Cal Crutchlow will return to MotoGP at the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello as LCR/Honda’s replacement for Johann Zarco, the team confirmed after a Misano test cleared the 40-year-old British rider to race. Zarco was ruled out after a heavy crash in Catalunya/Barcelona that left him with significant knee and ankle injuries and awaiting surgery, a situation LCR described as likely long-term. The move preserves LCR/Honda’s entry while Zarco recovers and addresses an immediate personnel need for the team.

Crutchlow took part in a one-off private test at Misano to assess his physical condition and was given the green light to step into Zarco’s seat for the Mugello round. The Mugello start will be his first MotoGP race since a wildcard outing at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix and will mark his 180th premier-class start. LCR team principal Lucio Cecchinello had said he wanted to field both LCR bikes at Mugello, and Diogo Moreira currently remains the only fit full-time LCR rider.

The short-term signing follows limited replacement options in the paddock. LCR’s regular test rider Takaaki Nakagami is occupied developing Honda’s 2027 850cc package and is unlikely to be available, and other potential stand-ins such as Aleix Espargaro remain in recovery. Crutchlow previously raced for LCR from 2015 to 2020, won three premier-class Grands Prix and achieved 19 podiums, then moved into a Yamaha test and reserve role with sporadic appearances through 2023. LCR and Honda framed Crutchlow’s return as a temporary solution while Zarco’s medical situation and the timing of any surgery remain unresolved.

MotoGP returns to Mugello for the Brembo GP of Italy this weekend. Ducati Lenovo said Marc Marquez has been medically cleared to race but will be reassessed after FP1 to confirm he can continue, following a right-foot fracture and surgery earlier this month and a recent operation to remove a loose screw from his right shoulder. Luca Marini said he is fit and ready after missing the 2025 Mugello with a testing injury and rejected Ducati’s suggestion he become a test rider, saying, “Right now, being a test rider isn’t what I want.” Jorge Martín said he feels ready to tackle Mugello but not fully recovered after several crashes in Barcelona, adding, “At Mugello, you’ve got to show your attributes!”

The championship picture raises the stakes. Marco Bezzecchi leads the standings by 15 points over teammate Jorge Martín after Barcelona, with Aprilia running four bikes inside the top six overall. Fabio Di Giannantonio arrives off his second MotoGP win in Barcelona. Francesco Bagnaia is a three-time Mugello winner (2022–24) and finished third in Barcelona. Pedro Acosta took pole in Barcelona, narrowly missed the Sprint win and was taken out on Sunday, but remains within striking distance of the title.

Injury absences and lineup changes continue to affect the grid. Alex Marquez fractured his C7 vertebra in the Catalan incident and will be replaced in Italy by test rider Michele Pirro. Johann Zarco suffered knee ligament damage in the same crash and will miss Mugello; Cal Crutchlow will step in for Italy. Zarco will also miss the Suzuka 8 Hours and be replaced there by Somkiat Chantra. Marini plans to start the Mugello weekend on a setup similar to his Barcelona configuration, aiming to reach the top ten in pre-qualifying and shift the weekend’s momentum. He prefers dry conditions while acknowledging Honda’s strengths in the wet, and he has a Safety Commission meeting scheduled with other riders, including Bagnaia and Bezzecchi, to discuss rider representation.

Manufacturers have proposed limiting each premier-class rider to a single bike from 2027 as a cost-cutting measure, a plan now being assessed by the championship promoter and Liberty Media as part of negotiations for the 2027–2031 Concorde Agreement. The change would remove the current two-bike option that allows riders to run divergent set-up directions and to swap machines in flag-to-flag races, and it would likely end flag-to-flag racing in its present form. Organizers and teams have discussed alternatives to manage changing weather and tire needs, including reintroducing mandatory red-flag stops or adopting garage pit stops with mandatory minimum times similar to WorldSBK, since typical flag-to-flag bike swaps are sub-three-second operations and would be impractical under a one-bike limit.

The proposal raises safety and sporting concerns because riders would have no spare machine available in practice or qualifying if they crash, and teams would lose the instant fallback that two bikes provide. Reports cite the Catalan Grand Prix, saying Pedro Acosta and race winner Fabio Di Giannantonio would have been unable to restart after damaging their primary bikes under a one-bike rule. Comparisons have been made to Moto2 and Moto3, which have used a one-bike model since 2010, and to WorldSBK, where teams can keep an uncertified spare in the truck that requires technical-inspector authorization if a major component is damaged. It remains unclear whether teams would be allowed to assemble a backup machine from truck spares or exactly how any new pit-stop procedure would be written, and organizers have not quantified projected savings.

