Ai Ogura’s emergence as a MotoGP race winner became one of the defining developments of the 2026 season. By the run-in to Phillip Island, but, MotoGP’s account of the championship differed from the standings outlined here: its October 19 preview put Jorge Martín and Marc Márquez just two points apart, with five rounds remaining. Ogura was fourth overall, one point ahead of Pedro Acosta. The preview also noted that Ogura had scored five podiums in the previous six Grands Prix.
Márquez’s future with Ducati was another major paddock story. MotoGP’s published 2027 rider line-up said Ducati Lenovo Team would retain him “until at least 2028” and named Pedro Acosta as his teammate from 2027. The same report described Ogura as a MotoGP winner and said he would join Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP alongside Martín in 2027.
Aprilia’s strength was also evident late in the season. At Phillip Island on October 23, MotoGP reported four Aprilias inside the top five in Friday practice, with Márquez third. Those were practice-session positions, not the Grand Prix classification. They showed the manufacturer’s competitive form.
Assen remains one of MotoGP’s most storied venues, and qualifying there has produced its own storylines. Jorge Martín’s pole position and the wider weekend developments are covered in this report on the Assen qualifying shake-up.
With Martín and Márquez separated by only two points in the late-season standings and Ogura continuing to collect podiums, the title contest remained finely poised. The official 2027 rider line-up also pointed to a reshaped grid: Márquez and Acosta at Ducati, with Martín and Ogura set to race for Yamaha.
