The Race

Yamaha and Honda’s slumps and 2026 rider changes (ad-free)

Added 2025-07-09 07:00:08 +0000 UTC

Off-track, Honda and Yamaha are the key protagonists in the 2026 MotoGP rider market. On-track, they’ve both gone backwards again after their breakthrough results in May.

Why has that happened, and is a champion rider like Jorge Martin right to put his faith in investment and long-term hope over current performance and the evidence of recent years? Simon Patterson and Val Khorounzhiy make the case for Honda and Yamaha’s prospects to a sceptical Matt Beer in The Race MotoGP Podcast.

Honda’s likely 2026 line-up - and a surprise twist in it - is discussed too, as is the possibility of a total rider clearout at Yamaha’s second team, even though the Pramac duo Miguel Oliveira and Jack Miller are matching or outperforming struggling factory rider Alex Rins.

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