Marco Bezzecchi
Alex Marquez of Gresini is now close to finalising a move to the factory KTM team for the 2027 MotoGP season, as the Austrian squad expect Pedro Acosta will join Ducati.
KTM had sought to keep Acosta beyond the end of his current contract, which is set to lapse at the end of the 2025 MotoGP season. But the 21-year-old has lost faith in their project, so the Spaniard has set his sights on securing a move to Ducati ahead of the 850cc regulations.
It is said that Ducati are on the cusp of signing Acosta to a two-year deal, which the Bologna Bullets intend to finalise when they have sorted out a new two-year deal for Marc Marquez. Alex Marquez had hoped to join his brother at Ducati, as his Gresini contract is also expiring.
The Marquez brothers were the class of the grid in 2025, as they became the first siblings to seal first and second in the premier class standings. Marc Marquez won the 2025 title with a record five rounds to spare, and Alex Marquez ended the year 114 points clear of third spot.
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Alex Marquez visited the KTM factory to discuss a 2027 transfer after Ducati favoured Pedro Acosta
But SPEEDWEEK reports that Ducati showed no interest in having both Marquez brothers in their line-up from 2027, with Acosta very much their Plan A. And only when it became clear that a switch to Ducati was not on did Alex Marquez’s camp advance their talks to join KTM.
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The younger Marquez sibling has already visited the KTM MotoGP factory in Munderfing, as well. The recent visit also moved the needle from KTM only ‘actively considering’ their post-Acosta future to their deal to sign Gresini rider Marquez for 2027 now ‘nearing completion’.
KTM could even field an all-Spanish line-up in 2027, as the Austrian brand have no desire to lose Tech3 star Maverick Vinales from their factory-contracted stable. KTM are desperate to retain Vinales, whose contract expires this year, even if it means Brad Binder losing his seat.
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Vinales was previously believed to be the heir to Acosta’s seat at KTM if the latter elected to leave, which is now expected to be the case with Ducati pursuing him. It is claimed that KTM told Vinales in October that he would be joining, before their chance to sign Marquez arose.
Now, KTM are looking at an all-Spanish line-up of Vinales and Marquez, who did not see the Austrian squad as his Plan B to a move to Ducati for 2027 at first but rather Plan C. Previous reports suggested that Marquez favoured a switch to Yamaha over KTM if he leaves Gresini.
Marquez believes it is very much the time for him to become a factory MotoGP rider, as his only previous experience of such came as a rookie at Honda in 2020. He moved straight up from Moto2 to Honda, but knew before the first race that he would be sent to LCR in 2021.
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