Milestone: New MotoGP framework in place until 2031, five factory teams on the grid

The talks between the manufacturers active in MotoGP – Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, KTM and Yamaha – and the World Championship’s rights holder, the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group, newly established under the auspices of Liberty Media, were anything but a mere formality. This comes as no surprise – after all, the commercial and sporting future of MotoGP for the years 2027 to 2031 is at stake.

The discussions centred not only on a greater financial contribution from the manufacturers, who make significant investments to ensure the spectacular show on two wheels. There were also discussions on how MotoGP should present itself and where it should be staged. In addition, further fundamental decisions were made, such as the number of manufacturers, teams, riders and motorcycles, as well as the confirmation of the key technical cornerstones of the new regulations from 2027 onwards.

After months of wrangling over the new framework agreements, all parties involved managed to reach an agreement in the wake of the Balaton GP. SPEEDWEEK.com reported on 14 June. The official signing ceremony has now taken place in Brno.

At midday, the management of MotoGP and all the manufacturers gathered to officially launch the new MotoGP era for the next five years. No fewer than eight top executives demonstrated unity following the complicated negotiations: Carlos Ezpeleta for the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group, Massimo Rivola (Aprilia Racing), Gigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse), Koji Watanabe (Honda HRC), Pit Beirer (KTM Factory Racing) and Paolo Pavesio (Yamaha Motor Racing).

The key message: all five manufacturers currently competing in MotoGP have committed to participating up to and including 2031. The total number of starting places will remain fixed at 22, as before. Should another manufacturer enter the World Championship, this would only be possible via an independent customer team.

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At the landmark press conference at the Brno circuit, Carmelo Ezpeleta said of the newly signed agreement: “Today marks a decisive milestone for MotoGP. The commitment of all five manufacturers not only strengthens the championship’s current position but also underlines the shared ambition that is driving its future. Together with our long-standing partnership with the FIM, which runs until 2060, this agreement provides us with a strong platform for further growth – building on decades of progress and with the aim of moving into a new phase for this sport.”

Ezpeleta emphasised: “I would like to thank our manufacturers for their cooperation, unity and long-term commitment throughout this entire process. Whilst we are proud of the growth that MotoGP has achieved over the past decades, our focus is very clearly on what comes next: expanding our global reach, further developing the sport and reaching new audiences around the world.”

Important: With agreement reached at the marketing and manufacturer levels, the contracts already concluded between the manufacturers, their teams and the riders become legally binding. For this reason, no rider changes for 2027 and 2028 have been officially confirmed to date, even though 70 per cent of the MotoGP grid has long been finalised. A flurry of media reports on the new teams for the big names in MotoGP – Pedro Acosta, Alex Márquez, Pecco Bagnaia, Jorge Martín and Fabio Quartararo – has long been in the pipeline.

There were no surprises, and decisions on contentious issues such as a possible single-bike rule in MotoGP were not addressed at the extraordinary media event. The sole aim was to present a united front and reach a shared understanding of the future of MotoGP.