The 2026 MotoGP season is set to mark the end of an era, with five experienced riders preparing to leave the premier class after years of success.
Maverick Viñales, Alex Rins, Jack Miller, Brad Binder and Franco Morbidelli will all be absent from the 2027 MotoGP grid. Together, the five riders have collected 25 MotoGP victories and 84 wins across the three Grand Prix categories.
While their MotoGP careers are coming to an end, three of them are expected to continue racing in the World Superbike Championship.
Jack Miller will make the switch to Yamaha’s factory WorldSBK team after spending the past two seasons with Pramac Yamaha in MotoGP. The Australian will leave the premier class after 12 seasons, during which he claimed four MotoGP victories.
Brad Binder will also move to WorldSBK after KTM opted not to retain him for 2027. The South African, who has spent seven seasons in MotoGP and 16 years competing in the world championship, will join BMW’s factory team.
Binder is expected to become teammates with Miguel Oliveira, who made the move from MotoGP to WorldSBK for the 2026 season.
Source: News.GP
Franco Morbidelli is also expected to join the WorldSBK grid, although his move has yet to be officially announced. The Italian is set to join Ducati’s factory WorldSBK squad, replacing Nicolo Bulega.
Morbidelli enjoyed his strongest MotoGP season in 2020 when he finished runner-up in the championship. He has three premier-class victories and spent nine seasons in MotoGP after winning the 2017 Moto2 world title.
The arrival of Miller, Binder and Morbidelli would add considerable experience to WorldSBK, while the riders could also benefit from a major tyre change coming in 2027. Michelin will become WorldSBK’s sole tyre supplier, while Pirelli will take over as MotoGP’s supplier.
For Viñales and Rins, however, the next chapter will take them away from WorldSBK.
Viñales has made it clear that he has no plans to race in the production-based championship. The 10-time MotoGP race winner will finish his current contract with Tech3 KTM, bringing his premier-class career to a close.
Viñales has not raced since retiring from the German Grand Prix in July, but his MotoGP career has already produced victories with Suzuki, Yamaha and Aprilia.
Rins is also turning down the opportunity to move to WorldSBK. The Yamaha rider had reportedly received an offer from GoEleven to race a Ducati Panigale V4, but chose to pursue a different direction.
The Spaniard is instead preparing to move into car racing, bringing his motorcycle career to an end, at least for now.
The departures of Viñales, Rins, Miller, Binder and Morbidelli underline just how much MotoGP is changing heading into 2027. A new generation is ready to take their places, while several established names will begin new chapters away from the premier class.
For fans, it will be the end of a familiar era, but also the beginning of a very different MotoGP grid.
