NEWS
New Rider Duo Confirmed: World Championship Leader Switches to Yamaha
Just on Tuesday, factory riders Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins were announced to depart. Now Yamaha's rider duo for the upcoming season is set – a real coup for the Japanese manufacturer.
Yamaha's new rider duo from the 2027 season is confirmed.
The Iwata factory confirmed on Wednesday that current World Championship leader Jorge Martin and Japan's Ai Ogura have signed contracts with the Yamaha Factory MotoGP Team for the 2027 and 2028 MotoGP seasons.
"Entering a New Era"
"We are delighted to welcome Jorge and Ai to the Yamaha Factory MotoGP Team as we enter a new era in 2027. The signing of riders of this caliber underlines our ambition and confidence in the project," said Paolo Pavesio, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing.
Former World Champion to Depart
Just on Tuesday, Yamaha announced the end of its collaboration with its two factory riders Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins at the conclusion of the 2026 MotoGP season.
Quartararo raced continuously for Yamaha since his MotoGP debut in 2019 and became the flagship rider for the Japanese manufacturer.
During this period, he celebrated eleven Grand Prix victories and stood on the podium 32 times. The highlight came in 2021 with the capture of the World Championship title in the premier class.
