Diogo Moreira reacts to claims he only landed MotoGP seat because of his Brazilian passport

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Diogo Moreira denies claims that he only got a MotoGP ride because of his Brazilian passport.

Brazil had not had a MotoGP rider since Alex Barros left the sport at the end of the 2007 MotoGP season, but Diogo Moreira earned a promotion to the class for 2026.

Moreira entered the paddock in 2022 and spent two years in the Moto3 class, before moving to Moto2 in 2024, and went on to win the Moto2 World Championship in 2025.

The Brazilian had been heavily linked to a MotoGP ride with Pramac Yamaha or LCR Honda, before he was the Championship leader, which led many to believe he only got a MotoGP move with LCR because of his nationality.

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Diogo Moreira denies he is in MotoGP just because he is Brazilian

Whilst discussing being the first Brazilian rider in MotoGP since Alex Barros with Sport.es, Moreira was asked whether his nationality got him to MotoGP.

The Brazilian admitted that nationalities do help secure rides in MotoGP, but he believes his own achievements got his LCR Honda ride.

Moreira said, “At first it did bother me, because I was doing well and I think people were following me for that, not for the flag. Then I focused on winning the title and forgot all about it. I didn’t look at Instagram, or comments, or anything.

“It’s true that in this championship the flag helps a lot, but in my case I think I’m in MotoGP on my own merits.”

Diogo Moreira scored points on his MotoGP debut

At the Thailand Grand Prix, Moreira made his MotoGP debut with the LCR Honda Team, and was able to score points at the Chang International Circuit.

The Brazilian rider did not score points in the Sprint Race on Saturday, but on Sunday he went on to score three points as he finished in 13th place in his first Grand Prix as a MotoGP rider.

During Free Practice on Friday at the Thailand Grand Prix, Moreira was able to follow Marc Marquez and said he was the ‘perfect’ rider to be behind.

Moreira said, “I learned quite a lot from his wheel in terms of lines, how to enter the corners, and, honestly, I took advantage of the perfect moment to get behind him.”