Honda have formed a new rider line-up ‘plan’ for the 2026 season that will delight Valentino Rossi

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Honda are set to reshuffle their MotoGP rider line-up for the 2026 season. This will be triggered by the anticipated arrival of Jorge Martin.

Martin must reach an agreement with Aprilia, or win a court case, to escape his contract. But it’s highly unlikely that he’ll be riding for the Italian team next year after publicly attempting a divorce.

Honda will have to make room for Martin in their factory team, where Luca Marini is in the final year of his contract. Satellite riders Johann Zarco and Somkiat Chantra are also approaching the end of their deals.

The Japanese manufacturer were always likely to be at the centre of the MotoGP rider market. They were the only manufacturer to enter the year with multiple expiring contracts.

Luca Marini set to replace Somkiat Chantra at LCR Honda

Speaking on The Race MotoGP podcast, Simon Patterson reported that Marini is likely to stay on the grid for 2026 even with Martin taking his factory spot next to Joan Mir.

Honda’s ‘plan’ is to reposition Marini at LCR, where he’ll go up against French Grand Prix winner Zarco. This will mean that Chantra’s stint in the premier class is brief.

The Thai rider is currently 24th in the championship with just one point, and even then, he received a helping hand from test rider Aleix Espargaro at Assen. Chantra, who will miss the next two races due to a knee injury, hasn’t qualified higher than 19th.

Marini’s likely extension will delight his half-brother Valentino Rossi, who must have been worried that he’d drop out of MotoGP.

“It sounds like there’s a plan to keep Luca Marini at LCR, which makes sense because we know that he’s very well respected and liked within Honda,” Patterson explained.

“We know that he’s really good at developing bikes, being an engineer’s rider and giving good, high-quality feedback on what’s working and what’s not.”

Aprilia can now cross two Jorge Martin replacements off their list

Marini was linked with a move to World Superbikes amid doubts over his Honda future. But it’s hard to argue he isn’t staying on merit as the second-highest-scoring rider in their ranks.

Chantra is partly on the grid for commercial reasons, with backers Idemitsu keen to have the Far Eastern market represented. He hasn’t done enough in sporting terms to merit another year, though.

There was talk that Rossi could step in to save Marini by offering him a deal at VR46, where Franco Morbidelli still hasn’t renewed. But this may no longer be necessary.

Honda may have dealt another blow to Aprilia, because Marini was touted as a Martin replacement. With Enea Bastianini likely to stay at Tech3 after KTM’s owners committed to MotoGP, they can cross two names off their list.