Red Bull KTM has completed its 2027 factory line-up, confirming that 2025 world championship runner-up Alex Marquez and VR46's Fabio Di Giannantonio will ride the RC16 — a double swoop on Ducati talent that reshapes the front of the MotoGP grid ahead of the sport's new 850cc era.
Both riders sign multi-year deals. Marquez leaves Gresini, where he became one of the season's standout performers, while Di Giannantonio steps up from Valentino Rossi's VR46 squad to a full works seat for the first time. The pair replace Brad Binder, who will leave the factory team at the end of this season, and Pedro Acosta, who is reported to be bound for Ducati.
KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer left little doubt about the scale of the coup. "We are extremely proud and happy to have secured an exceptional talent like Alex Marquez — the 2025 world championship runner-up — for our project," he said. "Alex brings not only outstanding skill and race intelligence but also determination and a winning mindset that perfectly matches our DNA."
Beirer set out a blunt target for the partnership. "Together we share a clear objective: to take the KTM RC16 to the next level and fight at the very front of MotoGP."
He was equally effusive about Di Giannantonio, a two-time race winner who has become a regular front-runner. "Fabio has clearly made a step to become one of the consistent front-running guys in MotoGP. We cannot question his speed and commitment to delivering the best performance," Beirer said. "He is a strong team player and a good guy, that we know will fit easily into our Red Bull KTM Factory Racing project."
The deal lands hardest at Gresini, which loses the rider who carried it to second in last year's standings. Team principal Nadia Padovani did not hide her disappointment. "Alex, it's truly hard to let you go," she said. "We've shared emotions, growth, and moments that I will carry in my heart forever."
The timing is significant. Analysts at The Race cast the signings as a calculated gamble tied to 2027's sweeping regulation reset, when the switch to 850cc engines wipes out much of the current competitive order and hands every manufacturer a fresh start. Writers at GPblog made a similar point, arguing that prising two proven Ducati riders away is exactly the kind of statement KTM has needed after years of chasing the front.
The reshuffle ripples down the grid. Fermin Aldeguer is set to inherit Di Giannantonio's factory-spec VR46 seat, leaving Ducati to reorganise its satellite ranks. For KTM, the message is simpler: after a decade of trying, the Austrian marque has assembled its most credible line-up yet — and staked its 2027 on it.
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