The 2027 MotoGP season will bring one of the biggest changes to the championship in years, with 850cc engines, Pirelli tyres and revised technical regulations arriving together. The rider line-up will also look very different, with several leading names switching teams.
Reigning world champion Marc Marquez has already secured his place at Ducati for the new era, while Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi is another factory rider set to remain with his current team. With much of the grid changing around them, Marquez has singled out three rider moves that he believes will be particularly interesting to watch.
The Ducati rider immediately highlighted his future team-mate Pedro Acosta, who will leave KTM at the end of 2026 to join the factory Ducati squad.
Acosta has shown flashes of his enormous potential during his time in MotoGP, but his KTM has often prevented him from consistently fighting at the front. A move to Ducati will give the Spaniard access to one of the strongest packages on the grid and could provide the platform he needs to turn his speed into regular victories.
“Pedro will be one of the most interesting talents who is moving to the winning bikes,” Marquez said.
The move will also create an intriguing dynamic inside the Ducati garage, with Acosta joining a team led by a rider who has already established himself as the benchmark of the current MotoGP field.
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Marquez also pointed to Fabio Quartararo's move to Honda as one to watch closely.
The 2021 world champion will leave Yamaha after years with the Japanese manufacturer and join Honda for the start of the 850cc era. Honda has spent recent seasons trying to recover from a difficult period, but the new regulations provide every manufacturer with an opportunity to reset their projects.
For Marquez, Quartararo's speed is not in question. The bigger question is whether Honda can give him a bike capable of matching his ability.
“If Fabio has the bike, he will be fast,” Marquez said.
That makes Quartararo's move particularly significant. If Honda makes a major step forward with its 2027 machine, the Frenchman could quickly return to the front of the grid and become one of the key riders in the new era.
The third move Marquez highlighted is that of his current Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia, who will leave Ducati at the end of the 2026 season and join Aprilia.
Bagnaia has spent the past several years at the heart of Ducati's MotoGP project, winning two world championships before Marquez took over as the team's leading title contender. His switch to Aprilia will therefore be one of the biggest changes among the factory riders.
Aprilia has emerged as a serious force in MotoGP, with Marco Bezzecchi currently leading its factory effort. Bagnaia's arrival could give the Italian manufacturer another proven race winner and former champion to help develop its new-generation 850cc machine.
“Bagnaia in Aprilia is a very good rider,” Marquez said.
The three moves also represent three very different scenarios. Acosta will move to a proven winning team, Quartararo will attempt to help revive Honda, while Bagnaia will take on the challenge of helping Aprilia establish itself as a consistent title contender.
Marquez initially joked that the tyres could be the most interesting change for 2027, but when asked specifically about riders, he had little trouble identifying the trio he will be watching most closely.
“If Pedro has the bike, he will be fast,” Marquez said, highlighting the importance of the machinery available to each rider.
With the 2027 regulations set to reshape both the bikes and the competitive order, these three moves could have a major influence on the championship's next chapter. For Marquez, the challenge will be to defend his title against a grid that could look very different once the new era begins.
