Hey folks, Dre here again and welcome back to The Hater’s Guide. If you missed the IndyCar edition, scroll to the bottom and click the link to your left. In this edition, we’ll be talking all things MotoGP for 2026. Changed the format a little bit and decided to go team by team, rather than by factory, because I thought it was more fun. The more heavy manufacturer talk is in the factory teams, so be on the look out.
In the meantime, first of all, the changes and news to report, as well as a big one coming out of Eastern Australia…
What’s New, Pussycats?
More than you think. This is your classic “final year of a regulation set” season before the big sweeping changes land for the sport in 2027. Next year, we get a drop in capacity from 1000 to 850cc’s, the ride-height devices are banned and fairings are significantly reduced to cut down on aero, while the sport switches from Michelin to Pirelli tires. But that’s all a year away, booooooo.
The big changes on the grid – Yamaha are switching from their old inline-4 engine to a V4 like the rest of the field, and Honda now have to homologate their engines as they moved into Tier C of concessions at the end of last season. They also can no longer test with their Grand Prix riders, there’s a reduction of tires available at their tests, and they lose their aero joker for the season.
MotoGP’s undercard will be growing with the addition of the Baggers in the Harley-Davidson Baggers World Cup, across six race weekends.
Here’s the calendar, with some pretty significant changes:
Brazil makes its return to the MotoGP calendar on March 22nd as the new second round after a near 20-year hiatus from the Goiânia Ayrton Senna circuit. It’s got the potential to be a really fast, flowing track and I am intrigued by it. Argentina will be back, but not until 2027 with a change of venue (Bastards). Qatar remains in April to avoid the month of Ramadan. Balaton Park moves to the first week of June, as does Brno following it, with Silverstone returning to its traditional August slot right after the Summer Break.
Aragon moves back to the end of August, Austria is now the final race before the flyaways at the end of September, and the season finishes with the Portimao/Valencia double header. Thankfully, no triples again, but the calendar remains at its biggest ever at 22 rounds.
And in a historic moment, Dorna Sports, the parent company of the series that has run MotoGP from 1992, has been rebranded as MotoGP Sport Entertainment, with Carmelo Ezepelta remaining CEO of the company with former F1 CEO Chase Carey becoming President of MGSE. The big change is Dan Rossomondo leaving during the winter as Chief Commercial Officer.
Dan being American was the first major non-Spaniard on the leadership team and he somewhat represents what the company is now. A rebrand to try and push the sport and series growth worldwide rather than be a household name in two countries. Some questions to ask mind – What does this mean for World Superbikes as the little sibling of the group? And I wonder what it means for Moto2 and 3, which have already felt the pinch of the Liberty ownership change…
Update: February 20th – OKAY, that’s a big one. Phillip Island has been taken out the back of the barn and shot as the sport heads to the Adelaide Street Circuit in November 2027. That is a big one. Arguably up there with Assen as THE fan favourite race on the calendar. It’s a shocker, but it also really isn’t, if you can read the tea leaves. Lemme explain.
It’s an open secret MotoGP wants to focus more on the Premier Class. Sports are in the event planning and entertainment business. Philip Island provided a great race, but as an event, its facilities were two decades out of date. That means, more paddock and garage space for the VIP’s the sport wants to attract. David Emmett of Motomatters and the Paddock Pass podcast said the best thing about the place was the barista in the media center. A good friend of mine who worked socials there, said there was only one toilet block for the whole paddock and the women had just four cubicles. That is unacceptable for a World Championship sports facility and a horrible look for a sport that wants to appeal to a mass market.
It’s why MSGE told Victoria to move the race to F1’s Albert Park. When Victoria realised it didn’t want to spend the money to make the place bike friendly, they called Liberty’s bluff, and they lost the race.
This is Liberty Media we’re talking about here, the F1 buyers who turned a $6bn purchase into a $22bn vaulted property in eight years. It’s why they spent another $4bn buying MotoGP, because they see the potential in making it a global brand. F1’s made a killing in going away from historic conventional tracks like Imola and Hockenheim and brought racing to the streets to put on big events, get big activations and invest. From Lego cars in Miami, to the F1 Academy pinkwashing, to spending $500m turning Vegas into a manhole extraction company.
This model, love it or hate it, has worked, alongside an exceptional social media reboot, and Drive to Survive, which caused new fans to flood into the sport. That’s what Liberty will be aiming for here, and this was the first big power play.
As a fan, I hate that Phillip Island is going. It’s a beautiful, fast, flowing track that brings out the best and worst in the sport. But the reality is, it’s old news in a Motorsport world that needs to modernise its business model. It sucks, but it’s the world we live in.
