So all the seats are full. Now we can talk about the fun stuff! Hypothetically... You're a 2026 MotoGP Independent Team Principal. You have a Vet and a Rookie on your roster. You have no affiliation to a Moto2 team. Your manufacturer employs a test rider who can place 17th on a typical race weekend. Your Rookie has started well, scoring 10th-15th in the quali and races on his first two weekends. The Veteran racks up some top 10s but gets injured in the 2nd Sprint of the year and will be out for 2-3 weekends. Who do you lean on to fill the seat, do all the media appearances, and represent sponsors while said Vet is convalescing in the South of Spain? TL,DR: If MotoGP is THE SHOW when is Dorna going to acknowledge the rider risk (and recent injury rate) to allow / fund teams to afford a 3rd Rider? I love that riders want a clear ladder to progress to MotoGP by winning championships at the feeder level. Diogo has done what was asked of him and because of this he likely has a 3 year deal that will allow him to develop as a rider and gel with the 2027 regulation package. Hurrah! But as a spectator and lover of the sport I also feel that additional test time on MotoGP bikes for riders not taking up a grid spot is important. I want to see more of those riders that aren't Diogo Moreira, those guys that maybe win championships or come close in a year when a coveted MotoGP grid spot isn't available. Thoughts? -Tom
If it were me, I'd assign my director of public relations and / or communications, and their team (if they he/she has one), to field these types of questions/events/etc. Failing that, I, as prinicple, would do it. Massimo Rivola IMO does a great job of being the face of the team when it matters and is a good archetype for this. Technically, the teams already have this in test riders. Well, maybe not indy teams, but most teams. What you're suggesting might be possible if what it means to be a test rider changes. Currently, test riders are guys on their way out. Seasoned vets taken out to pasture. Instead if the test rider job was an entry point to the team with guaranteed wild cards, a more fan facing presence, and a stepping stone into teams then rookie's would get a gentler onboarding to the big show. However, my guess is that this would require some reinventing of the team's development process. More importantly, this would require a change in the rider's mindset. They all want to be in the big show. Right. Now.
Yup. No different than Formula 1, really. But the injury risks are different for the Drivers / Riders. I'd love to see a statistical analysis on the number of races missed by riders due to injury from crashes over the last 10 years. Am I just imagining it or would we actually see a spike in the numbers since the implementation of the Sprint race? -T
I get the risks but some are just inherent to the sport and some are created by all the aero/ride height devices. I cant wait till Pirelli steps in the ring. I know they have been in WSBK for some time but MotoGP is another kettle of fish.
That’s where it’s looking to be. Apparently Rossi isn’t going to be running ducs? He mad at them for giving Marc a bike?
https://www.motogpnews.com/2025/12/...-aprilia-for-honda-in-2027-amid-vr46-rumours/ https://www.facebook.com/redflagmot...ing-corporation-this-would-b/827437080048061/ Been seeing these pop up. It is silly season.
VR46 to Aprilia in '27 has legs IMO. They've been with Ducati for a while. Rossi's not sending Marc any Christmas cards and Pecco's 2025 season doesn't help things. Meanwhile, Bez flourished on the Aprilia in the second half of 2025 and the whole program has taken on a finer polish since Fabiano Sterlacchini took over as techincal director with far fewer of the comedy of errors type screw ups we saw in previous seasons and even in the first half of this season. Trackhouse to Honda would be interesting. Its not unreasonable to think that Honda would field 4 teams: factory, LCR, Trackhouse and maybe Tech3? Ducati did it; Honda can too. Do it!
Only 3 Bagger teams announced so far? https://motorcyclesports.net/motogp...pense-as-official-lineup-delays-spark-outrage
