KTM has announced two riders who will be part of their factory lineup for the 2027 MotoGP season: Spanish rider Alex Marquez and Italian Fabio Di Giannantonio. The announcements, made on Monday, first confirmed the agreement with Marquez, and then officially confirmed Di Giannantonio's signature.
Marquez concludes his four-year stint with Gresini.
Alex Marquez, who finished second in the 2025 MotoGP World Championship, will join Red Bull KTM Factory Racing from 2027. After three seasons with Honda, Marquez, who revived his career with Gresini Racing and achieved four victories, will race with the RC16 in the new season. 2027 will also mark his eighth season in MotoGP; thus, Marquez will have raced with three different manufacturers: Honda, Ducati, and now KTM.
KTM Motorsport Director Pit Beirer made the following statement regarding the agreement: “We are extremely pleased to include an exceptional talent like Alex Marquez – the runner-up in the 2025 World Championship – in our project. Alex’s extraordinary skill and racing intelligence, as well as his determination and winning mentality, perfectly match the KTM DNA. Our shared goal is clear: to take the KTM RC16 to the next level and compete at the forefront of MotoGP.’
KTM's decision to add Marquez to their roster is driven by Pedro Acosta's move to Ducati in 2027. Marquez is currently recovering from injuries he sustained in recent months.
Di Giannantonio is also leaving VR46.
In a second announcement made on the same day, KTM also revealed that they had added Fabio Di Giannantonio, who rides a Ducati Desmosedici under the VR46 Racing Team banner, to their lineup. The Italian rider will compete with the Austrian brand's RC16 from 2027 onwards.
Beirer also commented on Di Giannantonio: “Fabio has taken a significant step towards becoming a regular front-runner in MotoGP. His speed and dedication to performance are unquestionable. During our discussions, we were impressed by his passion for giving his maximum, both on and off the track.”
The fact that the two riders are coming together in the factory KTM lineup has a special significance: Marquez and Di Giannantonio spent the 2023 season as teammates at Gresini.
The electronic malfunction problem awaits resolution.
While KTM continues its 2027 plans, it is also grappling with a serious technical problem in the 2026 season. Following the financial crisis overcome with the support of Bajaj, the Austrian manufacturer's racing department has intensified its efforts to fix malfunctions that cause MotoGP prototypes to shut down unexpectedly. The source of the problem has been identified as excessive vibrations triggering the electronic control unit into emergency mode, cutting off the engine's power supply. Although engineers have identified the cause of the malfunction, a permanent solution has not yet been found.
The potential danger of this problem was clearly demonstrated at the Catalan Grand Prix: Pedro Acosta's RC16 suddenly lost power during acceleration, leaving Alex Marquez unable to avoid a collision with the Spanish driver.