We can't sleep at night!": Honda flags the risks and puts the brakes on the flood of rider-market rumors

Luca Marini and Joan Mir share their views on a rider market that’s already red-hot—and far too soon...

The series now seems much too hasty when it comes to contracts. Sure, there’s the 2027 question to sort out, but isn’t it a bit over the top to start talking about it when the 2025 championship wasn’t even over yet? Neither Luca Marini nor Joan Mir used that exact word, but the point stands: both of them have the recent rumors firmly in mind, especially Quartararo being linked to Honda, yet the two HRC riders want to focus solely on starting the season in the best possible way. Even so, they made their stance clear during the team launch, on the eve of the first official MotoGP tests at Sepang.

The first to speak up is Luca Marini, still chasing his first podium with Honda but improving at the end of 2025. The contract situation, however, is a problem for everyone—him included—given the expiry at the end of 2026. "It doesn’t benefit anyone to be in such a rush, but they started talking about it last October..." admitted the Italian rider. "It could be standardized in many different ways, like in other sports." It’s clearly a situation he doesn’t like, but he prefers not to stir controversy.

"This is how it is now; we adapt, and everyone has their own strategies." In other words, try to sign a deal as soon as possible, as the entire MotoGP grid is doing. At the moment, Marco Bezzecchi is the only one confirmed; he will continue with Aprilia for another two years (complete with a wedding-themed party to celebrate the renewal), but the rumors are flying, and it might not be long before other announcements follow...

Joan Mir was much more direct when answering the tricky question about a rider market already on fire. "Every time, the talks start earlier... We’re losing sleep over it!" began the Mallorcan, clearly laying out his point of view. "You don’t want to end up without a seat, but you’d also like to see how things shape up before making a decision. You could get it wrong, but you have to decide because everyone else is doing it." 2026 hasn’t even begun, yet minds are already on the following year, when we’ll see a total MotoGP revolution—in technology, tires, and, it seems, in team line-ups too.

"We’ll play our cards. Right now I’m not thinking about the future, about what Honda wants to do," Mir continued. "I’m only thinking about starting the season as well as possible. But if other riders are already closing their deals, we have to move—this is the reality too." Could that also mean a duel with his garage mate? "That happens every year. Of course it would be great to fight together for podiums and wins, but I don’t even know who my teammate will be. Even if the rumors about Quartararo sound solid... But right now I just need to focus on doing my job."