It has been an open secret for months now, but it is finally confirmed. Brazilian rider Diogo Moreira is to take the place of Somkiat Chantra in the LCR Honda team for 2026. The official announcement of the deal with Moreira finalizes the 2026 MotoGP rider line up.
The contract for Moreira has been signed directly with Honda, rather than LCR, the press release stating it is a “multi-year” deal. That means it is for at least the 2026 and 2027 season, though we do not know if it extends beyond that. But as with all multi-year deals, that is no guarantee. Both the rider Moreira replaces, Somkiat Chantra, and Prima Pramac Yamaha’s Miguel Oliveira had contracts for 2026, but failed to meet performance targets.
The fact that Moreira is signed directly with HRC means that Honda is free to put him where they want in 2027. Should he perform above expectation, he could earn promotion to the factory team, or Honda can choose to keep him in LCR.
