Rider market on hold: Marc Marquez keeps everyone waiting

The Sepang MotoGP tests have taken a back seat, with the spotlight on the rider market. So far only Marco Bezzecchi has announced his renewal with Aprilia, a sign that Jorge Martin will change colors after last year’s discontent. But until there is an official agreement between Ducati and Marc Marquez, everything seems on hold.

The contract renewal between Marc Marquez and Borgo Panigale is proving more difficult than expected. In the end, the signature will come; what remains to be seen are the terms. Although it cannot be ruled out that the negotiations could collapse, in which case the MotoGP rider market would suffer unpredictable repercussions. But everything suggests that Ducati can sleep soundly and the nine-time world champion will be in red in 2027 as well.

The top names would prefer to have everything clarified before the start of the championship in Thailand, or immediately after. Choosing the next destination isn’t easy, considering the technical transition to lower-displacement engines that will require strong leaders within the garage. The responsibility for developing the new prototypes demands solid names. For this reason Ducati cannot afford the luxury of letting Marc Marquez go...

One of the hottest topics is Fabio Quartararo’s imminent departure. Consequently, Yamaha needs to find a new leader. Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia are being discussed. At the moment the only certainty is Toprak Razgatlioglu; Alex Rins’s situation is precarious, and so is Jack Miller’s.

Honda is desperately searching for a way back to the top of MotoGP. They need technical guarantees, the kind that vanished after Marc Marquez’s departure. Luca Marini and Joan Mir are doing good analytical work, but surely one of the two will have to move on.

Aleix Espargaró has the task of embarking on the new path toward 850cc engines, Johann Zarco has a contract through next year, but he likely won’t be used for development. Diogo Moreira, also under contract until the end of 2027, is a rookie and therefore an unknown. In the factory team no one has a guaranteed seat; Jorge Martin tops the wish list, but they’re also keeping an eye on Pedro Acosta and Fabio Quartararo.

Raul Fernandez will stay at Aprilia, but it’s still unknown who will line up alongside Bez. In Noale they dream of an all-Italian duo with Bagnaia, but the process isn’t simple. Money and guarantees are needed for the two-time MotoGP champion. At KTM, Maverick Vinales will be promoted to the factory team, likely alongside Alex Marquez, who’s looking for a factory garage. The futures of Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli are also up in the air, with VR46 intent on finding two key pieces for next year’s World Championship chessboard.