{"id":4196,"date":"2026-10-20T09:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=4196"},"modified":"2026-10-20T09:46:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T12:46:09","slug":"honda-confirms-moreira-alongside-quartararo-for-2027-as-alonso-moves-to-lcr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/honda-confirms-moreira-alongside-quartararo-for-2027-as-alonso-moves-to-lcr\/","title":{"rendered":"Honda confirms Moreira alongside Quartararo for 2027 as Alonso moves to LCR"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Honda has officially promoted Diogo Moreira to its factory MotoGP team for 2027<\/strong>, pairing the Brazilian with 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>David Alonso will join Johann Zarco at LCR Honda<\/strong>, completing the manufacturer&#8217;s four-rider line-up for the new technical regulations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Moreira scored points in 14 of his first 17 MotoGP races and finished second in the Japanese GP sprint<\/strong>, convincing Honda to accelerate his promotion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Honda has officially confirmed Diogo Moreira as Fabio Quartararo&#8217;s teammate in its factory MotoGP team for 2027<\/strong>, choosing the Brazilian over David Alonso after an impressive rookie campaign and completing its four-rider line-up for the championship&#8217;s new technical era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Japanese manufacturer announced the decision on Tuesday, October 20, ending months of speculation about which of its two young prospects would receive the factory seat. <strong>Moreira will move from LCR to Honda HRC Castrol on a multi-year agreement<\/strong>, while Alonso will make his MotoGP debut with the satellite team alongside Johann Zarco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision represents a significant step in Moreira&#8217;s career, coming less than a year after the Brazilian won the 2025 Moto2 World Championship. His progress during his first MotoGP season, including a breakthrough sprint podium at Motegi, convinced Honda that he was ready to become a central part of its rebuilding programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreira welcomed the announcement and described joining the factory team as a childhood ambition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It is a fantastic feeling to arrive to the factory Honda HRC team in MotoGP,&#8221; he said in the manufacturer&#8217;s official statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Moreira earns Honda promotion after impressive rookie season<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreira entered MotoGP in 2026 after winning the Moto2 title in his fourth season competing in the world championship paddock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Brazilian joined LCR Honda with a long-term HRC agreement, allowing the manufacturer to evaluate his adaptation before deciding where he would race in 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His opening races were focused on learning the Honda RC213V, particularly its braking characteristics, electronics and tyre management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first major breakthrough came at the Catalan Grand Prix, where Moreira secured his first top-ten finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He subsequently became increasingly competitive against the manufacturer&#8217;s more experienced riders, frequently fighting for the position of leading Honda during race weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Honda&#8217;s official figures show that <strong>Moreira scored points in 14 of his first 17 Grands Prix<\/strong>, demonstrating consistency as well as improving outright speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His most important result came at Motegi, where he finished <strong>second in the Japanese Grand Prix sprint<\/strong>, securing his first MotoGP podium at Honda&#8217;s home circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The performance attracted considerable attention within HRC, particularly because it came during a season in which the manufacturer was still attempting to recover competitiveness against Ducati, Aprilia and KTM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Japanese Grand Prix also gave Honda an opportunity to assess Moreira under pressure, with the Brazilian maintaining his position against more experienced rivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result strengthened his candidacy for the factory seat and helped settle the internal competition with Alonso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/motogp-indonesia-mandalika-lcr-diogo-moreira-4-1024x576.png\" alt=\"MOTOGP 2026, GP DA INDON\u00c9SIA, MANDALIKA, LCR, DIOGO MOREIRA\" class=\"wp-image-1020317971\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/motogp-indonesia-mandalika-lcr-diogo-moreira-4-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/motogp-indonesia-mandalika-lcr-diogo-moreira-4-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/motogp-indonesia-mandalika-lcr-diogo-moreira-4-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/motogp-indonesia-mandalika-lcr-diogo-moreira-4-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/motogp-indonesia-mandalika-lcr-diogo-moreira-4-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/motogp-indonesia-mandalika-lcr-diogo-moreira-4-150x84.png 150w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/motogp-indonesia-mandalika-lcr-diogo-moreira-4.png 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Diogo Moreira (Photo: LCR)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Moreira promises to help Honda return to the top<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreira acknowledged that the promotion represented a major achievement but emphasised that his objective was to contribute to Honda&#8217;s long-term recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I want to say thank you to everyone in Honda HRC for putting their faith in me and making the next step in this project,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Brazilian also credited LCR for supporting his adaptation during his first MotoGP season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Of course, I must also say thank you to everyone in LCR who have helped me in my adaptation to MotoGP,&#8221; Moreira added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He explained that the work completed during 2026 had given him confidence about the manufacturer&#8217;s prospects under the new regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;So far in 2026 we have done a great job to adapt to the bike and the sensations for the future are already very positive from what we have seen.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreira concluded by emphasising his determination to help Honda challenge for victories and championships again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The manufacturer&#8217;s Motorcycle Racing Division general manager, Yuzuru Ishikawa, praised the Brazilian&#8217;s ability to adapt quickly to different machinery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Moreira has always been able to adapt to new bikes quickly,&#8221; Ishikawa said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Japanese executive highlighted Moreira&#8217;s experience in motocross, Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP as evidence of his versatility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Honda believes that quality will be especially important in 2027, when the championship introduces a completely new technical package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">David Alonso joins Zarco at LCR after losing factory seat battle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreira&#8217;s promotion also confirms the destination of <strong>David Alonso<\/strong>, who will make his MotoGP debut with LCR Honda in 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Colombian had already signed an agreement with HRC earlier in the season, but the manufacturer had not announced whether he would join the factory operation or the satellite team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Honda has now confirmed that Alonso will replace Moreira at LCR, partnering experienced French rider Johann Zarco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decision completes the manufacturer&#8217;s four-rider line-up and gives Alonso an opportunity to adapt to MotoGP without