MotoGP will ban holeshot devices starting at the Dutch Grand Prix in Assen. Riders and teams reacted to the sudden rule change aimed at safety and fairness. Some expect starts to slow by up to 30 kilometres per hour while others worry about added risks in poor conditions.
Marc Marquez signed on with Ducati Lenovo Team for 2027 and 2028. The move locks the eight time champion into the factory squad as they build around him with Acosta arriving. Marquez said he feels ready for the new challenge and trusts the project.
Ducati confirmed Francesco Bagnaia will exit the factory team at the end of 2026. The two time champion signed a four year deal with Aprilia Racing and will partner Marco Bezzecchi in an all Italian lineup. Bagnaia called it a new chapter after years of success with Ducati.
Ducati confirmed Pedro Acosta will team up with Marc Marquez in the factory squad from 2027. The Spaniard leaves KTM after strong 2026 performances to ride the Desmosedici alongside the eight time champion. This creates one of the most feared lineups in recent years as Ducati reshapes its future.
Maverick Vinales says KTM will be solely responsible if he leaves MotoGP at the end of 2026. The Tech3 rider found out KTM’s plans from the press, not the team itself, with nobody sitting him down to explain how things would play out. KTM also excluded him from Monday’s Brno 850cc Pirelli test, instead sending Acosta, Pol Espargaro and Dani Pedrosa, while holding an option on him through June that limits his options elsewhere.
Jorge Martin has called for understanding over teammate Marco Bezzecchi’s Brno marshal incident, saying people should not judge him for a heat of the moment reaction. Martin said it is difficult to judge, that Bezzecchi did what he did in the heat of the moment, and that marshals are there to help but sometimes when you crash and cannot see what happened, you get angry. Martin admitted he came close to a similar reaction himself at Montmelo.
The first MotoGP test featuring 850cc machinery and Pirelli tyres for contracted race riders concluded Monday at Brno. Bezzecchi and Fernandez set matching unofficial best times of 1m53.9s to lead Aprilia’s effort, with Aldeguer just one tenth back for Ducati. Marc Marquez suffered a minor crash at Turn 1 during the session but escaped unhurt, completing the test less than 24 hours after officially signing his new Ducati deal through 2028. No official timing screens were used throughout the day.
Marc Marquez has officially renewed with the Ducati Lenovo Team for the 2027 and 2028 MotoGP seasons. Marquez said he is truly happy with the new agreement and remains convinced Ducati is the most competitive project, having won the title together in their first year. Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali called the renewal the most natural choice after their results together. The deal had been agreed since February but only confirmed today.
The Grand Prix Commission has confirmed front holeshot devices will be banned from this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix at Assen, moving forward a removal originally planned for 2027. Grid row spacing increases from three to four metres per rider from the German Grand Prix, extending row gaps from nine to 12 metres. A maximum six bike per manufacturer limit also becomes official from 2028. Rear devices remain legal during races.
Jorge Martin says he and Aprilia have lost the direction after finishing ninth at Brno, his result hampered by a double long lap penalty for triggering the Hungarian Grand Prix crash. Martin said he has no confidence in the front end and always feels like crashing, adding the team is far away from Ducati right now. He still lacks a base setup and will sacrifice practice time at future rounds to find one.