All Rumors about the 2026 MotoGP Rider Market

The current market rumours have been particularly active in recent weeks, despite not interfering with free seats in the 2026 MotoGP rider lineup.

As it stands, at the end of the season there are officially four seats, along with riders who will occupy those bikes in an expired deal.

They are Honda’s Luca Marini, LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco, Pramac Yamaha’s Jack Miller, and VR46 Ducati’s Franco Morbidelli.

However, there are many big names likely to be on the market, and most notably, dominating world champion Jorge Martin following a bomb report that he is about to quit Aprilia despite spending little time at this year’s RS-GP.

All the rumours of the current rider market that are making rounds of MotoGP 2026 are all.

Aprilia – Jorge Martin bomb causing a big headache

Jorge Martin signed a two-year contract with Aprilia in 2025 to join the factory team almost 12 months ago, and was denied a step into Ducati’s work team.

The move was seen as a major coup for Aprilia. Aprilia quickly put the deal together, digging deep into her pockets for Martin’s signature to inked. However, this relationship already seems to be trying to satisfy a troublesome end.

This year, many injuries have kept Martin away from the bike, and the Spaniards competed for the Qatar Grand Prix weekend before his crash in the main race at Lucail.

A May 12 report from Motorsport.com claims that Martin is trying to exercise his performance clause in his contract to leave Aprilia in 2026. The hot rumour is that he wants to sign Honda.

Aprilia could be engaged in a legal battle to block this, believing that the conditions of the performance clause have been somewhat voided by the fact that she has not actually ridden the bike this year.

read more: The bitter impact of Jorge Martin’s bomb Aprilia decision

Whatever happens, it’s hard to see Martin leaving behind the Aprilia rider in 2026 over the broken trust this incident has brought.

Aprilia may need to ring some alternatives in some cases. When Martin goes to Honda, Luca Marini appears to be the perfect replacement for him as he finishes his contract at the end of 2025. Marini’s analytical approach to bicycle development made him love for Honda.

Aprilia may also try to take ai ogura from the track house race and promote it from within. Ogura is the leading Aprilia rider in the current 10th place ranking and has been impressed so far with his rookie campaign.

Trachouse boss Davide Brivio fears that in 2027, rival factories will be able to poach Ogura.

Moving Ogra to the Aprilia factory causes problems with the truckhouse, but if that team lacks the big sponsorship they currently have, it makes Ogra’s pull out a little easier. However, his lack of experience may also rely on him in conversations in the factory seat.

The problem with Aprilia is that Martin has a contract next year. While it is still true, it cannot be done. Just like what happened in 2020 in Andrea Iannone Doping case, Aprilia had the opportunity to sign several decent names, including Cal Crutchlow, but was defeated as she chose to back Iannone through his trial. For most of 2021, Lorenzo Sabadri had to be sold.

Honda – The biggest player in the rider market stands

Honda will be the main focus of 2026 rider market speculation given the fact that Luca Marini is on an expired contract. But in the winter, you would never have imagined how important players are now.

In-house we have two excellent riders who want to hold Marini and Johann Zarco. The latter has repeatedly said he is keen to join the HRC Factory team, consistently leading the Honda Charge and gave good job interviews by winning his first Grand Prix in two years at the French Grand Prix.

No matter what happens, Zarco is set to remain a Honda rider with new deals in the LCR and full support from Honda. Marini also suggests that contract talks are ongoing and that it is an option for 2026.

In recent weeks, there have been rumours that Honda could sign Double World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu to better develop the 850cc machine around Pirelli Rubber in 2027.

The strong rumor is that Pedro Acosta will be relocated to Honda’s factory squad. He wasn’t satisfied with KTM’s lack of form in 2025, but has improved in recent rounds. There are also issues with KTM’s future amid the financial crisis.

Honda is now seen as having financial strength and a better long-term bike bet to snare riders like the Acosta.

That is now complicated by Jorge Martin/Aprilia Saga.

Once Martin gets out of the contract, Acosta is in a long-term deal with KTM, making it easier to sign Honda, but questions arise as to what the clauses are in that particular document.

