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MotoGP
Everything you need to know about MotoGP™ 2026
No sooner than the 2025 MotoGP™ World Championship ends than the riders and teams start building for the next campaign. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 MotoGP™ World Championship...
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In 2025, Marc Márquez completed his return to the top as he dominated the season to take the MotoGP™ World Championship with five rounds to spare. And while many were celebrating along the pit lane, everyone was eagerly eyeing the first tests of the 2026 season as a chance to rebuild ready to come back stronger.
Some didn’t even wait for the final chequered flag of 2025 as both 2024 World Champion Jorgé Martín and KTM star Maverick Viñales ended their race early at the last round in Valencia rather than risk worsening their injuries. The new World Champion didn’t even make the weekend – or the previous three rounds – as he also is racing to recover in time for pre-season. Speaking of The Ant of Cervera…
01
The Márquez brother are on top of the world
Back on top: Marc Marquez
© Michael Jurtin/Red Bull Ring
For the first time in the history of MotoGP™, the top two riders in the world are brothers as Marc and Álex Márquez divided up the spoils. For Marc, it was a return to the top after a frustrating six-year title drought as he worked his way back from injury and struggled to find a winning machine. Now all eyes turn to 2026. With a broken collarbone and ligament damage from his crash in Indonesia, can a 32-year-old Marc Márquez come back once again and take another title? Or after a career-best runner-up spot, is it time for Álex Márquez to take over the family business? He will be taking the new bike through testing, and his feedback will be crucial to setting up the new machine.
Fermin Aldeguer and Alex Marquez on the podium in Indonesia
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
02
But how do you improve a world-beating bike?
The Desmosedici has been the pick of the field, winning the world championship four years on the bounce under Francesco Bagnaia (2022 and 2023), Jorgé Martín (2024) and Marc Márquez in 2025. Last season, it took 17 wins, 19 Sprint victories and was on pole 12 times. But the GP25 has been much harder to handle than its predecessor, and Pecco Bagnaia has struggled to adapt to the new machine, winning just two grands prix and finishing fifth overall – the two-time champion’s worst season on the factory Ducati.
Alex Marquez gets his elbow down ahead of Acosta and Binder
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
Top of the agenda in testing for Bagnaia, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Álex Márquez is to make the GP26 match the handling characteristics of the more rider-friendly GP24.
03
Miguel Oliveira switches to World Superbikes
Five-time MotoGP™ race winner Miguel Oliveira is leaving the MotoGP™grid for the World Superbikes Championship with BMW. It brings the curtain down on seven years across all three classes of the world championship as part of the KTM, as well as spells with Aprilia and Pramac Yamaha. The popular Portuguese rider had some kind words for the Austrian marque that had backed him for much of his racing career. “I’ve been in good teams, teams that helped me reach my best potential, especially in Moto2, Moto3,” he said. “I am in debt to KTM because they helped me so much throughout my entire career."
Replacing him at Yamaha satellite team Pramac is three-time World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlioglu, who becomes the first rider from Turkey to race in the top flight and the first rider to move from WSBK since Cal Crutchlow in 2011. Oliveira will be joined in the WSBK paddock by Somkiat Chantra, who is replaced at LCR by Brazilian Diogo Moreira.
New seat: Miguel Oliveira
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
04
The 2026 calendar is revealed
The MotoGP™ schedule has been revealed for 2026. There are 22 rounds held on five continents with MotoGP™ returning to the Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia for the first time since 1989 – just in time for the home fans to cheer on Moreira in his rookie season. The Catalunya round moves to later in the season, and the championship will also include a new support race: the all-Harley-Davidson International Bagger Series. More on that below.
