Marco Bezzecchi
Giacomo Agostini has criticised the MotoGP rider market as rumours fly around the paddock about transfers for the 2027 season.
Given the nature of MotoGP contracts, which often run in two-year cycles, the rider market is in complete chaos. With most of the grid out of contract in 2026, teams are scrambling to secure their line-ups for 2027.
The 2026 season has only just had its first race in Thailand, yet there have already been multiple rumours about 2027 transfers. Riders want to secure their new deals as quickly as possible, and some are believed to have already signed contracts.
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Francesco Bagnaia is set to join Aprilia, reportedly on a four-year deal and leave Ducati. The Bologna Bullets are said to have signed Pedro Acosta, who will partner with Marc Marquez.
Jorge Martin is joining Yamaha in 2027 with Bagnaia taking his place at Aprilia, while Fabio Quartararo is Honda-bound, having lost patience with Yamaha’s project. This chaotic rider market has sparked debate about whether it should be regulated.
Giacomo Agostini suggests rider transfers should happen mid-season as 2027 rumours are ‘too fast’
The 2027 rumours are spoiling the 2026 season and its title fight, as fans, but most importantly, the riders, will be more focused on next year and their new contracts. They have to race for a team in 2026 that they are no longer committed to.
Agostini argues that this damages the relationship between rider and team, and that such rumours are ‘too fast’ for MotoGP. Speaking to Moto IT, he proposes that transfers should only happen mid-season.
“We’re too fast today,” said the Italian. “You know at the start of the season that you’ll be moving to another team, and so you lose the connection, the rapport.
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“And the team will also say: ‘How can I work for this rider who then leaves us?’ I’d say they’re exaggerating, as they are in many things.
“It would be right to wait at least halfway through the season, not start any sooner. Also because then there’s a lot of talk: Aprilia already has Bezzecchi and Martin, so I don’t know what else they can do.
“It’s all just a lot of talk. It would be better to start talking about the transfer market midway through the season, not now.”
READ MORE: Each 2026 MotoGP rider’s contract length and wage, including Marc Marquez
Implementing a MotoGP transfer window would be difficult, but it’s worth exploring
Riders signing contracts for 2027 before the 2026 season has started, and the implications for their current situation have led to debates as to whether MotoGP should have a transfer window, similar to football.
The idea would be that deals can only be done in a set window of the year. Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola is in favour of this proposal, but there will always be problems with this system.
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The obvious problem is that, even if there were a transfer window, it would not stop teams and riders from talking to each other beforehand.
Like in football, players and teams enter negotiations sometimes months before the transfer window even opens. It does not stop the rumour mill from descending into chaos, thus making this system, while worth exploring, difficult to introduce.
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