MotoGP 2027: The big rider market winners and losers

Not only is MotoGP going through a major transition in 2027 with its bike regulations and the introduction of Pirelli tyres, the make-up of the grid will also look very different to how the 2026 season is going to end.

The rider market went into a frenzy before pre-season testing got underway, with numerous high-profile deals signed.

The tug of war between MotoGP and the manufacturers meant most of these deals wouldn’t be confirmed until months after they’d been signed. This had a knock-on effect on the satellite structures, with big line-up changes taking place at the customer teams too.

As with every rider market, some have come away with big smiles, while others have lost out.

So, who are the biggest winners and losers from the 2027 rider market?

For this piece, we haven’t gone over the full grid, just those who have come off better or worse than expected. We’ve also considered a number of factors, such as current form, what was on offer and, in some cases, how deserving a rider was at signing the deal they did or missing out altogether.

MotoGP 2027’s big rider market winners

Pecco Bagnaia - Aprilia Racing

It was inevitable that Pecco Bagnaia would lose his place at the factory Ducati team for 2027, given the disappointing form he showed in 2025 against runaway champion team-mate Marc Marquez.

A recent double world champion should definitely have a spot on the grid, but Bagnaia has come away from the market with arguably the best alternative to a factory Ducati seat.

Close to a Yamaha move before largely being dissuaded by Fabio Quartararo’s misgivings, Bagnaia was signed by Aprilia to partner Marco Bezzecchi. And not only that, it gave him a four-year deal. Now he is about to inherit what is currently the best bike on the grid, with a lot of job security, despite the fact that his 2026 season has been pretty poor since the summer break.

Enea Bastianini - Trackhouse Racing

Given five former grands prix winners are out of the championship at the end of this season, Enea Bastianini is fairly lucky to have come away from the rider market with a plum ride at Trackhouse Aprilia.

Bastianini has shown flashes of podium speed on the KTM over the last two years, but nothing particularly exceptional. He was spared finishing last of the KTMs in 2025 due to team-mate Maverick Vinales’ injury.

He’s been a bit better this season, but hasn’t been a standout. His Italian passport has likely helped his cause, as well as Trackhouse’s desire for an experienced rider to replace Ogura.

Joan Mir - Gresini Ducati

Joan Mir’s time at Honda has been pretty disastrous, though a few podiums towards the end of 2025 suggested everything was pointing in the right direction.

But Honda’s progress slowed in 2026, with Mir spending a lot of time crashing while trying to extract more out of the bike than it could offer. Six years on from his 2020 world title, Mir’s place on the grid for 2027 was precarious.

Gresini having Fermin Aldeguer ripped from its clutches by Ducati opened up an opportunity for Mir to finally jump on a Desmosedici. It’s a good ride and a surrounding that has proved hugely positive for the likes of Alex Marquez and Marc Marquez in recent years.

Perhaps others were more deserving of the ride, but being a world champion at MotoGP level offers you a little grace to be able to prove your quality even after such a rough period.

Diogo Moreira - Honda

For much of the year, it was looking like David Alonso would be joining the factory Honda squad alongside Fabio Quartararo in 2027. But Diogo Moreira posed HRC a bit of a headache through a rookie campaign that has only gotten stronger with each round.

Moreira would have been fine staying at LCR with full factory support, but the promotion to the works squad is a massive confidence boost for a rider who could spring a real surprise next season.

Nicolo Bulega - VR46 Ducati

The newly-crowned World Superbike champion looked guaranteed to get a place on the 2027 MotoGP grid due to his Ducati testing role. But then, as the rider market moved, he looked set to miss out entirely.

The pieces have fallen, however, in a way that opened the door at VR46 for Bulega to slot in alongside Aldeguer. And it’s a just reward for a dominant season in WorldSBK.

Moreover, his experience of the 850cc bikes and Pirelli tyres is a benefit Ducati would have been foolish to waste.

MotoGP 2027’s big rider market losers

Jorge Martin - Yamaha

Yamaha has come away from the rider market in a very healthy shape, given where it is in the competitive order.

Though it loses Fabio Quartararo, it has gained Jorge Martin - current championship leader - and a hot prospect in Ai Ogura, as well as keeping Toprak Razgatlioglu at Pramac and pairing him with exciting rookie Izan Guevara.

But it’s hard to look positively on Martin’s situation. An injury-plagued 2025 with Aprilia did nothing to boost his chances of a new deal for 2027 when the rider market was at its most active in the pre-season.

Given the delay in deals being announced, Martin lucked out in his form being really strong from the off. He’s not going to Yamaha with his head held low, but he’s facing a tough couple of years, especially if he does go as world champion.

Maverick Vinales - Out of the grid

Maverick Vinales was poised to make a step to KTM’s factory team in 2027, having been its best rider in the first half of the 2025 campaign. The shoulder injury he suffered in Germany last year derailed everything.

It continued to be an issue in the early rounds of 2026, leading to him needing more surgery. KTM then had to alter its plans to ensure it got the best deal out of the rider market.

Vinales was passed over for Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez, but still looked likely to get a Tech3 stay. But that all fell apart as both sides’ relationship deteriorated, with Vinales ending up with nothing.

He blames KTM for stringing him along and leaving him no time to secure a deal elsewhere. For the time being, it’s a sad end to the career of a rider whose talent warranted so much more.

Manuel Gonzalez - Stays in Moto2

Manu Gonzalez’s Moto2 title hunt may be under threat as the final five rounds approach. But at the time he was being linked to MotoGP rides, he was clearly the best rider on the Moto2 grid and doing better than some who’d secured premier class seats.

Gonzalez faced a largely luckless situation where he didn’t have enough experience to satisfy the criteria for some teams, while his Spanish passport hasn’t worked in his favour either.

More frustratingly for him, his Moto2 team-mate Senna Agius has been given a seat with Tech3. He was then in the frame for a Ducati World Superbike move, only for Franco Morbidelli to get the nod instead.

Gonzalez will stay in Moto2 again, but his case is a sign that the junior ladder doesn’t quite work the way it should.