The make-up of the MotoGP grid is covered by a complicated, largely private network of contracts tying riders to teams, manufacturers or both.
Below is our guide to MotoGP contract cycles, and the states of the individual contracts making up the grid for 2025 and beyond.
How contracts work in MotoGP
The MotoGP grid is split by conventional wisdom into the manufacturer teams - hiring the best of the best and intending to fight for championships - and privateer teams - represented by riders who are usually supposed to fight lower down the grid and often are simply trying to make a name for themselves as they look for their big manufacturer break.
But that is no longer how things work, as MotoGP no longer has a true privateer class - that of teams that simply lease bikes, usually older-spec bikes at that, from factories and then go racing separately from the manufacturer's efforts.
Instead, MotoGP's privateer teams are now largely satellite teams - running current-spec bikes, existing in tight cooperation with their manufacturer partner and often even running riders contracted to that manufacturer rather than to themselves.
This is also partly why MotoGP's conventional two-year contract cycle, which has governed the championship for multiple decades, is now felt well beyond the headliner manufacturer teams.
With the current contract cycle covering 2025 and 2026, only five grid spots are nominally open in 2026 - and yet no grid spot is filled for 2027, when new bike regulations will kick in (and new manufacturers could come in, while certain old ones are at risk of leaving).
While these contracts tend to span January 1 to December 31 of the relevant years, riders who have committed to a move are often allowed by their current employers to at least test the bikes that they will ride next year even while the contract is still in force.
The 2025 grid's contract situations
Factory Ducati
Pecco Bagnaia - end of 2026 (factory contract)
Marc Marquez - end of 2026 (factory contract)
VR46 Ducati
Fabio Di Giannantonio - end of 2026 (factory contract)
Franco Morbidelli - end of 2025
Gresini Ducati
Alex Marquez - end of 2026
Fermin Aldeguer - end of 2026 (factory contract)
Among the Ducati rider ranks, only Franco Morbidelli is nominally a free agent at the end of the upcoming season.
Of the factory-contracted riders, Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez are presumably locked into the works team and Fabio Di Giannantonio has been officially announced as a VR46 rider for the two-year span.
Fermin Aldeguer is likewise locked into Gresini for two years, although his deal is known to be a 'two-plus-two' - which means that Ducati would presumably be able to guarantee (depending on the exact stipulations in the contract) the Spaniard's stay in Ducati ranks for 2027-28 if he proves to be a huge success at Gresini.
Factory KTM
Pedro Acosta - end of 2026 (factory contract)
Brad Binder - end of 2026 (factory contract)
Tech3 KTM
Maverick Vinales - end of 2026 (factory contract)
Enea Bastianini - end of 2026 (factory contract)
As part of the arrangement between KTM and Tech3 the riders placed at the latter are fully-fledged KTM employees - riders not only on factory contracts but who KTM and Tech3 wants to publicly emphasise as having factory status fully equal to the Red Bull-backed main outfit.
Brad Binder's renewal to the end of 2026 was made official back in 2023 (he effectively kicked off the contract cycle), while KTM did not communicate an end date for its deals with Acosta, Vinales and Bastianini.
However, it is an open secret all those deals currently run through the end of 2026 - though they may contain options for extension.
KTM's continuation beyond 2026, or event 2026, remains subject of much speculation and contrasting reporting amid the manufacturer's financial hardships.
Factory Aprilia
Jorge Martin - end of 2026 (factory contract)
Marco Bezzecchi - end of 2026 (factory contract)
Trackhouse Aprilia
Raul Fernandez - end of 2026
Ai Ogura - end of 2026
Aprilia announced both Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi on multi-year agreements - but has been forthcoming in privately admitting that it's just corporate speak for MotoGP-standard two-year deals.
It used to be the contractor for satellite team Trackhouse's riders, but now they are contracted directly to the team instead. However, the Trackhouse deals are part of that same two-year cycle anyway - with both Raul Fernandez and rookie Ai Ogura committed until the regulation change.
Factory Yamaha
Fabio Quartararo - end of 2026 (factory contract)
Alex Rins - end of 2026 (factory contract)
Pramac Yamaha
Miguel Oliveira - end of 2026 (factory contract)
Jack Miller - end of 2025 (factory contract)
Pramac's arrival into the Yamaha camp - after leaving previous partner Ducati - comes with full factory support, which includes a factory-contracted line-up.
Miguel Oliveira is in the same contract cycle as works team riders Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins, their deals all taking them to the start of 2027.
Jack Miller, however, is on what you could describe as a one-year 'prove it' deal, having faced a likely MotoGP exit before Pramac and Yamaha swooped in to keep him on the grid for 2025.
Factory Honda
Joan Mir - end of 2026 (factory contract)
Luca Marini - end of 2025 (factory contract)
LCR Honda
Johann Zarco - end of 2025 (factory contract)
Somkiat Chantra - end of 2025 (factory contract)
Honda has the most interesting contract situation by far out of MotoGP's five factories.
Marc Marquez's exit three years into a four-year 2021-24 deal - an exit granted by Honda, rather than one based on any contractual option - threw it off-sequence in the rider market, as did Rins' pivot to Yamaha for 2024.
In recruiting Luca Marini to replace the former and Johann Zarco to take the latter's ride at satellite team LCR, Honda gave both standard two-year deals - but it means they are currently both due to hit free agency in 2026, rather than 2027 like the overwhelming majority of their peers.
Rookie Somkiat Chantra has only been announced as an LCR rider for 2025, but is known to have a one-plus-one deal - reportedly containing an option on Honda's side for 2026.