The plan has prompted pushback and controversy during negotiations. Yamaha, Aprilia and KTM reportedly boycotted a factories meeting at Jerez, several rider announcements for 2027 have been delayed, and fans voiced strong criticism on social media, with some saying “this isn’t F1” and others drawing parallels to Formula 1’s 2008 spare-car ban. Any amendment to the two-bikes-per-rider rule would need a formal vote and approval by the Grand Prix Commission, and manufacturers’ objections and ongoing talks mean the proposal remains contested and could change before any adoption for the 2027–2031 period.

Toprak Razgatlioglu showed clear progress adapting to MotoGP on Yamaha’s updated M1 at the post-race Barcelona test. He completed 45 laps, the most of any rider, and said he really liked the new chassis because it improved corner entry, rear grip and consistency. Pramac team principal Gino Borsoi said the data show Toprak is learning to ride like Fabio Quartararo in many corners. The team ran the updated chassis and aerodynamic upgrades during the test, and Razgatlioglu said he is likely to race the updated package at Mugello on May 29-31.

Significant weaknesses remained on one lap and in race trim. Razgatlioglu could not unlock peak pace on Michelin’s soft tire, a dedicated soft-tire time attack left him 19th and last on the timesheets, about 1.257 seconds off the top. He crashed in Q1 at the Catalan GP and race officials demoted him from 15th to 16th after a tire-pressure penalty that cost him points. His race best lap was 0.630 seconds slower than the race winner, Fabio di Giannantonio, though it was within 0.2 seconds of teammate Fabio Quartararo’s best. Pramac and Razgatlioglu trace the shortfall to muscle memory from his World Superbike style, which biases him toward demanding exit grip rather than holding corner speed on the soft compound. After six rounds he sits 22nd in the championship.

Yamaha and Pramac said they will continue developing the M1, but straight-line speed remains a clear limitation. Yamaha managing director Paolo Pavesio warned Razgatlioglu is at “rock bottom” with the YZR-M1, but said the rider can adapt over time and must internalize adjustments. There is no confirmed engine update to fix the V4’s top-speed deficit, and the team said they hope to address straight-line issues with further updates and setup work. Feedback on Yamaha’s aerodynamic package was mixed, Jack Miller and Fabio Quartararo responded positively while several riders disliked the new front aero and said it needs more development. The Barcelona test was interrupted by a midday rain shower that limited running; Pedro Acosta set the fastest lap at 1:38.767 and Quartararo was second on 1:38.831.

Fabio Di Giannantonio overtook Pedro Acosta after the final restart to win a chaotic Catalan Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race was stopped twice after two heavy crashes. On lap 12 Acosta’s KTM lost drive on the back straight and Alex Márquez slammed into the stranded bike, a collision that destroyed Márquez’s machine, sent debris across the track and prompted an immediate red flag. A later first-corner pileup on the restart involved Johann Zarco, Luca Marini and Pecco Bagnaia and produced a second stoppage.

Di Giannantonio, who was hit by debris and suffered a left-hand injury, rejoined for the final restart, moved up through the field and made the decisive pass for the lead with two laps remaining to take the win for Pertamina Enduro VR46. The result was reshaped by post-race sanctions: Ai Ogura received a three-second penalty for contact that took Pedro Acosta out on the final lap, and stewards applied tire-pressure penalties that demoted several riders including Joan Mir and reshuffled the official podium, promoting Fermin Aldeguer and Francesco Bagnaia in the revised classification. The victory was Di Giannantonio’s second MotoGP win and his first for VR46, a result that moved him up the championship order. He missed the official post-race test on Monday to recover from his hand injury, and Alex Márquez underwent surgery to stabilize a fractured right collarbone and treatment for a marginal C7 vertebra fracture.

The weekend intensified debate about rider safety and restart protocols. Pedro Acosta and Jorge Martin publicly questioned the decision to restart the race after two red flags, saying rider welfare should come first, and commentators on the Oxley Bom podcast called the restart unsafe and raised concerns about holeshot devices. Calls followed for track and procedural changes, with voices urging reassessment of Turn 1 and the race start geometry. On-track tensions spilled into heated exchanges after Raul Fernandez tangled with Jorge Martin on a restart and limped home, and Aleix Espargaro described Fernandez’s subsequent public comments blaming Martin as “a joke.”

