– Honda is apparently working on an ambitious plan for the 2027 MotoGP season: According to information from Motorsport.com, a partner site of Motorsport-Total.com, the manufacturer plans to increase its presence to six motorcycles. The prerequisite is an agreement with a second satellite team.
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Between 2014 and 2019, Honda reduced the number of motorcycles used in MotoGP from eight to just four. For 2027, six bikes are now set to be on the track again – two in the factory team and two each in the customer teams.
Honda hopes this will provide greater strategic flexibility, particularly in the areas of motorcycle development as well as rider management and placement.
Gresini and Trackhouse apparently not an option
In recent months, according to Motorsport.com, Honda has held talks with potential partners such as Trackhouse and Gresini. However, Trackhouse is said to have no plans to split from Aprilia, and Gresini is on the verge of extending with Ducati.
Despite the loss of Alex Marquez (moving to KTM) and Fermin Aldeguer (competing for VR46) for the coming season, team boss Nadia Padovani is said to have agreed to the Ducati proposal. Particularly interesting is the prospect of putting together a strong rider lineup with the signing of Daniel Holgado.
Photo gallery: The motorcycles and teams of the 2026 MotoGP season
The Tech3 team is also increasingly coming into focus, which, after being sold to an investment group with Günther Steiner as the face of the team, is apparently open to a change of motorcycle supplier. The background is the uncertainty about the future of KTM under the Indian owner group Bajaj.
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Why Honda wants to expand its lineup
With six motorcycles, Honda would have significantly more leeway in the rider lineup. So far, only Fabio Quartararo is considered a fixed rider in the 2027 factory team, even if this has not yet been officially confirmed. This would mean that Joan Mir or Luca Marini – or even both – would have to vacate their current cockpits.
Apart from Quartararo, the only Honda riders under contract beyond 2026 are Diogo Moreira and Johann Zarco at LCR. The Brazilian is currently a rookie and is considered a long-term prospect with a contract until 2028.
Zarco’s contract expires in 2027. In addition, HRC plans to bring Moto2 talent David Alonso into the team. Whether he joins the factory team directly alongside Quartararo or is first developed in a satellite team is yet to be decided.
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Increasing to six motorcycles would give Honda more options overall and potentially allow them to keep a current rider – likely Marini, who has already held talks with Yamaha and is apparently more open than Mir to accepting a role outside the factory team.
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