As the Buriram paddock kicks off the 2026 season, the driver transfer market for 2027 is already virtually closed. This absurd situation has sparked reactions from veterans, notably Danilo Petrucci, who sees this haste as a threat to sporting fairness and driver motivation. Here's an analysis of this "fool's market" that's causing a stir behind the scenes of the Thai Grand Prix.
MotoGP hasn't even started its 2026 season yet, but the 2027 grid already seems almost finalized. And this frenzy of contract signings is causing some resentment. Danilo PetrucciHe, however, knows exactly what that means. He experienced it firsthand…
Flashback. In 2020, the Covid pandemic delayed the start of the championship. The drivers were in lockdown. The engines were silent. But the market didn't stop.
Ducati decides to prepare for the future… without waiting for the first Grand Prix. Petrucci learns that he will be replaced by Francis Bagnaia et Jack Miller, even though the season hasn't even started.
He still remembers it: Yes, I experienced it in 2020, while I was confined to my home due to Covid. That's when Ducati hired the riders for the following years. Bagnaia and Miller, even though the championship was still supposed to start in 2020"A cold, strategic... but brutal decision."
Danilo Petrucci: “ I don't understand this logic. »
As 2026 approaches, the scenario is repeating itself on a large scale. Marc Marquez should stay at Ducati. Peter Acosta is indicated in red. bagnaia would be linked to Aprilia until 2030. fabio quartararo would go to Honda. George Martin would switch to Yamaha. And yet, not a single Grand Prix has been held yet.
Petrucci wonders about moto.it : « It's clear that this isn't good for anyone.. That's why I always struggle to understand what it really means to do all this at this time of year, without even seeing how the driver performs during the year. »
His argument is simple: how can you commit to two or three seasons without knowing what the current year will bring?
Petrucci cites the case of Jorge Martin, victim of injuries in 2025. Because anything can happen, like what happened to Martin, who got injured, or something could happen before we've even had a chance to see a driver's performance during the year. »
A season is long. An injury, poor technical adaptation, a rule change… and the entire hierarchy can be turned upside down. Signing too early is like taking a blind gamble.
Faced with this contract inflation, some propose a solution: establishing an official transfer window.
Carlos ChecaA former Grand Prix winner supports this idea. According to him, setting a negotiation period in the middle of the season would allow for an assessment of actual performance, avoid hasty commitments, and maintain driver motivation.
Because today, several stars will be racing in 2026 knowing that they will be wearing different colors in 2027. The question then becomes inevitable: can you really give 100% for a team that you are already mentally leaving?
Modern MotoGP is ultra-strategic. Manufacturers lock in talent two years in advance. Managers negotiate behind the scenes from the preseason onwards. Riders operate on a dual calendar: sporting and contractual.
Danilo PetrucciWith the benefit of hindsight, he does not outright condemn the system. But he does highlight its absurdity.
Sign before you run. Substitute before you evaluate. Decide before you see. He's been there. And he knows that in this game, it's not always the fastest who win… but the fastest to sign.