With that out of the way, let’s go into the teams. Reverse 2025 scoring order to see where the field is at. First up…
(Note: ⭐ – A Premier Class Title / 🔰 – Rookie)
Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP
#43 – Jack Miller (17th)
#07 – Toprak Razgatlıoğlu 🔰 (’21, ‘24, ‘25 World Superbike Champion)
Pramac are looking to get off the bottom after suffering whiplash in its first year as Yamaha customers. Jack Miller is still here on a one-year deal, and he’s now joined by three-time World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatioglou after Yamaha’s new management had a lot more faith in the Turkish rider than Lin Jarvis did.
I like what the team has set up here. We know that Jack Miller is a solid development talent to have in the team who gives good feedback and is very well liked to work with and he’s worth another year in the camp to see what his V4 expertise can bring to the table. Toprak’s true value to me is the fact he has experience on Pirelli rubber already for 2027, given his tenure in World Superbikes.
Given Yamaha are the only factory still in Tier D of concessions, expectations are low, so Toprak shouldn’t be under huge pressure to succeed (You hear that Toprak fans, calm down about title contending, this isn’t Worlds anymore), but of course, it’s hard not to be excited and curious as to what arguably Superbikes greatest ever rider can do on a prototype, learning be damned.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Pramac are bottom of the board again in 2026, Toprak is going to crash and be your typical rookie, and as much as I love Jackass, he’s always been inconsistent, and I don’t think an experimental new bike under development is going to change that anytime soon.
LCR Honda
#5 – Johann Zarco (12th)
#11 – Diogo Moreira 🔰 (2025 Moto2 World Champion)
LCR had to make some tough business decisions last year. It broke off its Idemitsu sponsor deal after the disaster that was Somkiat Chantra, but it’s now got the most stable rider lineup in MotoGP, with Johann Zarco earning a two-year deal after a win, and multiple podiums last year, and Diogo Moreira got his deal from big Honda as a three-year extension, someone the brand wants to push with the sport debuting in Brazil, a potentially huge market.
This isn’t a bad team. Zarco is still a very solid rider, who when set up well is still one of the eight or so best riders in the world. I do wonder though if Honda’s taking the development of the RC213V away from what he likes, because Zarco struggled heavily in the back half of the year. Is that someone you want to commit two more years into, taking him into his Age 37 season?
Diogo Moreira went on a tear of his own in the back half of his 2025 Moto2 Season, winning four races and reeling in a 61-point deficit to Manuel Gonzalez to win the title with room to spare. He’s an A-Tier prospect, but he’s struggled to hit the ground running in pre-season testing, crashing in Sepang and looking off the pace, even in comparison to the other major rookie in Toprak. I think he’ll be fine, but it’s something to keep an eye on as the season gets going.
LCR is the strongest it’s been in a while, but still with some question marks going forward.
Red Bull KTM Tech3
#12 – Maverick Vinales (18th)
#23 – Enea Bastianini (14th)
The beginning of the Guenther Steiner era of Tech3, with the Italian former Haas F1 team founder taking over Herve Poncheral’s team after the latter’s 35 years in the paddock.
It’s also a retained lineup of Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini within the team, both with different motivations. Maverick was riding like a Top 6 runner in the standings, finishing second over the line in Qatar and other Top 5 finishes until a broken shoulder at the Sachsenring completely derailed his season. Thankfully, he looks back at 100% after a long layoff, and he’s brought in a new life coach – Jorge Lorenzo, three-time MotoGP World Champion. Either these two are going to finally unlock Maverick’s true potential after all these years, or there’s going to be blood on the walls. No middle ground.
For Enea Bastianini, he’s also in a contract year and he made no secret of his struggles to adapt to the KTM. He’s still got flashes of his Ducati brilliance, ie, managing his rear tire and coming on strong in the final third of races. But he’s got to be that good across a race weekend. The potential is there, but he needs to show it more or there’ll be a temptation to promote from within Moto2, which has a fleet of talented riders (Dani Holgado, David Alonso, Manu Gonzalez, Colin Veijer to name a few).
Tech3, a team at a crossroads, and intrigued to see what Steiner can do with his F1 head in a very different world.
Honda HRC Castrol
#10 – Luca Marini (13th)
#36 – Joan Mir ⭐ (15th)
The factory Honda team had reason to be genuinely cheerful by the end of the year. On the final day of the season, they climbed into Tier C of concessions, with the biggest leap in scoring percentage since said system was introduced. Now the real fight begins on near equal terms to Aprilia, KTM and Ducati.
