Fabio Quartararo highlighted Yamaha’s strong one-lap pace but admitted the V4 reaches its limit quickly in races. “You cannot push. You are just sliding,” he said, citing zero grip, poor turning, and heavy bike feel at Assen. Despite arm pump issues, he fought to 8th place. The result shows flashes of potential but underscores ongoing race-trim struggles as Yamaha prepares for the 850cc era.
Incoming tyre supplier Pirelli has confirmed MotoGP’s highly controversial tyre pressure rule will remain in place for the 2027 850cc regulatory overhaul. Despite severe backlash after a post-race infringement stripped Joan Mir of a second-place Catalan GP podium, Pirelli’s Giorgio Barbier insisted the rule stays out of safety and respect for Michelin until real-world data is collected.
While MotoGP's 2027 regulatory shift to 850cc engines, reduced aero, and banned ride-height devices is meant to slow top speeds, Marc Marquez believes lap times won't drop everywhere. At tight, corner-dominated tracks like the Sachsenring where bikes are already heavily underpowered, lower weight and improved Pirelli tyre grip could actually see records fall.
Factory Ducati star Marc Marquez cemented his status as the undisputed "King of the Ring," leading Sunday's German Grand Prix from start to finish to claim a historic tenth career victory at the Sachsenring. The dominant win completes a perfect weekend sweep following his Saturday Sprint victory, slashing a massive 102-point championship deficit down to just 18 points.
Reigning World Champion Marc Marquez dominated Super Saturday at the Sachsenring, shattering the lap record to claim pole position with a 1:19.041 before converting it into a lights-to-flag Sprint victory. Despite massive late-race pressure from his younger brother Alex, the Ducati Lenovo star successfully secured back-to-back German Sprint wins to cut his championship deficit to 32 points.
Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura are both officially confirmed as factory Yamaha riders for 2027, leaving a manufacturer currently leading the championship for one sitting last in the constructors standings. Martin said he always takes the decisions he believes are better for himself, his family and his future. Ogura, who made history as the Assen winner, said having a strong teammate like Martin will be interesting and that for a Japanese rider joining the factory Yamaha carries enormous significance.
Pedro Acosta called joining Marc Marquez at the factory Ducati team an honour, adding Marquez is the last of his era having raced alongside Pedrosa, Lorenzo and Rossi and that the chance to learn from him is too good to pass up. Acosta began 2026 at the sharp end of the title fight before carpal tunnel surgery and KTM technical issues dropped him to seventh. Ducati is his shot at genuinely competing for the championship from the first race of 2027.
Pramac Racing team principal Gino Borsoi insists Yamaha trailing the lead pace by 1.2 seconds is an incredible result given their radical technical shift. After abandoning their inline-four configuration for an all-new V4 powerplant this season, Borsoi notes that a minor deficit proves the M1's fundamental chassis, aerodynamics, and electronics packages are already highly competitive despite severe power shortages.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has pulled off a massive transfer coup, signing Alex Marquez on a multi-year deal starting in 2027. The 2025 MotoGP World Championship runner-up will depart Gresini Racing to spearhead Mattighofen's factory squad alongside Fabio Di Giannantonio, matching his experience with the RC16 prototype ahead of the sport’s highly anticipated 850cc regulatory reset.
WorldSBK star Nicolo Bulega dominated the 2026 Lenovo Race of Champions at World Ducati Week, converting pole position into a commanding victory at Misano. Riding identical Panigale V4 machinery, Bulega defeated the entire field, finishing ahead of Alberto Surra and Lorenzo Baldassarri. MotoGP top guns Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez finished a cautious fifth and twelfth, respectively.