MotoGP teams have agreed to hold off announcing 2027 rider signings amid Dorna negotiations

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Several riders look to have already secured their new contracts for the 2027 MotoGP season, but teams are holding off on any official announcements.

The MotoGP rider market has already been chaotic ahead of the 2026 season. Many big-name riders were set to act fast and secure their next move before the first race in Thailand, and according to reports, multiple deals are already agreed.

Marc Marquez has signed a new contract with Ducati, with rumours suggesting that Pedro Acosta will be joining Marquez at Ducati from 2027, parting ways with KTM.

Francesco Bagnaia has signed a four-year deal with Aprilia, having pulled a U-turn on Yamaha after seeing their struggles with the V4. Speaking of the Iwata outfit, Yamaha have agreed to sign Jorge Martin, with star rider Fabio Quartararo looking set to join Honda.

There has already been significant movement on the rider market for the 2027 season, yet the only official announcement that has come from the teams has been Aprilia extending Marco Bezzecchi’s contract. But there is a clear reason for this.

MotoGP teams agree to hold off announcing 2027 signings as they negotiate new contracts with Dorna

A report from Motorsport Espana has detailed the reasons for the radio silence from the teams regarding rider signings for 2027. It is all part of a ‘strategy’ agreed by the Manufacturers’ Association (MSMA).

The members of the MSMA have been in negotiations with Dorna, now MotoGP Sports Entertainment, for ‘almost a year now’ for what would be the equivalent of Formula 1’s Concorde Agreement, which details the distribution of funds to teams through the sport’s commercial rights.

The current agreement between Dorna and the MotoGP teams expires in 2026, and the new one, which will cover from 2027 to 2031, ‘remains unresolved’. Negotiations have been going on during the Buriram test and are set to continue on Tuesday.

Given the situation, the teams are not making public the riders they have signed for 2027, as ‘there is no document that links them to the competition on that date’. Put simply, they do not have a contract to compete in MotoGP for next year and beyond.

As a result, Motorsport Espana reports that the teams’ announcements of their 2027 riders, which ‘should have already been launched’, have been ‘put on hold’ until an agreement is reached with Dorna.

READ MORE: 2026 MotoGP rider contract lengths and wages including Marc Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi

Could some satellite teams switch manufacturers in 2027?

As the teams continue negotiations with Dorna over a new ‘Concorde Agreement’, there could be some changes among the manufacturers and their satellite teams.

It has been reported that VR46 could move to Aprilia. Valentino Rossi is said to be dissatisfied at Ducati after his team were beaten by Gresini in 2025.

It has even been suggested that VR46 could go to Yamaha, given Rossi’s strong ties with the factory during his MotoGP days.

Aprilia wish to keep their current roster, but there have been rumours that Trackhouse have held talks with Honda. The Japanese giants are looking to add a second satellite team to their ranks.