Marco Bezzecchi
Honda have decided to sign Moto2 talent David Alonso to complete their factory 2027 MotoGP rider line-up, ahead of Fabio Quartararo joining them from Yamaha next year.
The Tokyo natives took advantage of their Japanese rival’s struggles at the start of their V4 engine programme to lure Quartararo out of Iwata. It has widely been claimed since January that Quartararo has agreed to leave Yamaha and join Honda in 2027 on a two-year contract.
But while Honda moved very early in the frantic MotoGP rider market to sign Quartararo for 2027, the Tokyo outfit gave themselves time to pick his teammate. Honda especially wanted to see how their 2026 factory rider line-up of Joan Mir and Luca Marini performed this year.
Mir and Marini are both out of contract with Honda at the end of the 2026 MotoGP season. Honda also have LCR duo Johann Zarco and rookie star Diogo Moreira on factory contracts through at least 2027. But Honda are now believed to be dipping into Moto2 to sign Alonso.
Honda have chosen David Alonso to be Fabio Quartararo’s 2027 MotoGP teammate – What do you rate their line-up out of 10?
Honda are set to sign David Alonso to complete their factory 2027 MotoGP rider line-up
That is according to AS, which reports that the CFMoto Moto2 team are now set to see their two 2026 riders graduate to MotoGP in 2027. Honda have decided to sign Alonso to partner Quartararo in their factory line-up, while Gresini are now set to sign Daniel Holgado, as well.
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Honda have long been linked with a move to sign Alonso, who CFMoto are already planning to replace with their Moto3 sensation, Maximo Quiles. Alonso has been bound for MotoGP since he won the 2024 Moto3 title with CFMoto, with 14 Grand Prix wins from the 20 races.
Alonso also won the 2025 Moto2 Hungarian Grand Prix as a rookie with CFMoto on Balaton Park’s debut on the calendar last August. The 19-year-old currently sits seventh in the 2026 Moto2 standings, after retiring in Thailand before he finished P5 in Brazil and P4 in America.
Ducati and KTM were interested in signing David Alonso for the 2027 MotoGP season
It emerged ahead of the start of the 2026 campaign that Honda were thinking about Alonso partnering Quartararo in 2027, but they are not the only MotoGP team keen on him. Also, it is said that Honda studied putting Alonso at Gresini in 2027 to sign the satellite Ducati team.
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Ducati have been one of Honda’s rivals in the hunt to sign Alonso, who Pit Beirer confirmed KTM are “definitely” speaking to about a 2027 MotoGP seat – as well as Holgado. Although, it has also been suggested that Alonso’s wage demand is 10-times what Ducati offered him.
It remains to be seen how important the chance to graduate from Moto2 and instantly join Honda’s factory team with 2021 MotoGP champion Quartararo was in Alonso’s decision to join the Tokyo crew. Honda also boast a vastly superior budget than Ducati and KTM enjoy.
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