Yamaha has confirmed it will part ways with Xavi Vierge at the end of the WorldSBK season, opening a seat alongside Andrea Locatelli for 2027. Jack Miller will then move from MotoGP to Yamaha’s factory WorldSBK team after losing his Pramac ride, taking Vierge’s place. “Xavi has shown incredible professionalism and determination throughout 2026,” said Niccolò Canepa.
With Marc Marquez just 19 points behind Jorge Martin heading into the final European race of the 2026 MotoGP season, Carl Fogarty believes the Spaniard can still take the championship. Fogarty said, “Still can’t see past Marquez, to be honest. I still think he’ll win it,” pointing to Martin’s inconsistency despite his lead in the standings.
With MotoGP set to begin its Misano weekend, Jack Miller has only nine Grand Prix rounds left in the class before his switch to Yamaha’s Superbike World Championship in 2027. Yamaha confirmed the MotoGP project will end after this season, and Miller will join the Pramac-backed effort riding the R1 previously campaigned by Xavi Vierge.
Carl Fogarty questioned Ducati’s 2027 signing of Pedro Acosta, arguing that Fabio Di Giannantonio should have been given the full factory opportunity. “Digi is so good, so fast, so talented, he gets a bit ignored,” Fogarty said, adding that Di Giannantonio was often the fastest Ducati rider in 2026 and “deserved a chance in the full factory team.”
@tech3racing
Be very careful, you’ll find these everywhere in the paddock 👀😂 #motogp
Cal Crutchlow believes Pecco Bagnaia can recover from a difficult stretch, insisting the Ducati rider remains “still one of the best riders in this championship.” Bagnaia is currently winless this season and eighth in the standings, with Crutchlow calling his form “a tough watch sometimes.”
@ktmfactoryracing
READY for some more of this? ✊ It’s almost time for the 2026 Rallye du Maroc! 💪🇲🇦 #KTM #ReadyToRace #Rally
@aleixespargaro
POV: you just picked up your F355 in ’95
Fabio di Giannantonio will make his last appearance for the local VR46 team at this weekend’s Misano MotoGP before moving to KTM’s factory squad in 2027. The Italian, who is looking to arrest a slide in the standings, said, “We’re really fired up for Misano!”
Marc Marquez shared a shirtless shoulder recovery photo on Instagram, prompting analysis of what the image is intended to communicate. Sources note that Marquez’s public image is managed by his company, Vertical, and suggest the post was deliberate rather than random.
MotoGP engineer Juan Martinez says Francesco Bagnaia was “never” regarded as the successor to Valentino Rossi in Italy, despite winning back-to-back world titles in 2022 and 2023. Speaking on the DURALAVITA podcast, Martinez added that Rossi’s “shadow still looms large” and that Bagnaia has not been recognised as an “heir apparent.”
VR46 has confirmed that Franco Morbidelli will leave the team at the end of the 2026 season. The 31-year-old is set for a Ducati move with a seat swap expected with Nicolo Bulega, who is linked to taking Morbidelli’s place at VR46. “At the end of this season, our journey with @frankymorbido will come to an end,” VR46 wrote.
Francesco Bagnaia has reportedly toned down his public complaints about Ducati after Mauro Grassilli reacted negatively to some of his comments. Ducati sporting director Davide Tardozzi said Grassilli “took certain statements from Pecco in 2025 worse than others,” while Bagnaia later described his lack of pace as “humiliating and mortifying.”