Yamaha has agreed to sign Ai Ogura for the 2027 MotoGP season, pairing the 25-year-old with Jorge Martin in the factory team and replacing Alex Rins, Motorsport reporter Oriol Puigdemont and other outlets have reported. Yamaha is delaying any public announcement while the Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers Association (MSMA) and MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group finalize a five-year commercial contract.

Ogura won the 2024 Moto2 title and is in his second MotoGP campaign with Trackhouse Racing (Aprilia) after making his premier-class debut in 2025. He sits seventh in the championship after three rounds, with best finishes of fifth in Thailand and fifth in Brazil; reporters say he lost a podium opportunity to a technical issue and a mechanical failure in Austin ended his most recent race.

The Yamaha decision has triggered a wider rider-market reshuffle. The signing reduces options for Luca Marini, his camp has been told he is effectively ruled out for Yamaha, and it increases the likelihood Raul Fernández will remain with Trackhouse as that team will have a vacancy to fill. Reports indicate Honda’s (HRC) works squad appears set to pair Fabio Quartararo with David Alonso, sources say LCR seats are effectively sealed, and Dani Holgado has confirmed a move to Gresini Racing on a Ducati. Yamaha had considered promoting Izan Guevara or calling up Toprak Razgatlioglu from Pramac, but Razgatlioglu’s reported reluctance to leave Pramac and other market movements left Ogura as the chosen signing. Guevara enters the season with strong recent form and Yamaha has described him as having “explosive” premier-class potential.

Sources