Ducati test rider Michele Pirro has shaken down the Bologna factory’s 850cc MotoGP prototype at Misano, with Pirelli sending personnel and 2027 tyre development compounds to support the test. Ducati join KTM and Honda in having run their 850cc prototype on track, leaving Aprilia as the only manufacturer yet to do so. Aprilia’s RS-GP27 debut is expected at a private Jerez test after the Spanish Grand Prix.

Official rider announcements for 2027 remain on hold because the Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers Association and MotoGP Sports Entertainment have yet to sign a new commercial agreement covering the next five years. Despite widespread reports of done deals involving Marquez, Acosta, Martin, Ogura and Alonso, managers confirm there are no written offers in place for several riders still waiting on the market to move.

2026 MotoGP season has produced one of its most unexpected storylines. Fabio Di Giannantonio leads the Ducati contingent after three rounds with 50 points, sitting fourth in the championship ahead of Marc Marquez on 45. The reigning world champion is fifth overall, being outscored by his own satellite rider as the shoulder injury from Indonesia continues to define his season.

Aprilia have completed the most stunning manufacturer takeover in recent MotoGP history. Three rounds into 2026 and the Noale factory have won every single Grand Prix, with Bezzecchi and Martin first and second in the championship. Aprilia have tripled their points tally compared to the same stage last year, leaping from 33 to 101, while Ducati have dropped 42 points year on year. The order has changed.

Official rider announcements for 2027 remain on hold because the Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers Association and MotoGP Sports Entertainment have yet to sign a new commercial agreement covering the next five years. Despite widespread reports of done deals involving Marquez, Acosta, Martin, Ogura and Alonso, managers confirm there are no written offers in place for several riders still waiting on the market to move.

Pedro Acosta says MotoGP’s current format and 22 race calendar will shorten rider careers, warning there is no way to sustain 22 weeks with an important session every single day. The 21 year old KTM rider says the sprint race is a good idea but believes constant high risk days increase the chances of serious injury, ultimately cutting careers short.

On this day in 2009, MotoGP made history by staging a Grand Prix on a Monday for the first and only time. Torrential rain at the Losail International Circuit forced organisers to postpone the season opening Qatar Grand Prix from its scheduled Sunday slot. Valentino Rossi won that rain delayed race, taking the first points of what would become a title winning campaign.

Marc Marquez is enduring the third longest winless streak of his MotoGP career, with nine grands prix having passed since his last victory at Misano in September 2025. His 100th career win across all classes remains on 99, with Bezzecchi and Martin blocking his path at Jerez. Only his injury plagued runs of 21 and 53 races without a win between 2020 and 2024 were longer.

Spanish media reports claim Moto2 stars David Alonso and Dani Holgado are both set to step up to MotoGP in 2027, with Alonso joining Honda as Fabio Quartararo’s factory teammate and Holgado heading to Gresini Racing alongside Enea Bastianini. Holgado was runner-up to Alonso in the 2024 Moto3 championship and has won three races across his first two Moto2 seasons. The next generation is arriving.