We are all expecting next year’s MotoGP Silly Season to live up to its name in every possible way. The period during which teams and riders negotiate new contracts is always a maelstrom of rumor, speculation, half-truths and outright lies as managers from both sides jostle for position and try to outflank each other. But with everyone bar Toprak Razgatlioglu, Diogo Moreira, and Johann Zarco looking for a contract for the 2027 season, and names like David Alonso, Manu Gonzalez and Dani Holgado from Moto2, and Nicolo Bulega from WorldSBK hoping to get a seat in MotoGP, things are likely to get exceptionally wild.
When there are so many riders out of contract and empty seats to fill, the deals tend to follow the paddock pecking order. And standing well clear at the top of that order is 2025 MotoGP champion and nine-time world champion Marc Márquez. The man who dominated this year is almost certain to be the first rider to put pen to paper for 2027 and beyond.
So it is no surprise to read on Motorsport.com that negotiations have already begun between Marc Márquez’ management and Ducati. The piece underlines Oriol Puigdemont’s reputation as the most well-informed journalist in the paddock, with Puigdemont stating that talks about a new contract started before the start of the Asian leg of MotoGP, and consequently before Márquez had even secured the 2025 MotoGP crown.
It’s (not) complicated
