickest ahead of KTM’s Maverick Vinales.

Head over to Visordown's sister-site Crash.net for the full rundown of MotoGP testing in Sepang. 

Photo credit - Gold and Goose

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