Yamaha chooses youth over experience with final 2027 MotoGP seat

Yamaha has moved swiftly in naming Jack Miller’s MotoGP replacement for next season, with 2023 Moto3 world champion Izan Guevara getting the nod. 

Confirmation of Guevara signing for the Pramac team means Yamaha is now the second brand to confirm its full line-up for 2027.

Aprilia was the first manufacturer to complete its 2027 line-up when Trackhouse Racing signed Enea Bastianini earlier this week.

Honda has also confirmed its four riders for the new 850cc MotoGP era, however, the line-up is not complete just yet, as it’s not been confirmed which teams Diogo Moreira and David Alonso will ride for. That being said, Moreira is expected to move from LCR to the factory HRC team alongside Fabio Quartararo, with Alonso then slotting in next to Johann Zarco.

At Pramac Yamaha, Guevara will partner Toprak Razgatlioglu, who, with just one year of MotoGP experience, will be expected to lead the team.

When it became clear that Miller would not be retained by Pramac, Guevara’s name was quickly mentioned as being the team’s favoured replacement for the Australian.

Speaking about Guevara’s promotion to MotoGP, Paolo Pavesio, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, said:  

"Izan's promotion to MotoGP is a great example of what the BLU CRU programme was designed to achieve. We have known Izan's talent for many years. The speed he demonstrated on his way to becoming Moto3 World Champion left no doubt about his potential. However, after two challenging seasons in Moto2, we made a mutual commitment around a year and a half ago to help him towards the ultimate goal of reaching MotoGP.

"Throughout that journey, Izan has shown exactly what we hoped to see. Beyond his unquestionable talent and speed, he has matured significantly as both a rider and a professional. His work ethic, determination, consistency, and ability to continuously improve have confirmed that he is ready to take the next step.”

Only Ducati and KTM are left to complete their line-ups for 2027, although Nicolo Bulega is expected to move from WorldSBK to fill the second seat at VR46. At Tech3 KTM, Moto2 rider Senna Agius is thought to be the favourite for the team’s second seat alongside Luca Marini.

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