Gresini Racing confirms Joan Mir and Dani Holgado for 2027 MotoGP season

Dani Holgado has become the first rookie to be confirmed on the 2027 MotoGP grid, after joining Gresini Racing. 

Holgado’s move was initially confirmed as part of a social media post, rather than a traditional press release, which you can watch below.

However, the team has now announced its new line-up in full, which will include 2020 MotoGP champion Joan Mir. Gresini now joins the factory Ducati and Yamaha teams in running a completely new rider pairing for the 850cc era in 2027. Of the two riders, it is Mir that will ride a factory-spec bike. 

Currently sixth in the Moto2 standings, Holgado is considered to be one of the more talented riders in the intermediate class alongside David Alonso, who is expected to make the step up to MotoGP with Honda.  

Speaking about the step up to MotoGP, Holgado said: 

“I am very happy to join the MotoGP project of the BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP Team: it is literally the dream of my life to race in the premier class, and doing it with a team like this makes it even better. It is the result of a lot of effort and hard work over the years. I know it will be a huge challenge, but I am ready to grow both as a rider and as a person. A huge thank you to Nadia and the Team, my family, and everyone who has believed and continues to believe in me. I know it won’t be an easy journey, but I am fully ready for whatever comes next.”

More teams are set to adopt the same strategy of changing their full line-up for 2027, with KTM’s factory team expected to sign current Gresini rider Alex Marquez, and fellow Ducati rider Fabio di Giannantonio. Honda is also set for a new-look factory team, with Fabio Quartararo set to lead the Japanese brand into the regulation reset following his departure at Yamaha. 

The 2027 campaign is already shaping up to be one of the biggest in terms of major rider changes, as Pedro Acosta, Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin have all changed manufacturers.

Acosta will line-up alongside Marc Marquez at Ducati, while two-time MotoGP champion Bagnaia has been confirmed as Martin’s replacement at Aprilia Racing. Meanwhile, the Spaniard has switched to Yamaha, where he replaces Quartararo. 

The flurry of rider announcements has taken longer than expected due to MotoGP’s lengthy discussions with manufacturers over the new five-year commercial plan, but with that officially confirmed a few weeks ago, further signings are expected to be revealed soon.

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