Round
Grand Prix
Circuit
Date
R1
Thailand
Chang International Circuit
Mar 1
R2
Brazil
Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia
Mar 22
R3
United States
Circuit of the Americas
Mar 29
R4
Qatar
Lusail International Circuit
Apr 12
R5
Spain
Circuito de Jerez
Apr 26
R6
France
Bugatti Circuit Le Mans
May 10
R7
Catalonia
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
May 17
R8
Italy
Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello
May 31
R9
Hungary
Balaton Park Circuit
June 7
R10
Czechia
Brno Circuit
June 21
R11
Netherlands
TT Circuit Assen
June 28
R12
Germany
Sachsenring
July 12
R13
Great Britain
Silverstone Circuit
Aug 9
R14
Aragon
MotorLand Aragón
Aug 30
R15
San Marino
Misano World Circuit
Sept 13
R16
Austria
Red Bull Ring
Sept 20
R17
Japan
Mobility Resort Motegi
Oct 4
R18
Indonesia
Mandalika International Street Circuit
Oct 11
R19
Australia
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
Oct 25
R20
Malaysia
Sepang International Circuit
Nov 1
R21
Portugal
Algarve International Circuit
Nov 15
R22
Valencia
Circuit Ricardo Tormo
Nov 22
05
Binder rebuilds with new chief mechanic
Brad Binder and his new crew chief, Phil Marron
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
Razgatlioglu’s WSBK crew chief, Phil Marron, is also making the move and will team up with Brad Binder at KTM. The South African is another to have a disappointing season, with fourth in Indonesia his best finish of the year. He’s hoping that Marron can help him rediscover his winning touch, and the early signs are promising. “He seems like a really, really nice dude,” Binder said of the Northern Irishman. “For sure, he seems really excited to jump [back] into the MotoGP™ paddock. I think he's full of cool ideas.”
The arrival of Marron is also a demonstration of the faith Red Bull KTM boss Pit Beirer has in the South African, who has risen through the ranks on KTM machinery, scoring the team’s first win in 2020. But with riders of the calibre of Maverick Viñales, Enea Bastianini and Pol Espargaro eyeing his factory ride, Binder will want the results to improve early in the 2026 season.
Star man: Pedro Acosta
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
06
Pedro Acosta’s star rises at KTM
On the other side of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing garage, Pedro Acosta produced a superb run in the second half of 2025 and comes into 2026 as one of the most highly rated young riders in the championship. He grabbed back-to-back podiums in Sepang and Portimao to make it five podium finishes for the season. He’s been mentored behind the scenes by MotoGP™ legend Dani Pedrosa, who has been helping fine-tune the Spaniard’s riding to first make him more consistent and then help him achieve that breakthrough win. “Dani has a lot of experience, and we were just talking about the race from yesterday and trying to manage in a different way,” said Acosta. “It’s only my second season in MotoGP™, and I’m making small mistakes.
Former team-mates Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa
© Philip Platzer/Red Bull Ring
“We know that we have many weak points at the moment, and for this [I’m] just trying to become a better rider. Dani is, if not the best, is one of the best for this. He’s doing a great job.”
And how! After the summer break, Acosta scored 208 points – doubling his tally from the first half of the season and jumping from 13th in the title race to ninth overall. KTM will be keen to tie him down to a long-term deal.
07
The return of Jorgé Lorenzo
Tech3 riders Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
Over at Tech3, riders Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales will be encouraged by Acosta’s good form as they take over the 2025 RC16 bikes for 2026. Former Haas and Red Bull NASCAR team boss Guenther Steiner takes control of the outfit, and the Italian will be eager to push his team up the grid. Both riders struggled in 2025, with new signing Maverick out injured for part of the campaign. He returned for the final round of the season in Valencia only to retire rather than aggravate his shoulder injury.
One of the highest-rated talents on the grid, Viñales is back searching for improvement on the bike in testing and improvement in his own performance as he recovers from injury. To help, he's enlisted the support of three-time World Champion Jorgé Lorenzo as his coach and advisor. “Bringing Jorgé into this journey is a huge opportunity to learn and improve in every aspect,” said Vinales. “His experience and outside perspective will help us take confident steps forward.”