Testing’s been quiet for Honda, but effective. Fourth fastest overall in Sepang, and sometimes no news is good news. Clean running, reasonably happy faces and trucking on.
The drama here is going to be their future. Fabio Quartararo has been heavily rumoured to be heading here, which means one of Luca Marini or Joan Mir has to make way at the end of 2026. But who, Chris Kamara?
For me, it’s a simple argument for both. Joan Mir was super inconsistent – 19 crashes in Sprints and Races last season (Even if a fair few weren’t his fault), but is definitely the quicker rider at his very best. Mir proved it with two drama-free podium finishes in Japan and Malaysia, his first in three years and Honda’s first since Marquez left in 2023. There’s an argument (maybe not a winning one), that you roll with the upside here.
Or you take Luca Marini, who you spent big money on bringing in at the 11th hour and has bent over backwards to help the team. Remember, he flew to Japan to support the 8 Hour team, didn’t get picked for Suzuka, stayed to help anyway, then crashed at Turn 1 and punctured his lung. Great! But he came back better, and finished in the Top 10 seven times in the back half of the season. His floor is higher, he rarely ever crashes compared to Mir, and on average finish last season, he was sixth on the grid. That’s worth something.
Good luck Honda, for me, that’s not an easy call. Oh and while you’re there, any chance of more Top 6 finishes to give Ducati something to think about?
Trackhouse MotoGP Team
#25 – Raul Fernandez (10th)
#79 – Ai Ogura (16th)
Ah, finally we’re seeing a bit more of the Trackhouse spirit, with the Gulf livery returning, and an American flag on the brand’s baby blue and fluorescent yellow motif. I was worried Trackhouse changed their colours to blue and yellow and the whole felt a little Davide Brivio Racing. Anyway.
Davide took a punt that he’d be able to turn Raul Fernandez into a team leader last year, keeping him over BMW WSBK rider Miguel Oliveira. He turned out to be correct, because after four years of frustrations, sports psychologists and Catalan heartbreak, Raul finally showed that potential he had as a Moto2 ace.
A win in Philip Island, and hassling fellow Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi all the way to the line in Valencia. I don’t know if it was a setup change or a mentality change, or both, but Raul at least briefly found another level. The question is, was this a blip or the sign that Raul could be about to crack the Top 6? Because that’s the next step and that would be huge for Aprilia to get a second, maybe third elite driver in the mix against Ducati. Just a thought.
On the other side of the garage, I feel a little bad for Ai Ogura. His hot start to 2025 got people very excited given he the opener was in Thailand, a track he loved, and the fact he was top Aprilia. It was a level of form he wasn’t able to replicate for the rest of the season. Throw in a broken leg mid-season and your typical rookie teething problems, and Ogura felt like an afterthought for most of the year, especially as Fernandez got up late on. I’m glad there doesn’t feel like there’s huge pressure on him to succeed here. I think a few more Top 10’s would be more than enough to back Fernandez up for that second contract. Beyond that, we’ll see.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team
#20 – Fabio Quartararo ⭐ (9th)
#42 – Alex Rins (19th)
Oh dear. The decline of Yamaha’s factory team is another Greek tragedy. Honda’s was the slow decline of an empire. Yamaha was driving themselves off a cliff edge. 2025 was an improved season, but still the only factory in Tier D for concessions and from what we know, Fabio riding the V4 for the first time was the final straw for Fabio Quartararo, with Mcom’s Oriol Puigdemont reporting in January that he’s off to WorksHonda for 2027. And apparently, Fabio’s wanted out since September. Ouch.
Fabio got to Sepang and claimed that nothing was signed, but no-one really believed him. Even more so when in the first test he crashed, broke a finger, missed a day’s running anyway due to electrical fault on the bike, but chose to sit out the rest of the test anyway. If there was any final chance Yamaha would be able to turn this around, an admittance on their end that they hadn’t even had talks with Fabs yet, said it all.
With Fabs out of the door, the talk is Jorge Martin is leaving Aprilia to head there for 2027. Not a bad replacement by all accounts, Martin has exceptional pace and even though the Aprilia’s not been fun for him so far, we saw glimpses of that speed in Brno and Balaton. But is Martin really going to be happy spending his prime years on the worst factory team on the grid? It feels more like a move where Martin wants the perks of being a factory rider, but knows he has nowhere else to go with bridges burned between Ducati, KTM and Aprilia. Man.
Across the garage, everyone knows that Alex Rins has to do more, including Alex Rins. It’s sad seeing a rider of his talent in 19th place in the standings. The only blessing is, he’s not all that different compared to the Pramac’s in terms of competitiveness. But if Yamaha wants to get back to the top, a rider half a second a lap behind Fabio is ultimately going to impede your progress. As said, Moto2’s stacked, this might be the year Yamaha rolls the dice. Izan Guevara maybe?
