Marco Bezzecchi
The MotoGP rider market was thrown into pandemonium yesterday with Fabio Quartararo finalising a deal with Honda for 2027, but the question mark over who will partner with him at the Japanese constructor remains.
Despite the MotoGP rider market heating up in recent weeks, no one quite expected the bombshell of Fabio Quartararo leaving Yamaha for Honda to be dropped on the same day as the very first testing session of the new year.
To make matters even more interesting, it emerged that Jorge Martin was finalising a deal with Yamaha to replace the 2021 world champion just a couple of hours later.
Both moves are yet to receive official confirmation from the parties involved, but it certainly seems like the first moves of the 2027 MotoGP rider market have been made, and it has left a lot of fallout in its wake.
One of the biggest unknowns that it has posed is the question of who will be partnering with El Diablo at Honda during his maiden season, and it seems to have already been answered.
Who do you want as Fabio Quartararo’s 2027 Honda teammate?
Luca Marini is expected to be ‘chosen’ as Fabio Quartararo’s 2027 Honda teammate
According to a recent report by Moto.it, Luca Marini appears to be the leading candidate to partner with Quartararo during the Frenchman’s maiden season with the most successful constructor in MotoGP history.
Marini has been an integral part of Honda’s development efforts in recent years, becoming a de facto leader within the Iwata factory in that regard.
This is understood to be the main reason behind Honda retaining the Italian rider in the new era of MotoGP regulations.
It’s no secret that development isn’t Quartararo’s strong suit, so having someone of Marini’s expertise in the Honda box will be extremely important as the Japanese constructor traverses the new ruleset.
To further bolster the 28-year-old’s chances of retaining his seat, Marini started to learn Japanese during the 2025 MotoGP campaign in order to aid his meetings with Honda engineers.
While it won’t be a crucial factor in determining whether the Iwata-based outfit will be competitive or not, it will have certainly struck a chord with the passionate Japanese personnel at the team’s base.
Where will Honda finish in the 2027 MotoGP constructors’ championship?
Will they emerge as frontrunners? Or will their best days still be behind them? Comment below!
Diogo Moreira is the biggest loser out of the Fabio Quartararo-Honda deal
If Honda do go ahead and pull the trigger on a contract extension for Marini, it leaves MotoGP’s new boy, Diogo Moreira, in a state of limbo ahead of his rookie season in the premier class.
According to a separate report by Motorpasion Moto, Moreira currently has an agreement with Honda that would see him promoted to the factory team if he performs well with LCR during his maiden campaign this year.
The 2025 Moto2 world champion is one of two rookies on the grid in 2026, and also one of the brightest young talents now on the grid.
Honda may be playing with fire if they go back on their earlier agreement with the young Brazilian, due to the fact that Moreira will be on the radar of multiple teams if his first foray into the premier class goes even better than expected.
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