08
It can only get better for Jorgé Martín
Jorge Martin was plagued by injuries in 2025
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
Jorgé Martín believes he learnt more from his tough 2025 than from his 2024 World Championship-winning season. The Spaniard went from the highs of winning his first world title in 2024 with Pramac Ducati – the first rider to win the championship with a satellite team – to signing for Aprilia to suffering two major injuries. It wasn’t until the Czech Grand Prix that he was able to start putting together results, with fourth in Hungary his best result.
“I learned very little from last year – the year I was crowned champion,” he said. “From this year, I've learned much more. If there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that I'm going to be better, I'm going to compete better, I'm going to eat better, and I'm going to train better.
09
Zarco is top of the tumblers
All or nothing: home race winner Johann Zarco
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
CR Honda’s fearless Frenchman Johann Zarco ended the 2025 season as MotoGP™’s most frequent faller, recording 28 official accidents across the 22-round campaign. Although his brilliant home win at Le Mans probably takes the edge off that stat. Ironically, the wet French Grand Prix, where Zarco stayed upright, saw the most crashes in a single GP with 70 spills across all classes. Jack Miller was second with 25 falls this season, followed by Álex Márquez and Franco Morbidelli, both on 23. Of regular starters, Luca Marini was the rider who stayed on the most with just three falls in 2025. So who'll be top and who'll be fit to drop at the end of 2026?
Johann Zarco wins in France
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
10
MotoGP™ teams for 2026
With big changes coming to MotoGP™ next season, there's been very little movement in the rider market, with most riders now committed until 2027. Miguel Oliveira and Somkiat Chantra have both switched to WorldSBK, with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu coming the other way. The exciting Diogo Moreira graduates with a move to LCR from Moto2™. The arrival of the first Turk and Brazilian riders also makes the top tier that little bit more cosmopolitan.
Team
Rider
Rider
Ducati
Pecco Bagnaia
Marc Márquez
Gresini Ducati
Álex Márquez
Fermín Aldeguer
VR46 Ducati
Fabio Di Giannantonio
Franco Morbidelli
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Brad Binder
Pedro Acosta
Red Bull KTM Tech3
Enea Bastianini
Maverick Viñales
Aprilia
Jorgé Martín
Marco Bezzecchi
Trackhouse Aprilia
Raúl Fernández
Ai Ogura
Yamaha
Fabio Quartararo
Alex Rins
Pramac Yamaha
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Jack Miller
Honda
Joan Mir
Luca Marini
LCR Honda
Johann Zarco
Diogo Moreira
11
Even more action on track
Triumph returns as the exclusive engine supplier to the FIM Moto2™ World Championship, and another famous name is coming to the MotoGP™ circus: Harley-Davidson. The Bagger World Cup will see competitors racing Harleys that have been specially modified for speed, agility and spectacle. The six-round championship will feature racing on Saturdays and Sundays at select rounds with the final at the Red Bull Ring.
- Circuit of the Americas (USA): March 27–29
- Mugello (Italy): May 29–31
- Assen (Netherlands): June 26–28
- Silverstone (UK): August 7–9
- Aragon (Spain): August 28–30
- Red Bull Ring (Austria): September 18–20
12
... And what’s in store for 2027?
The 2027 MotoGP™ World Championship promises a complete overhaul of the regulations. Some of the headlines include a reduction in the use of aerodynamics and ride height devices will be scrapped. Engines will be smaller and have less fuel to race with, although the minimum bike weight will drop from 157kg to 153kg.
The new rules are designed to make the series more road-relevant with more efficient and safer bikes. Each rider will have one less engine to use across the season, with six available. The technical teams at the manufacturers will be working to increase bike performance and durability within the new regs. The bikes will now run on 100 percent sustainable fuels, which is kinder to the planet.
Rider skill will also come to the front as MotoGP™ is limiting the use of aerodynamic kit on the bikes and ride-height and holeshot devices – making the bikes safer to ride and also levelling the playing field. MotoGP™ in 2027 promises to be safer, more sustainable and even more spectacular.
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