Ducati refused to meet David Alonso’s MotoGP salary demands, with reports claiming the 19 year old Moto2 star was asking for ten times what Bologna was willing to offer, which would have destroyed their salary structure for young riders. Yamaha also passed on Alonso, and Honda, boasting a vastly superior budget, moved in to sign the 2024 Moto3 champion as Fabio Quartararo’s factory teammate from 2027.

The road racing community is in mourning today after organisers confirmed the death of rider Aran Sadler following an incident at the Bob Smith Spring Cup at Oliver’s Mount in Scarborough. Sadler was the reigning overall Oliver’s Mount Racing Champion, competing at the circuit this weekend as part of the season opening Spring Cup meeting on 11 and 12 April. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the entire road racing community.

Yamaha have completed their 2027 MotoGP factory lineup, pairing world champion Jorge Martin with 2024 Moto2 champion Ai Ogura as the Japanese manufacturer builds for the 850cc era. Martin replaces the outgoing Fabio Quartararo, who heads to Honda, while Ogura steps up from Trackhouse Racing to replace Alex Rins. It is the most ambitious Yamaha lineup in years and arrives just as the V4 project hits.

Pramac Yamaha rider Jack Miller says the V4 powered M1 leaves him feeling like a lamb to the slaughter on the straights, with rivals pulling away every time he opens the throttle. At Austin all four Yamaha riders circulated at the bottom of the field, with Miller losing nearly 10km/h to the Aprilias on top speed. Despite calling them desperate times, Miller says he has not lost faith in the project.

Pedro Acosta has admitted racing alongside Marc Marquez would be a dream come true, saying it is not every day you get to stand on the other side of the pitwall from a nine time world champion. The KTM rider is widely expected to join Ducati from 2027, replacing Francesco Bagnaia at the factory team. Marquez has called Acosta the leader of the younger generation and special.

Former MotoGP team boss Livio Suppo has called Yamaha’s decision to switch to a V4 engine in 2026 courageous but warned only time will tell if the risky strategy succeeds. Suppo’s concern is that by developing both the 1000cc V4 and the 850cc machine simultaneously, Yamaha risks ending up doing two things poorly instead of one thing well. Star rider Fabio Quartararo is already rumoured to be heading to Honda for 2027.

Nicolo Bulega’s manager Alberto Martinelli says it is not impossible for the WorldSBK championship leader to reach MotoGP without Ducati, warning the team will not wait indefinitely for an offer. As of Portimao, Bulega had no written offers on the table despite talks with multiple teams. All three Ducati backed MotoGP teams appear close to finalising line ups that leave no room for the Italian.

Yamaha has signed Ai Ogura to partner Jorge Martin at its factory MotoGP team from 2027, replacing Alex Rins following Fabio Quartararo’s confirmed move to Honda. The 2024 Moto2 world champion is currently in his second MotoGP season with Trackhouse Racing on Aprilia machinery. Ogura’s departure leaves a vacancy at Trackhouse, with Raul Fernandez the most likely candidate to stay.

Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks says MotoGP must take bold risks to grow its American audience, warning the sport has historically been too slow to make big changes. The only American team owner in MotoGP, Marks called on Liberty Media to act decisively when opportunities arise, backing the series’ new owners to accelerate expansion with their three, five and ten year growth strategy.