Marc VDS’s Moto2 team is closing down: this reduces the field by two riders

On 5 July 2026, Belgian Marc van der Straten, who had invested many millions in motor racing throughout his life – including in his teams in the Moto2 and Superbike World Championships – passed away. It had been rumoured for some time that, from 2027, we would only see one of these teams. It is now confirmed: Marc VDS will leave the paddock of the World Motorcycle Championship and the Moto2 class at the end of the season.

This means that both of this year’s riders, Aron Canet and Deniz Öncü, will need a new employer for 2027. As previously reported on SPEEDWEEK.com, Canet will be moving to Team REDS Fantic. The eccentric Spaniard, who had a contract with Marc VDS running up to and including 2028, will team up with Belgian Barry Baltus and take over from Tony Arbolino.

Deniz Öncü has also found a new Moto2 team, where he will be back on a Kalex after a difficult season on the Boscoscuro machine. The 23-year-old Turk, a protégé of manager Kenan Sofuoglu and a friend of Toprak Razgatlioglu, has signed for the Spanish-Dutch Momovem RW team.

Three-time Moto2 World Champion

The Marc VDS team has enjoyed great success in the Moto2 World Championship over the years, securing three titles with Tito Rabat, Franco Morbidelli and Alex Márquez. Under team manager Michael Bartholemy, the team also competed in MotoGP between 2015 and 2018, securing one victory with Jack Miller on a Honda.

As things stand, the Marc VDS places in the Moto2 class will not be reallocated; instead, the field will be reduced to 28 riders. In the medium term, according to promoter Liberty, there are even plans to have just 26 riders on the grid, which is considered sufficient. There were applicants for the Marc VDS places, foremost among them Michael Laverty’s GRYD team, which is already competing in Moto3 and would have liked to expand its participation.

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Marc VDS’s involvement in the World Superbike Championship will continue under team manager Marina Rossi, the wife of rider Sam Lowes. However, contrary to repeated rumours, the line-up will not be expanded; veteran Sam Lowes will remain a lone rider in 2027 as well. Ahead of this coming weekend’s races in Cremona, the Englishman is fifth in the World Championship and thus the second-best Ducati privateer.