Posted by Liana Harrow
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It’s November 2025, and the MotoGP season just wrapped up with one of the most unpredictable finishes in recent memory. Francesco Bagnaia took the title by just 3 points over Enea Bastianini after a nail-biting finale at the Valencia circuit. The final lap saw three riders within half a second of each other - a scene that hasn’t been seen since 2016. If you follow motorcycle racing, you know this isn’t just about speed. It’s about strategy, tire management, and split-second decisions that separate champions from contenders.
The 2025 MotoGP World Championship came down to the last race. Bagnaia, riding for Ducati Lenovo Team, ended the season with 312 points. Bastianini, on Gresini Racing’s Ducati, finished at 309. That’s the closest margin since Marc Márquez beat Valentino Rossi by 5 points in 2013. Third place went to Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac Racing) with 287 points - his best season yet, and the first time a Pramac rider cracked the top three in the final standings.
In the Moto2 class, Ai Ogura claimed his first world title after a season-long battle with Pedro Acosta. Ogura won five races, including the last two, and finished with 268 points to Acosta’s 254. Moto3 was dominated by Izan Guevara, who became the first Spanish rider to win the class since 2018. He took 8 podiums and 3 wins, riding for the GasGas Aspar Team.
Starting next year, MotoGP will introduce a new tire allocation rule. Each rider will get only 18 slick tires for the entire race weekend - down from 22. This forces teams to be smarter about practice sessions and qualifying. No more throwing away tires in FP3 to chase a fast lap. Teams will need to rely on data more than ever.
Another big change: the ECU software will be standardized across all teams. Currently, factory teams like Ducati and Yamaha use custom software that gives them a slight edge in traction control and engine mapping. In 2026, everyone runs the same code. That’s supposed to level the playing field. But experts say it’ll actually make rider skill even more important - because the bike won’t compensate for mistakes anymore.
Biggest shock of the off-season? Fabio Quartararo is leaving Yamaha after six seasons. He’s moving to the Factory Ducati team for 2026, replacing Bagnaia, who’s staying put. Quartararo’s move is seen as a gamble - Ducati’s bike is fast but hard to ride. He’ll be working with a new crew chief, and the pressure to deliver will be intense.
On the other side, Aleix Espargaró is retiring after 12 seasons in MotoGP. He’ll stay with Aprilia as a test rider and ambassador. His retirement leaves a void in the midfield - he was one of the few riders who could consistently get a podium out of an underdog bike.
Two rookies are making the jump: 18-year-old Kaito Toba from Japan (joining the VR46 Racing Team) and 19-year-old Ethan Nott from the UK (signing with the LCR Honda team). Toba won the 2024 Moto3 title. Nott, a British Superbike champion, is being called the next Bradley Smith.
Aprilia is upgrading its engine for 2026. They’ve ditched the 80-degree V4 layout for a 90-degree version, which improves weight distribution and cornering stability. Early tests show a 0.3-second per lap gain on medium-speed turns - enough to turn a 10th-place finish into a podium.
Honda is quietly testing a new aerodynamic fairing with movable winglets. It’s not legal yet under current rules, but they’re lobbying the FIM to allow it in 2027. If approved, it could change how riders corner - think Formula 1’s DRS, but for motorcycles.
Yamaha’s biggest issue? They’re still using the 2024 chassis for 2025. No major updates. That’s why their riders finished 5th and 6th in the standings. Rumor has it they’re rebuilding the entire bike from the ground up for 2026 - a complete reset.
The 2026 MotoGP calendar adds two new tracks: the Red Bull Ring in Austria gets a night race slot, and the newly rebuilt Sepang Circuit in Malaysia returns after a three-year break. The Sepang upgrade includes new asphalt, better runoff areas, and LED lighting for evening sessions.
The season opens on March 7 in Qatar, as usual. But now, there’s a back-to-back double-header in Europe: Spain on April 11, then Portugal on April 18. That’s new. Teams will have to manage logistics tighter than ever - no more flying home between races.
MotoGP isn’t just entertainment. It’s a testing ground for real-world motorcycle tech. The traction control systems used in MotoGP now appear in high-end street bikes like the Ducati Panigale V4 and the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R. The same tire compounds developed for racing are sold to the public. Even the data logging systems used by teams are now available in aftermarket kits for track-day riders.
And the environmental angle? All MotoGP bikes run on biofuel blends made from waste cooking oil and algae. Starting in 2026, the fuel must be 40% renewable. That’s up from 25% in 2025. It’s a small step, but it shows the sport is moving toward sustainability - without sacrificing performance.
In the UK, all races are broadcast live on Sky Sports MotoGP. For free highlights, YouTube’s official MotoGP channel uploads race recaps within 24 hours. The MotoGP app gives live timing, rider telemetry, and audio from the pit radio - all for free. Many fans say the pit radio is the best part: hearing riders say things like, “I’m out of front grip,” or “I need to save tires,” makes the race feel real.
Follow the official MotoGP Twitter account. They post real-time updates from the paddock - like when a rider changes his helmet design before qualifying, or when a team swaps a rear shock after FP2. These little details matter more than you think.
Francesco Bagnaia won the 2025 MotoGP World Championship riding for the Ducati Lenovo Team. He clinched the title by just 3 points over Enea Bastianini in the final race at Valencia.
For 2026, MotoGP will reduce tire allocations from 22 to 18 slicks per rider per weekend. The ECU software will also be standardized across all teams, removing factory-specific advantages. This puts more emphasis on rider skill and team strategy.
Fabio Quartararo is moving to Ducati because he wants a new challenge after six seasons with Yamaha. Ducati’s bike is faster on straights but harder to handle in corners. Quartararo believes he can adapt and help develop the bike into a title contender again.
Yes. Two rookies are joining: Kaito Toba from Japan, moving up from Moto3, and Ethan Nott from the UK, coming from British Superbikes. Both are highly rated and expected to make an immediate impact.
MotoGP now uses biofuel blends made from waste cooking oil and algae. Starting in 2026, 40% of the fuel must be renewable, up from 25% in 2025. The sport is testing electric prototypes for future use, but for now, the focus is on cleaner combustion fuels.