2026 MotoGP (spoilers allowed)

[Lightcycle]

Two weeks till the first race in Thailand!

Lots of pre-season drama:

- New Yamaha V4 suffers major engine problems during testing
- Toprak not looking optimistic
- Super-early Silly Season with 2027 signings already underway, riders placing their bets on which team will come out of the starting gates with the best non-aero, non-ride-height 850cc
- Marquez rumoured to have renewed with Factory Ducati for 2027
- Other rumours: Quatararo to Honda, Martin to replace him at Yamaha, Bagnaia shopping himself around (maybe Aprilia) as Ducati also sniffing around Acosta's garage
- Alex Marquez eager to move on from Gresini, linked to Factory KTM
- Martin still suffering from injuries sustained late last season, hopes to make it to the last pre-season test next weekend
- Pre-season test in Sepang shows a continuation of last year's Ducati dominance with Aprilia right on their heels

Any predictions for 2026? In how many rounds will MM93 clinch the title...?

 

[Priller]

Filler year, playing out the string on these 1000cc models. Everyone else will be pouring the development money into the 850cc bikes, so I expect more Ducati Cup than ever and possibly a record points haul for Marc. Would at least like to see Aprilia steal a win or two before they get swallowed by the engine development money of the Japanese factories next year.

Wake me up in 2027...

 

[250R-ICE]

Just renewed my Video Pass. But was really reluctant because I agree with the comment above. Hopefully there will be more challenges for first.

 

[Priller]

Just renewed my Video Pass. But was really reluctant because I agree with the comment above. Hopefully there will be more challenges for first.

Not sure if you can get RevTV, but they carry most of the races. I set the PVR, but barely watched a minute once it became clear how the season would go. You don't the all the FP and QP stuff, but that is a lot less interesting anyway since they squeezed the sprint races into Saturday.

As a bonus, RevTV also carries quite a bit of WSBK and the TT, which I watched a lot of last year. Also some WRC, which I haven't watched since Subaru were in their pomp. Makes me feel better about not watching the GP's when there's lots of other motorsports attached to the monthly bill...

 

[PacoT]

I'm planning a trip to Japan this year. I'm making my best to align it with the race there. I would love to listen to those 1000CCs engines before they go away.

 

[gammaguy21]

Not sure if you can get RevTV, but they carry most of the races. I set the PVR, but barely watched a minute once it became clear how the season would go. You don't the all the FP and QP stuff, but that is a lot less interesting anyway since they squeezed the sprint races into Saturday.

As a bonus, RevTV also carries quite a bit of WSBK and the TT, which I watched a lot of last year. Also some WRC, which I haven't watched since Subaru were in their pomp. Makes me feel better about not watching the GP's when there's lots of other motorsports attached to the monthly bill...

I recorded all the races last year on RevTV just in case I had issues with my MotoGP subscription. I was cleaning up the recordings and decided to watch a couple of the races before I deleted them. When I watched the MotoGP race there was NO commentary! Difficult for me just to watch without any insight. That was a hard no for me. I was going to let my MotoGP subscription expire... but turns out I need the commentary (good or bad).

 

[Brian P]

If you want to watch MotoGP at Phillip Island, you had better get on the case, because this is the last year.

It's being replaced by a partial street circuit in Adelaide for 2027, which I don't like one bit. Yuck.

 

[Priller]

If you want to watch MotoGP at Phillip Island, you had better get on the case, because this is the last year.

It's being replaced by a partial street circuit in Adelaide for 2027, which I don't like one bit. Yuck.

The F1-isation of MotoGP will start this year. Big money tracks and big money dictatorships will get priority, tracks like PI and maybe even Mugello will go away because they don't have enough hospitality boxes. Bad news for WSBK, too, which I can't see lasting long in it's current guise unless Liberty sells it off...

I recorded all the races last year on RevTV just in case I had issues with my MotoGP subscription. I was cleaning up the recordings and decided to watch a couple of the races before I deleted them. When I watched the MotoGP race there was NO commentary! Difficult for me just to watch without any insight. That was a hard no for me. I was going to let my MotoGP subscription expire... but turns out I need the commentary (good or bad).

Weird. I will admit I barely watched any MotoGP last year, but the few races I did watch had the standard commentary. Wish they used the Sky Sports commentary out of the UK, it's far better than the MotoGP feed...

 

[Lightcycle]

If you want to watch MotoGP at Phillip Island, you had better get on the case, because this is the last year.

It's being replaced by a partial street circuit in Adelaide for 2027, which I don't like one bit. Yuck.

That sucks. So many great motorcycle tracks I wish would come back to the calendar, like Laguna Seca.

On a kinda related note, COTA is going private soon and this is the last year they are allowing track days for the public. If you want to ride that circuit, better do it in 2026. Big money probably won't have problems securing that venue for races. Although F1 is confirmed at COTA into the next decade, MotoGP is still under negotiations.

Not that great a motorcycle track, IMO.

Also under speculation for MotoGP 2027 is another US track, Flatrock in Tennessee:

Want to ride Flatrock? Well you can't, cause it's private as well. Tiered membership starting at $250K, with Ultimate memberships going for $2MM. That gets you your own 2,400 sq ft garage...

Area 27 membership at $50K (CAD!) is looking like quite a steal...

 

[Lightcycle]

Big money tracks and big money dictatorships will get priority, tracks like PI and maybe even Mugello will go away because they don't have enough hospitality boxes.

Too true.

When I was there, was so surprised that PI has barebones hospitality!

All seating is entirely temporary and have to be put up and taken down for each race to host the spectators.