lineup, something the manufac-
turer has long desired.
"We are excited to welcome
Jorge and Ai to the Yamaha Fac-
tory MotoGP Team as we enter a
new era in 2027. Securing riders
of this caliber underlines our ambi-
tion and confidence in the project,"
said Managing Director of Yama-
ha Motor Racing Paolo Pavesio.
"Jorge has already proven
himself as one of the benchmark
riders in MotoGP, with the speed,
determination and mindset to
fight for wins and World Champi
-
onships. We expect him to play
a key role in driving our perfor-
mance forward from day one.
"Ai's progression over the past
one-and-a-half seasons has been
outstanding. His talent, work
ethic, and potential make us
confident he can grow into one
of the top riders in the champi
-
onship. At the same time, we are
especially proud to welcome a
Japanese rider into the Yamaha
Factory Team."
Yamaha also confirmed
that current team racers Fabio
Quartararo and Alex Rins will be
moving on. Quartararo joined the
Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP
project in 2019 and Rins in 2024.
Yamaha says, "Yamaha and
both riders will continue to fully
commit to the shared objective
of achieving the best possible
results through to the end of the
2026 campaign."
Paolo Pavesio, managing
director of Yamaha Motor Rac
-
ing, said, "Fabio and Alex have
played important roles in Ya-
maha's MotoGP project, and we
are very grateful for their efforts,
dedication, and collaboration
over the years."
CN
VOLUME ISSUE JULY , P33
MotoGP 2027 Grid Begins to Emerge
T
he 2027 MotoGP rider market is taking shape with a series of rider announce-
ments confirming several high-profile moves, while another significant deal
continues to gather momentum despite not yet being officially announced.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has confirmed one of the strongest rider lineups
on the grid, with Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez set to lead the Austrian
manufacturer's factory effort from the 2027 season.
There will be lots of
seat shuffling ahead
of 2027 with some
new faces jumping up
from Moto2 and more
than a couple of
veterans losing out.
