MotoGP, total revolution: Yamaha changes course
The MotoGP rider market for 2027 is already taking shape: Ducati has secured Pedro Acosta and remains waiting for the confirmation of Marc Marquez, while Aprilia has settled with Marco Bezzecchi and Pecco Bagnaia, fresh from his 2+2 contract. In this scenario, the official Yamaha evaluated several options to join Jorge Martin on the M1: from the main target Daniel Holgado to contacts with Luca Marini, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Toprak Razgatlioglu. However, the final choice has fallen on 2001 class Ai Ogura and the parties are very close, although there is still no official word from the team.
The Japanese rider immediately made a big impression as a rookie in MotoGP in 2025, getting an excellent fifth place in Buriram on debut, which also remained his best result. The Moto2 world champion is also proving to be competitive this year with two fifth-place finishes in Thailand and Brazil: he is currently seventh in ranking with 37 points, a sign of steady growth and continuity.
Ai Ogura’s move to Yamaha is forcing the Aprilia Trackhouse satellite team to reorganize its team. The most likely scenario is the confirmation of Raul Fernandez, and there have also been rumors of a move to the team by Joan Mir. Meanwhile, other changes have already taken place, such as the choice of Moto2 rider Daniel Holgado to move to the Gresini team, after having been in contact with Yamaha before the decision on Ogura. Despite this, the market remains firm: official announcements will come only when the new agreement between manufacturers and championship organizers is finalized, a necessary step to confirm all negotiations.
The 2027 MotoGP market, thus, is being defined as one of the busiest ever, because not only will many riders change teams, but there is also important news on the motorcycle front. Honda, in fact, is reportedly in negotiations with the satellite Tech3 team, now linked to KTM: the goal is to have six bikes on the grid in 2027.
In this way, the Japanese manufacturer would become the second manufacturer with more bikes lined up on the track, approaching the record of Ducati, which between 2022 and 2024 had eight bikes on the grid thanks to the Pramac, Gresini, VR46 and factory teams.
