Rider market goes down to the wire: seven in the hunt for an open seat

The race against time has begun to find a free seat for next MotoGP season. There are still three or four places available, and some riders currently competing in the premier class will have to say goodbye to the top tier. In the coming weeks, the first official announcements should arrive and the few remaining seats should be filled. Let’s see where things stand.

After months of negotiations between MotoGP Sports Entertainment (formerly Dorna) and the teams, the agreement for the 2027–2031 period has yet to be signed. Although there have been no official announcements on signings and renewals, everyone in the MotoGP paddock is aware of the market moves. Three or four spots are still vacant, and seven riders still find themselves without a contract. The athletes in question are Luca Marini, Alex Rins, Brad Binder, Franco Morbidelli, Raul Fernandez, Maverick Vinales, Jack Miller... and Nicolò Bulega from SBK.

"At the moment there isn’t a precise date to define my future. Everyone is waiting because 90% of the starting grid is practically already set. There are still 3 or 4 places available and everyone is waiting for the right moment." These are the words of Luca Marini, who will have to leave the Honda factory team at the end of the championship, when asked if there were any updates on his future.

The theoretically free bikes, at least until last Sunday, are the two Tech3 seats, with the team already confirming it will remain KTM’s satellite squad, one Ducati at VR46, and one Aprilia at Trackhouse, where a power vacuum was created after the announcement that team manager Davide Brivio is leaving the American squad. The Italian will become head of Honda HRC, taking the place of Alberto Puig, who is being moved to a consultant role.

Maverick Vinales returned to the track at the Catalan GP after a second shoulder surgery in nine months. With Tech3 remaining tied to the Austrian manufacturer, his chances of staying on a KTM increase. Raul Fernandez’s fate, however, is more uncertain, especially after the contact with Jorge Martin at Montmelò, which infuriated the Noale management. The Veneto manufacturer has already signed Bagnaia and renewed with Bezzecchi for next MotoGP season, while everything is still open for the customer team.

At the start of 2026, only rookies Diogo Moreira and Toprak Razgatlioglu, Fermín Aldeguer and Johann Zarco had their futures secured for the beginning of the new MotoGP era. Only Marco Bezzecchi has since been added, when on February 2 he confirmed a two-year renewal with Aprilia. Ducati is all set in-house, with Marquez and Acosta forming a high-caliber lineup, while there is still a question mark in the VR46 team, torn between Morbidelli, Marini, and Bulega. The latter has committed with Borgo Panigale to carry forward development of the new Desmosedici with an 850cc engine and Pirelli tires. His long streak of victories in WorldSBK is pushing the company’s top brass to carve out a spot for him in MotoGP before he decides to move elsewhere.

DUCATI LENOVO TEAM

Marc Marquez

Pedro Acosta

RED BULL KTM FACTORY

Alex Marquez

Fabio Di Giannantonio

HONDA HRC CASTROL TEAM

Fabio Quartararo

David Alonso

MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA TEAM

Jorge Martin

Ai Ogura

APRILIA RACING TEAM

Marco Bezzecchi

Pecco Bagnaia

TECH3 RED BULL KTM

Maverick Vinales ??

???

HONDA LCR

Johann Zarco

Diogo Moreira

PRIMA PRAMAC YAMAHA

Toprak Razgatlioglu

Izan Guevara

PERTAMINA ENDURO VR46 RACING DUCATI

Fermin Aldeguer

Bulega/Marini/Morbidelli/Vietti ??

GRESINI RACING DUCATI

Dani Holgado

Joan Mir

TRACKHOUSE APRILIA

Enea Bastianini

???

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