Ducati – Looking to Valentino Rossi

Ducati is largely present in a rather simple rider situation that looks to 2026. Mark Marquez performs as expected. Alex Marquez stepped up the game with Gresini.

Fabio di Giannantonio was able to take a step forward with a factory bike, but his results were decent – like Franco Morbidelli.

Morbidelli is a strange rider in that he’s signed until the end of this season. In the friendly neighborhood of VR46 Racing, some job safety is given, even if his results are worthy of an extended stay.

However, there were rumors that Pedro Acosta would be linked to the VR46 move. Although Rossi “loves Acosta so much,” these rumors didn’t shake up, but the team itself continues to support Morbidelli.

The VR46 doesn’t have the financial impact to get an Acosta compared to people like Honda, but it can at least offer the best bikes on the grid. However, given the steps KTM has taken recently, given the value Acosta holds in the open market in 2027, his link to VR46 feels more like a welcome, like a PR of costumes than serious ones.

Elsewhere within the Ducati fold, intriguing reports from Italy suggest that Marc is trying to seduce last year’s World SBK runner-up Nicolo Brega.

For almost the same reason Toprak Razgatlioglu links to Honda, Pirelli Rubber’s experience with Bulega may be extremely valuable for Ducati’s 2027 testing program.

Yamaha – 1 seat is well protected

Yamaha has done a good job of raising the grid so far in 2025, but it worked well by adding Pramac as a factory-supported satellite team.

The only free seat available is Jack Miller’s from Pramac. The four-time Grand Prix winner signed that contract quite late last season, but he did enough to guarantee another year in the M1.

His development experience not only provided a major boost to Yamaha, but his results were solid.

Yamaha is one of the manufacturers that has linked it to bringing Toprak Razgatlioglu to MotoGP next year. The deadline placed on which Yamaha managers were called to make calls was passed without answers.

Razgatlioglu is open to Pramac Yamaha’s seats, but whether Yamaha considers him a good option, and whether it wasn’t before, is beyond the mirror.

Of course, Miller was able to find himself in factory options elsewhere in Aprilia, depending on what happened at Jorge Martin. But he’s perfect for Yamaha, and it appears that both parties want to move that forward.

Enea Bastianini’s name is mentioned in the same breath as Pramac Yamaha, but his inactive KTM results will not benefit him, and given his previous links with the makers in 2025, he could be a factor in Aprilia’s conversation.

It is possible that both Pramac riders can be replaced. Although he signed a two-year deal, Miguel Oliveira has been wiped out by conversations about potential replacements, Yamaha wants to give him time considering the issues with injuries this year.

KTM – An Uncertain Future

As it stands, KTM has all four riders locked in contracts, at least until next year. However, all four names are asked for the piece: Pedroa Costa, Blood Binder, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Venares.

As already mentioned, Acosta is a central figure in the rider market rumours and is linked to Honda and VR46 Ducati. If things improve with KTM bikes, there is a very high chance that he will remain in 2026 and explore the open market for 2027.

Whether KTM has 2026 is like a question mark. This is because they are trying to overcome the financial crisis that has been engulfing the company since last year.

KTM is clearly eager to keep Acosta as close as possible, but of course we know the ball is on the court about this. Acosta has been unhappy with the decline in KTM’s performance so far, but he is also a brand loyalty, and is important for something, at least in the short term.

Maverick Vinales now leads the Mark primarily in terms of outcomes, so they found a good home at KTM. However, as KTM’s uncertainty continued, Prilia could seduce him if there was a Jorge Martin-shaped hole. There was a clear dissatisfaction at last year’s points, but Vinall didn’t appear to leave the brand with bad words.

The name Enea Bastianini is linked to Pramac Yamaha, but it could be a good option for Aprilia too. Brad Binder appears to be glued to KTM and has not been much considered in the discussion given that his current deal is taking place at the end of next year. Assuming KTM will take over in 2026, it’s rare that he will let him go elsewhere without a fight.