Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa say one Moto2 demon is even faster than them on supermoto bikes

Add as preferred source on Google

Diogo Moreira is poised to join the 2026 MotoGP grid. Multiple reports claim that Honda have won the race for his signature.

Moreira is likely to race for LCR, where he’ll partner the veteran Johann Zarco. Luca Marini will sign a new deal at the factory team and continue alongside Joan Mir.

The Brazilian could be the only rider who steps up from the intermediate class, with limited vacancies available. After his victory in Austria last time out, he sits third in the championship, 35 points behind Manuel Gonzalez.

Yamaha are interested in Gonzalez, but their Japanese management would prefer to keep Jack Miller. Moreira will replace Somkiat Chantra, who hasn’t proven to Honda that he’s at the level required for MotoGP.

Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa are both in awe of Diogo Moreira

Speaking on the Paddock Pass podcast, Neil Morrison said Moreira’s ‘natural talent’ isn’t in question. What matters is ‘refining his approach’ for the premier class.

Last year’s Moto2 champion Ai Ogura made a spectacular start to the season but has slumped to the bottom of Aprilia’s pecking order lately, while Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer needed time to start displaying his potential.

However, the most successful active rider, Marc Marquez, believes Moreira is special. He’s congratulated the youngster for his recent successes on social media.

On a supermoto bike, the ‘incredible’ Moreira is apparently quicker than Marquez and his former Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa.

“Moreira, there’s no question he’s really, really talented,” said Morrison. “He made a massive step up this year, I think, in Moto2 to become a championship challenger, to become a consistent podium threat.

“There aren’t many riders out there who you hear the likes of Marc Marquez or Dani Pedrosa say, ‘This guy is a demon on flat-tracks, on supermoto bikes, he’s absolutely incredible, faster than I am’.

“The natural talent is there. It’s more about how he’s refining his approach. If the last year is anything to go by, he’s definitely got the talent to make it to MotoGP.”

Is Diogo Moreira the next Fabio Quartararo at Honda?

TNT Sports pundit Neil Hodgson expects Moreira to earn around £13m under his mooted three-year deal. That would be an eye-catching wage for a rookie.

But Hodgson thinks Moreira can emulate Fabio Quartararo, the 2021 world champion. Quartararo finished 13th and 10th in his two Moto2 seasons but he’s now widely regarded as one of the top two or three riders on the grid.

Moreira is a title contender this year, but one can see the similarities historically. After finishing eighth in back-to-back Moto3 campaigns, he was 13th Moto2 last year.

But through Marquez, Honda have received the best possible endorsement. Carlo Pernat has warned that Moreira could be ‘Chantra 2.0’, and while there are no guarantees, many think their careers could diverge sharply.