Marco Bezzecchi
Joan Mir is now on the verge of leaving Honda and joining Trackhouse for the 2027 season, according to a report.
Mir, the 2020 world champion, joined the Honda factory squad when Suzuki withdrew from MotoGP at the end of 2022. Initially Marc Marquez’s teammate, he has partnered Luca Marini for the past two seasons.
However, it’s widely believed that Honda have signed Fabio Quartararo for 2027. With LCR duo Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira both under contract, it seems inevitable that either Mir or Marini – potentially both – will leave the setup entirely.
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Joan Mir to Trackhouse in the final stages
It emerged last week that Trackhouse are interested in Mir, and Motorpasion Moto are now reporting that the deal is ‘very close’. Negotiations over a two-year contract have reached ‘the final stages’.
Trackhouse team manager Davide Brivio is the driving force behind the move after working with Mir at Suzuki. Brivio, still ‘enamoured’ with the Spaniard, has tried to sign him before and may finally get his wish.
Mir will lose his factory rider status but this is still an exciting move given Aprilia’s recent progress. Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura both finished in the top five at the Thailand Grand Prix.
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It’s difficult to say whether Aprilia will carry that competitiveness into the new regulations, but Massimo Rivola has tempted Francesco Bagnaia, one of the biggest stars on the grid, so there is clearly confidence in the Noale operation.
On the other side of the Honda garage, Marini has been linked with Yamaha, but Mir’s exit could make a contract extension more likely.
Raul Fernandez could lose his Trackhouse seat to Joan Mir
Mir’s impending arrival will force out either Ogura or Fernandez. A factory promotion is off the table after Bezzecchi signed a new deal and Bagnaia agreed to replace the Yamaha-bound Jorge Martin.
Motorpasion Moto believe Fernandez could be left ‘without a seat’ despite his recent coming-of-age. The 25-year-old won his first Grand Prix in Australia last year and has scored five podiums in his last seven starts (including Sprints).
It’s said that Ogura’s ‘Japanese passport’ will give him the edge. He may be more commercially valuable than Fernandez given the preponderance of Spanish riders.
What’s more, the 2024 Moto2 world champion has experience on Pirelli tyres, which could help Trackhouse when the Michelin era comes to an end.
It could be argued that Ogura has a higher long-term ceiling than Fernandez, even if he is currently losing out in their intra-team battle.
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