What to look out for in the 2026 MotoGP season
23 January 2026The 2026 MotoGP season is just around the corner, and the on-track action can’t come soon enough. Whether you’re new to MotoGP this season, or are a long-time fan, here are the big stories and events you’ll want to look out for in 2026.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu’s first MotoGP season
Arguably one of the biggest signings in the modern MotoGP era, triple WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu joins the MotoGP grid in 2026 with Prima Pramac Yamaha.
Razgatlıoğlu made a positive start to his rookie MotoGP season at the Valencia test, his best time placing him 18th, 1.294 seconds off the lap time set by the fastest rider of the test, Raul Fernandez. Compared to his fellow Yamaha riders, Fabio Quartararo was 15th, 0.554 seconds off, whilst Razgatlıoğlu finished ahead of Quartararo’s teammate Alex Rins, and his own new teammate Jack Miller, who placed 19th and 20th, respectively.
Razgatlıoğlu’s talent and skill can’t be denied, but he is joining the team that finished lowest in MotoGP’s Team standings in 2025, meaning showing his true potential in MotoGP will potentially be a more challenging task. The 2026 season will see adaptation be Razgatlıoğlu’s main aim - both to the bike, but also to the structure of a race weekend, and the season overall, with the sheer volume of race weekends across the season much larger in comparison to what Razgatlıoğlu will have been used to in the WorldSBK paddock.
Rider contract signings and silly season rumours
The 2026 rider market has the potential to be one of the most chaotic in recent years, as only three riders (Johann Zarco, Diogo Moreira, and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu), currently have contracts in place for the 2027 season. The winter break has stirred up several rumours regarding big names in the MotoGP paddock potentially moving to different manufacturers, but the regulation changes coming in 2027 mean that we’re less aware of which manufacturers could be running at the front, meaning both staying where you are, or moving to a new team, comes with risk.
Riders will be eager to perform well in the first few rounds of 2026, to either ensure they have strong negotiating power for potential contracts, or to simply keep their spot on the MotoGP grid, as an ever-growing list of talent lines up to take their place.
Yamaha’s V4 engine
With the end of the 2025 season seeing us bid farewell to Yamaha’s inline-four engine in MotoGP, 2026 sees all four Yamaha bikes on the grid powered by their new V4 engine. It will be an incredibly important season for the manufacturer, as they seek to improve upon recent years of declining performance, and secure strong riders for the first year of the new regulations.
Notably, the success of the V4 powered bike will be a deciding factor for whether 2021 MotoGP World Champion Fabio Quartararo wishes to remain with Yamaha, with Quartararo having expressed his frustrations with Yamaha’s competitiveness last season.
While it is still too early to know how competitive the Yamaha will be in 2026, the Valencia test saw both Miller and Rins give reasons to be optimistic about the manufacturer’s performance in 2026 and beyond.
MotoGP Returns to Brazil
After 22 years, MotoGP is returning to Brazil, as the Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia – Ayrton Senna hosts the second round of the 2026 season. The event will be a particularly special occasion for MotoGP rookie Diogo Moreira, as he will experience riding in front of his home fans. Riding in MotoGP as the reigning Moto2 World Champion, after becoming the first Brazilian rider to win a Grand Prix motorcycle racing championship, Moreira will no doubt be excited by the opportunity to show off his skills in front of the Brazilian crowds.
The Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup
A new series, formed through an exciting collaboration between MotoGP and Harley-Davidson, will see race-tuned Harley Davidson bagger motorcycles join the on-track action in 2026. Motorcycle racing fans will be treated to thunderous noise and remarkable speed and agility, creating a unique spectacle alongside the standard MotoGP schedule for six rounds of the 2026 season. After the first round in Austin, Texas, the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup will travel to Europe for five rounds, including a feature at the British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone in August.
