That is why Moto2 is no longer an option for (almost) all MotoGP departures

The 2027 MotoGP season brings not only new 850cc prototypes but also a host of other changes – and a thoroughly reshuffled field of riders. With Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo), Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pramac-Yamaha), Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse-Aprilia) and the Honda riders Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira, only five of the 22 riders will retain their places.

Twelve MotoGP riders will hand in their race numbers on the evening after the MotoGP finale in Valencia and head for new team garages, including big names such as Fabio Quartararo (moving to Honda HRC), Jorge Martin (Yamaha), Fabio Di Giannantonio (KTM) and Pecco Bagnaia (Aprilia).

A one-way street: times have changed

Five current riders are leaving: Alex Rins, Jack Miller, Franco Morbidelli, Maverick Viñales and Brad Binder. The careers of these riders, all of whom are MotoGP winners, will continue in a variety of ways in 2027. One thing is certain, however: none of the riders will be switching back to the middle GP class next year, as was quite conceivable and actually happened in previous generations.

Alex Rins: Rücktritt statt Moto2

Foto: Gold and Goose

For Yamaha rider Alex Rins, for example, a move to Moto2 was never on the cards. Speaking to SPEEDWEEK.com, the current Yamaha factory rider said: “No, I never considered Moto2 when it came to alternatives. Everyone sees it differently, but in the GP paddock, MotoGP is a unique experience that cannot be compared to anything else.” The consequence, following failed attempts to secure a place in a Superbike works team: Alex Rins will retire after 15 years (with a Moto2 runners-up title to his name).

Topic of the week

Topic of the week: MotoGP’s new schedule proved highly controversial

In 2027, MotoGP will also enter the 850cc era with a new schedule. It was not so much the changes themselves as the way the decisions were reached that caused a stir. A prime example of: ‘Talking helps’.

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Jack Miller, Brad Binder and Franco Morbidelli didn’t have to give a Moto2 project a second thought. The Australian is moving to the Superbike World Championship with Yamaha, Binder has secured a BMW works contract, and Morbidelli will also be keeping his foot on the throttle in 2027 – as the successor to world champion Nicolo Bulega at Ducati.

It is worth noting, however, that Franco Morbidelli, the 2017 Moto2 World Champion, has not ruled out a return to his former and highly successful stomping ground. Morbidelli: “Of course, MotoGP is something very special – but first and foremost, I’m a racing driver. So why shouldn’t I also ride in Moto2, as long as I’m competitive and full of passion? The class is, albeit in its own way, also incredibly tough and exciting.”

Jürgen Lingg (Intact GP): Teamchef des 2026 erfolgreichsten Moto2-Teams

Foto: Gold and Goose

SPEEDWEEK.com then wanted to know whether, in the current era of Grand Prix racing, a MotoGP rider’s return to Moto2 is a sensible move – and spoke to Intact GP team boss Jürgen Lingg. As a reminder: Intact GP re-signed GP ace Tom Lüthi for Moto2 following the collapse of his MotoGP career – with a highly pleasing outcome: third place in the 2019 World Championship.

Despite this successful example, the boss of the team leading the 2026 Team World Championship is, to put it mildly, sceptical. “Whilst Tom has proven that a move down a class can work, we mustn’t forget that he already had a huge amount of experience to draw on and had only raced in MotoGP for one year,” said Lingg.

He continued: “However, I think it would currently be difficult, if not impossible, for a MotoGP rider to successfully ‘step down’. Apart from the fact that the Moto2 World Championship features so many young, hugely talented riders with immense ambition racing in such close quarters, the technology also plays a role. In MotoGP, the development of electronics and aerodynamics is so crucial that competing with virtually no electronics would be a massive adjustment. And the fact is: if even the tiniest details are missing, you won’t be a contender at the top in Moto2.”

Moto2 teams know: MotoGP riders aren’t the first choice

Even MotoGP greats are unlikely to stand a chance against the Moto2 elite on an ad hoc basis. The remaining MotoGP castoff, Maverick Viñales, is likely to be well aware of this. Moreover, all the top positions for 2027 have long since been filled in Moto2 as well. Unless a role as a development rider becomes available, the 31-year-old’s only hope is to remain in the running as a reserve rider. For 2027, too, MotoGP continues to move in only one direction; there are no plans for riders to drop down to a lower class.