2027 MotoGP Transfer Market Heats Up, 12 Seats Have Been Filled And David Alonso Is Officially Promoted.

12 out of 22 available MotoGP rider seats for 2027 have already been confirmed ahead of the first season of the new 850cc engine era. One of the most significant announcements confirms David Alonso will be promoted to the premier MotoGP class after signing a long-term contract with Honda.

The rider transfer market has heated up further after Honda HRC Castrol secured the signature of Fabio Quartararo. The 2021 MotoGP World Champion will officially leave Monster Energy Yamaha to take on a new challenge with the Japanese manufacturer starting the 2027 season.

This announcement from Honda marks the manufacturer's first step in preparing for MotoGP's new technical regulations coming into force in 2027. Alongside Quartararo, Honda is building long-term succession plans by bringing Diogo Moreira and David Alonso into their development programme.

At this stage, Honda has not yet confirmed who will partner Quartararo in the factory works team. Both Moreira and Alonso remain eligible to be placed either at Honda HRC Castrol or LCR Honda.

This promotion to MotoGP represents a major career milestone for Alonso. The Colombian rider will officially depart the Moto2 class following the completion of his Honda contract signing.

As part of his preparations for the premier class, Alonso is scheduled to take part in official Honda MotoGP testing immediately after the 2026 Valencia Grand Prix. This test will be his first opportunity to ride the new 850cc specification motorcycle that will be used from the 2027 season onwards.

Honda is not the only manufacturer implementing major overhauls to their rider rosters.

Ducati Lenovo have opted to retain Marc Marquez as their lead rider, while recruiting Pedro Acosta from KTM to complete their factory line-up.

Meanwhile, Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio have been confirmed as the new official rider pairing for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

Aprilia Racing will field a line-up of Marco Bezzecchi alongside Francesco Bagnaia. At Monster Energy Yamaha, Jorge Martin has been signed to replace Quartararo, and will partner Ai Ogura.

BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP have also finalised a new rider combination, pairing Joan Mir with debut prospect Daniel Holgado. For LCR Honda, only Johann Zarco has been officially confirmed as one of their riders to date.

Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team, Red Bull KTM Tech3 and Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP are all yet to confirm their full rider squads for the upcoming season.

The 2027 MotoGP season will open an entirely new chapter in the history of world motorcycle road racing championship. Under the new regulations, all teams will be required to run 850cc capacity engines, replacing the 1000cc power units that have been in use for more than a decade.

Tentative 2027 MotoGP Rider Line-up

Ducati Lenovo Team: Marc Marquez, Pedro Acosta

Aprilia Racing: Marco Bezzecchi, Francesco Bagnaia

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP: Jorge Martin, Ai Ogura

BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP: Joan Mir, Daniel Holgado

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing: Alex Marquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio

Honda HRC Castrol: Fabio Quartararo, To Be Announced

Castrol Honda LCR: Johann Zarco

Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team: To Be Announced

SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team: To Be Announced

Red Bull KTM Tech3: To Be Announced

Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP: To Be Announced