Alex Marquez beat pole-sitter Pedro Acosta to win the Catalan MotoGP sprint at Barcelona. Marquez took the lead on lap four and used the extra power of his Gresini Ducati GP26 to open a gap of roughly six tenths of a second at one stage.

Acosta mounted a late charge and steadily reduced the deficit in the closing laps, finishing extremely close to Marquez. Secondary reports give conflicting final margins: some outlets list 0.041 seconds, with one describing that as the closest sprint finish on record, while others list 0.118 seconds. One account appears to contain a likely typo calling the gap “four-thousandths.”

Because the secondary figures disagree, verify the final margin against the official MotoGP timing sheet for the authoritative result.

Tech3 confirmed at the Catalan MotoGP that it will remain partnered with KTM into MotoGP’s new 850cc/Pirelli era beginning in 2027, ending speculation the French-based squad would switch to Honda. The team announced a new multi-year agreement, the length of which was not disclosed, that commits Tech3 to KTM for the foreseeable future. Guenther Steiner, Tech3’s CEO and the leader of the consortium that acquired the team earlier in 2026, announced the deal in Barcelona after qualifying for the Catalan Grand Prix. Steiner and team principal Richard Coleman said the decision followed months of discussions under the new management. Steiner said, “in motorsport the strongest links are often those you already know inside out.”

Tech3 credited Hervé Poncharal and existing staff for building the foundation that made the extension possible, and noted continuity with KTM, a partner since 2019, will help the squad adapt quickly to the regulatory and technical reset in 2027.

KTM framed the deal as a continuation of an established factory relationship, describing Tech3 as a key extension of its factory effort with technical and operational support aligned to the works team. KTM motorsports director Pit Beirer said the factory was pleased to extend the relationship and that both parties will focus on competing “at the very highest level” from 2027 and beyond. Beirer also told reporters in Catalunya that KTM “will also definitely fight for them” and that KTM and Tech3 are “stronger together.” The announcement did not name Tech3’s riders or a title sponsor for 2027. Sources noted that Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales are contracted directly to KTM with options for 2027 and that KTM is waiting to finalize the team’s machinery deal before confirming those riders’ futures. There is ongoing speculation over Red Bull’s future backing of all four KTM RC16 machines, and the five MotoGP manufacturers are still negotiating a next five-year commercial contract with MotoGP SEG, a matter that could influence sponsorship and factory commitments going into the 850cc era.

Multiple reports say Pramac and Yamaha are preparing to promote Moto2 rider Izan Guevara to MotoGP for 2027. The move is described as provisional but close to being signed and is expected to be finalized before the summer break. Federico Zamagni reported Guevara’s Blu Cru contract contains a clause that could allow or compel a move to Pramac if he delivers “the right result” at the Catalan Grand Prix, a threshold Zamagni describes as securing the points needed to take the Moto2 championship lead. If activated, that scenario would likely displace Jack Miller at Pramac and leave Miller’s immediate future uncertain.

Reports give Guevara’s age as either 21, turning 22 next month, or 22. He extended his Yamaha contract through the end of 2027 and has built momentum on track: he won the 2025 Valencia Moto2 Grand Prix, and this season he has taken three podiums in the opening five rounds including a victory at Le Mans, leaving him second in the Moto2 riders’ standings. An impressive private test on a Yamaha M1, earlier Yamaha YZR-M1 testing and his involvement in Yamaha’s Moto2 project, backed by Pramac manager Gino Borsoi, are cited as factors behind the planned promotion.

Coverage of Yamaha’s intended 2027 reshuffle, reportedly overseen by managing director Paolo Pavesio, says Guevara would join Pramac alongside Toprak Razgatlioglu, with Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura in factory Yamaha seats. Some reports add that Alex Rins could leave and former factory rider Fabio Quartararo might move to Honda. That coverage also notes Jack Miller’s dip in competitiveness, no wins since 2022, currently last among full-time riders and outscored 5-0 by rookie teammate Toprak, though Miller posted one of his strongest Friday practice sessions at Catalonia and said, “I’m sick and f**king tired of being at the back.”