The next stars of MotoGP: these talents will become rookies next year

Daniel Holgado is a 21-year-old rider from Spain. As a replacement rider, he made his Moto3 debut at just 16 years old in 2021, the same year he won the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship. He began his first full-time season with KTM in 2022, securing a single podium finish at Aragon.

A year later, Holgado won the season opener at Portimao and claimed two further victories at Le Mans and Mugello. In 2024, he won just one Grand Prix but still finished second in the riders' standings. The title went to his current teammate, Alonso.

A promotion to Moto2 was therefore the logical next step. However, he did not make the move with KTM, instead joining Aspar. Despite a difficult spell during the first half of the season, Holgado once again proved his consistency, securing his first podium at the Red Bull Ring before winning the Catalan and Japanese Grands Prix.

This year, he is currently sitting fifth in the standings, having won the Brazilian Grand Prix. After being announced as a Gresini Racing and Ducati rider for next year, he finished second at the Sachsenring. He will have an experienced teammate alongside him in Joan Mir.

The 20-year-old Madrid-born Colombian rider made his Moto3 debut with one-off appearances in 2021 and 2022. He earned a place on the Moto3 grid for his first full-time season with Aspar in 2023, where he immediately finished third in the standings while scoring four victories.

In 2024, Alonso completed a season after which many had already begun thinking about his future in MotoGP. He won a total of 14 races in a 20-round season. As a result, Aspar promoted him to Moto2 for the 2025 season. After dominating Moto3, he initially struggled in the intermediate class and finished ninth in the standings, but he secured his first victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix and then scored three podiums in the final four rounds.

So far in 2026, Alonso has been a consistent performer, but a podium finish eluded the Colombian talent until the Czech Grand Prix. He then went on to win the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen as well. As a result, he currently sits fourth in the standings.

Next year, Alonso will switch to Honda, although it remains unclear whether he will join the factory team or LCR.

2027 might just be the perfect year to be a MotoGP rookie. To begin with, the bikes will become simpler thanks to reduced aerodynamics. Moreover, the current Moto2 riders already have experience with Pirelli, as the Italian manufacturer will also supply MotoGP teams next year after taking over from Michelin.

There are more riders rumored to join the premier class next year as well. Izan Guevara, Senna Agius and Celestino Vietti have all been mentioned as possible candidates for promotion. Moreover, championship leader Manuel Gonzalez is also hoping to find a seat in the category.