Aprilia Racing
#72 – Marco Bezzecchi (3rd)
#89 – Jorge Martin ⭐ (21st)
Probably the most intriguing team on the grid. Many of you know why. Aprilia seemingly turned a big corner in the back half of 2025. Four wins as a manufacturer, including three in a row between Bez and Fernandez to close out the year. But it also begs the question, was it fool’s gold given Bez took Marc Marquez out in Mandalika and ended his season prematurely? The last time we truly saw the two go at it, was Misano – And Marquez beat Bez on home soil as an act of revenge. Fun.
But that’s the beauty of Aprilia’s situation. Bez has become everything Aprilia thought and wanted Jorge Martin to be. The face of the franchise rider who doesn’t take himself too seriously, and is now a serious contender and Top 5 rider on the grid to spearhead them into true relevance. He’s an exceptional rider, you don’t fluke Top 3 in the points twice this decade. But what can Bez do when Aprilia isn’t on full song? Places like Sepang, Qatar, the higher grip tracks where their excellent downforce doesn’t have quite the impact? Because if Aprilia wants to be a true contender, it needs to be a 10-win team. And I’m not sure how you get there.
As for Martin, we’ve talked about his impending departure, at this point anything he gets is house money. Martin claims he’s found a breakthrough in pre-season testing in terms of rider position, but just what is he at this team now? And well, if the reports are true, Pecco Bagnaia might make Aprilia the all Italian dream team for 2027. But are they ready for that mantle?
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
#37 – Pedro Acosta (4th)
#33 – Brad Binder (11th)
The perennial wildcard. You never know what you’re going to get with KTM, weekend-to-weekend, yet alone season to season. One day, they’re challenging for wins, the next they’re fighting for scraps. This is a team crying out for consistency, and their struggles to find it. Or even exist entirely for that matter.
There’s good news. For now, they’re here. That’s a win in itself. Their debts were handled by Bajaj, their new owners, with the previous regime ousted. Now we wait to see if CFMoto, who are very keen to race, takes the plunge and buys KTM’s racing division. The other good news, they’ve been the first team to publicly declare they’ve fired up their 850cc engine for 2027. So that’s nice. And testing’s been fine. Acosta’s been a harsh self-critic but they’re hardly slow, in the mix on all major testing metrics.
The bad news? You’re about to lose Pedro Acosta. The Spaniard has always had sky-high aspirations, and he was begging anyone prepared to listen that he wanted a Ducati. He’s got it, via the factory team and as Marc Marquez’s probable new teammate for 2027. Neat, a new cannon for the Death Star. It’s a hammer blow for KTM, because as much as Alex Marquez might be replacing Acosta… the former doesn’t scream future World Champion given he turns 30 next month.
Brad Binder has without doubt been the biggest victim of Acosta’s rapid success. Binder was the leader of the team and the best rider on the grid not on a Duke, and Acosta’s exposed him a little bit at the level that the Spaniard’s been running at for the last two seasons, especially in qualifying. He used to be a rock solid racer that rarely made errors, and now he’s crashed far more frequently trying to make up for his Friday and Saturday performance. Now he’s in a contract year and I genuinely don’t know whether KTM will stick or twist. As said before, Moto2 is stacked, their own prospect in Collin Veijer could be one to watch for a promotion if keeps his form up from the end of last season. Or do they lose someone from Tech3 and promote Maverick Vinales up? Options!
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team
#49 – Fabio Di Giannantonio (6th)
#21 – Franco Morbidelli (7th)
And now, the holy trinity of Ducati teams. First up, the reasonably safe one. The VR46 Team are in a very stable place. Fabio Di Giannantonio had his fair share of struggles with the GP25, they just weren’t as highly publicized as Pecco Bagnaia’s in the factory, but he still had a reasonable season. Enough where he keeps his factory equipment and gets a GP26 this season. We’ll see if it’s a better fit. While the top end of Fabio we saw at Gresini didn’t quite show itself in 2025, I don’t see any reason not to continue on with him as team leader.
Franco Morbidelli’s in a little bit of a stranger place. He’s always been Ducati’s hand me down rider and on the fringe of their fleet of riders. Occasional moments of spacial unawareness in qualifying, but still solid. But how useful is he going to be if he keeps stagnating development, especially with the recent news he’s dropping back to a GP24, a bike with parts now two years old?
Again, on raw numbers, he’s good enough to be in this spot. To be honest, I’m surprised they didn’t make a play for Bagnaia given they tried to get Acosta in 2025. But I wonder, just how content is Uccio with this team, and how good a rider would have to be on the market for him to consider him making a move?
BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP
#73 – Alex Marquez (2nd)
#54 – Fermin Aldeguer (8th, 2025 Rookie of the Year)
Sometimes as a bike fan I just stop and smile when I think about Gresini. They’ve not been perfect by any means, but it’s amazing how the little team that could, led by Nadia Padovani in Fausto’s name, has become the top independent team in MotoGP and a genuinely viable destination for the world’s best bike riders. And I think this could be the most interesting seat on the board left as the season starts next week.
As mentioned, Alex Marquez is seemingly leaving for KTM come 2027. It’s sad in a way, Alex has become the beloved face of the team, the team that saved his once derailing career. But it’s a graduation for the rider we once never thought could be a genuine title contender. If he moves to KTM, it’s because he’s earned a factory contract, the same deal Honda yanked out from underneath him back in 2020.
And I think Alex is still a contender for 2026. He’s now on factory equipment, the same bike as brother Marc. We can finally end the conversations around the rideability differences between the GP24 and 25’s. At his best, he could beat Marc outright like he did in Catalunya. But can he mitigate those costly mistakes, like the summer of woe that derailed a good chunk of his season? Can he beat Marc more frequently in those head-to-heads? Can he turn three wins into the eight or nine that would put you in serious contention? It’s a big leap, and we’ll see if Alex can handle it.
Fermin Aldeguer might have expectations a little higher after a rookie season with some troughs but some big peaks in 2025 – The double podium in wet and dry Le Mans, the Austrian comeback, and the first rookie victory in MotoGP since Jorge Martin in 2021. His big problem though, is that he’s missed the entire pre-season and will miss at least the opening race in Thailand after breaking his leg in a training injury
If Ducati keep him into the third year of his four-year deal, he’s guaranteed factory equipment according to his agent, and if keeps up the pace as he is now, I don’t see any reason not to give him that. This kid’s got serious potential if he can fully harness it. Let’s put it to you this way – He’s Raul Fernandez but in Year 1 rather than Year 4. Scary.
Ducati Lenovo Team
#63 – Francesco Bagnaia ⭐⭐ (5th)
#93 – Marc Marquez ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Champion)
It’s funny having to copy and paste the star emoji SEVEN times for Marquez now. Ha.
The big guns of Ducati are back, and they decided to make the bold call. After seven seasons in red (Including Pramac), Ducati are letting go of their most successful rider. Pecco Bagnaia is gone at the end of the year for Pedro Acosta, with the Double World Champion heading to Aprilia for 2027. It’s amazing how one bad season and terrible timing before a huge free agency window can destroy a rider’s stock. I’d like to think a Double WRC with 31 wins in red would have earned some goodwill, but once again – Gigi Dall’Igna is a ruthless bastard in his pursuit of perfection. Look at it like this: Ducati’s traded Pecco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Marco Bezzecchi and Enea Bastianini for Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta. The best rider on the planet and the best prospect since. Is that a trade you’d make?
Hard to argue against it when the results have been so great. Marc Marquez is coming off a TWENTY-FIVE win season (11 GP/14 Sprint) and it’s probably only his third greatest season. He’s delayed signing a two-year deal to stay on, only because he’s still not 100% coming off the shoulder surgery he had to have last October, but he’s told the media today that as long as he’s trending in the right direction, he’ll sign the deal, taking Marc into his Age 35 season. His obsession with winning is literally keeping him together, like Guts in Berserk, but he remains the most fascinating man in Motorsport.
Bad News Bears #1 for the field: The Ducati GP26 looks very quick. Probably about three tenths on the field in Sepang, although Thailand’s been a bit closer so far – Nature of a smaller, tighter track, less gains to be made.
Bad News Bears #2: It looks like Pecco Bagnaia has the mojo back after a GP25 that hit him in the back of the head with a steel pipe. Bagnaia started 2025 in a decent position, still regularly on the podium, but a combination of chasing setup perfection and Ducati’s engine inertia destroyed his confidence, his form and his time with the brand as a whole. What better way to make a statement than get some revenge and actually try to give Marquez, Tardozzi and Dall’Igna something to think about on the way out?
Seriously, if Alex Marquez’s level stays about the same as it was last season, I can see Ducati scoring 1,000 points as a factory team. Not even joking. Watch this space. Ducati aren’t a million miles away, but they look in front enough where it feels like they can dictate the terms of engagement.
Remember, the season starts March 1st with the Thai Grand Prix in Buriram, we’ll see you then for the return of Dre’s Race Review. Next week: Formula 1.