immediately carrying the expectations associated with a factory seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alonso won the <strong>2024 Moto3 World Championship<\/strong> after a dominant campaign and moved to Moto2 in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the 2026 season, he has established himself as one of the intermediate category&#8217;s leading riders, collecting a victory and several podium finishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Honda&#8217;s official announcement confirms that Alonso has finished inside the top nine in 12 of the first 17 races and currently occupies fifth place in the Moto2 standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Colombian described LCR as an ideal environment for his first season in the premier class, citing the team&#8217;s experience and its history of developing young riders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/honda-set-to-pick-moreira-over-alonso-for-2027-motogp-factory-seat-as-announcement-nears\/\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO previously reported when Honda&#8217;s decision emerged<\/strong><\/a>, Moreira&#8217;s rapid adaptation and his Motegi sprint podium had made him the leading candidate for the factory promotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That earlier report has now been confirmed by Honda&#8217;s official announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Quartararo and Moreira lead Honda&#8217;s 2027 rebuild<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The factory team&#8217;s new pairing combines an established MotoGP world champion with one of the championship&#8217;s most promising young riders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fabio Quartararo won the 2021 MotoGP title with Yamaha<\/strong>, becoming one of the leading riders of his generation before the Japanese manufacturer began struggling with technical development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His decision to join Honda for 2027 represents one of the most significant moves in the rider market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreira, meanwhile, brings youth and experience of Honda&#8217;s current motorcycle, having completed his rookie campaign with LCR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The combination will give HRC two drivers with different backgrounds but a shared objective of restoring the manufacturer to the front of the championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Honda has struggled for consistent victories since Marc M\u00e1rquez&#8217;s departure, undergoing several changes to its engineering structure and development programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The manufacturer has invested heavily in rebuilding its technical operation, with the new regulations offering an opportunity to change its competitive position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The factory team will be supported by LCR, where Zarco provides extensive MotoGP experience and Alonso offers another long-term development prospect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Honda&#8217;s complete 2027 MotoGP rider line-up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Team<\/th><th>Rider<\/th><th>2026 team<\/th><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Honda HRC Castrol<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>D. MOREIRA<\/strong><\/td><td>LCR Honda<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Honda HRC Castrol<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>F. QUARTARARO<\/strong><\/td><td>Yamaha Factory<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pro Honda LCR<\/td><td>J. ZARCO<\/td><td>LCR Honda<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pro Honda LCR<\/td><td>D. ALONSO<\/td><td>Moto2<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>All four riders were confirmed by Honda Racing Corporation on October 20, 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Honda prepares new 850cc motorcycle for MotoGP 2027<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The line-up has been assembled for one of the biggest technical changes in modern MotoGP history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From 2027, engine capacity will decrease from <strong>1000cc to 850cc<\/strong>, while aerodynamic devices will face additional restrictions and ride-height systems will be banned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The championship will also switch from Michelin to Pirelli tyres, creating new challenges for manufacturers and riders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Honda has already begun evaluating its next-generation prototype, with development focused on improving performance while adapting to the revised technical regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreira&#8217;s promotion gives the manufacturer continuity between its existing MotoGP programme and the new era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His experience of the RC213V and his feedback from the 2026 season will be valuable as Honda develops its new motorcycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quartararo will bring a different technical perspective after spending his entire MotoGP career with Yamaha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alonso will begin his premier-class career on the same generation of machinery, allowing Honda to evaluate the progress of its younger riders under the new regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2027 championship will feature several major rider changes, including Jorge Mart\u00edn&#8217;s move to Yamaha, Pedro Acosta&#8217;s arrival at Ducati and Nicol\u00f2 Bulega&#8217;s promotion from WorldSBK to VR46.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The complete rider market is detailed in <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/motogp-2027-grid-complete-all-22-riders-and-teams-confirmed-for-new-era\/\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO&#8217;s 2027 MotoGP grid guide<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Moreira prepares for final LCR races before factory promotion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreira will complete the remaining rounds of 2026 with LCR before joining the factory team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His next appearance is scheduled for the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on October 23\u201325.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The event will be the final MotoGP race at the circuit before the championship moves to Adelaide in 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/motogp\/phillip-islands-final-motogp-5-records-marquez-and-rivals-can-chase-before-adelaide-takes-over\/\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO examined in its Phillip Island historical preview<\/strong><\/a>, the farewell weekend will bring together several records and milestones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreira will then race at Sepang before the final rounds of the season, using those events to continue developing his experience ahead of the move to HRC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Honda has officially promoted Brazilian rider Diogo Moreira to its factory MotoGP team alongside Fabio Quartararo for 2027, confirming the line-up ahead of the championship&#8217;s new technical era as David Alonso joins LCR.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020316865,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Diogo Moreira","42wp_featured_image_credits":"LCR","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_ai_content_disclaimer":"","42wp_is_ai_content":false,"42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":140,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_hide_from_automatic":false,"42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[38],"tags":[37,316,34,35],"42wp_author":[140],"class_list":["post-4196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-motogp","tag-david-alonso","tag-diogo-moreira","tag-fabio-quartararo","tag-honda","42wp_author-kaio-esteves"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4196"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4197,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4196\/revisions\/4197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020316865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4196"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=4196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}