Factory team line-ups are all but complete: which MotoGP manufacturer did the best

Ducati has opted for the safest option heading into the coming seasons. Marc Marquez is arguably the greatest rider MotoGP has ever seen, especially considering his comeback after a series of career-threatening injuries. Despite not being fully fit, as he has explained in various interviews, he is still in a league of his own at certain circuits.

While Fermin Aldeguer already had a contract with the Ducati brand, the Italians ultimately opted to sign another rider from Murcia. Pedro Acosta is widely regarded as the next dominant star in MotoGP, although he is yet to claim a victory. Next year, Ducati will boast arguably the strongest rider line-up on the grid, and if Acosta delivers, the Italian manufacturer may have improved it even further.

The end of the 2025 season proved to Aprilia that it has a reliable rider in Marco Bezzecchi. Although the Italian is currently going through a difficult spell including the Brno controversy and his recent injury, he is more than quick enough to lead a factory project.

To partner Bezzecchi, Aprilia signed one of the biggest free agents on the market. Bagnaia will likely be hoping to relaunch his career with the Italian manufacturer. After losing out on the title to Jorge Martin in 2024, the Italian was unable to match Marc Marquez at Ducati.

For the first time since Marc Marquez, Honda has a superstar in its factory team. Fabio Quartararo joins the Japanese manufacturer after enduring a difficult spell with Yamaha in recent seasons.

His teammate is yet to be decided, but it will be a young rider. Honda can choose between Diogo Moreira and Colombian Moto2 sensation David Alonso. The Japanese manufacturer has secured both its present and its future ahead of the 2027 season.

The riders currently occupying first and second place in the MotoGP standings will join Yamaha next season. After an injury-plagued 2025 campaign, Jorge Martin is enjoying a superb year with Aprilia and currently leads the championship. He is one of the former world champions on the grid and has already proven he can compete for the sport's biggest prizes. Alongside Acosta, Quartararo and Bagnaia, he was one of the four superstar free agents on the market.

Ai Ogura has been the breakout rider of the current season so far. The Japanese rider has been one of the most consistent on the grid, especially over the past few Grands Prix. He has already taken his maiden MotoGP victory, while his pace in the closing stages of races has become a major weapon.

KTM has signed two riders who certainly deserve factory seats in MotoGP, even if they are not the superstars every other manufacturer has secured for 2027. Both Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio are capable of winning races and regularly challenging for podiums, and they should form a strong pairing. After all, Di Giannantonio could have led the championship after the Sachsenring weekend, while the younger Marquez brother bounced back from his frightening crash as if he had never left.