The domino effect will hit sooner than expected. Richard Coleman, the future team principal of Tech3 KTM, who will arrive in January alongside the high-profile Guenther Steiner, has issued a warning to the entire MotoGP paddock: the rider market for the 2027 season will ignite "very early next year." And the impending regulatory chaos could send all the riders scrambling to sign contracts.
The reason for this anticipated rush? The great leap into the unknown. In 2027, MotoGP will undergo a transformation with the arrival of 850cc engines and the return of Pirelli as the sole supplier of tires. Problem: no one knows today which manufacturer will come out on top.
« Given the way contracts have been concluded during this cycle and what will happen in the next cycle – the fact that nobody really knows who will be fit – I think there is no reason why drivers should not commit quickly. Because there's no reason to wait and see" assures Richard Coleman à speedweek.
With just one test Pirelli With the prototype completed and the 850cc still unseen, the riders will be navigating blindly. The strategy? To focus on a project deemed solid before knowing the true pecking order. A situation that could redraw the map of loyalties well before the first tests.
Tech3 at the forefront: Viñales and Bastianini in their sights
Coleman, who will inherit a team whose contracts all expire at the end of 2026, will find himself in the midst of the turmoil. His drivers, Maverick Vinales et Enea Bastianiniare under direct contract with KTM… for now.
« It is unknown whether this situation will continue in 2027."A statement that casts doubt on the strategy of KTM, even though its CEO, Gottfried Neumeister, affirms that the continuation of the partnership with Tech3 is his "Plan A". ColemanHe, however, is categorical about his criteria: talent is undoubtedly our top priority. By motorcycle, the driver has a much greater impact than in a carThat's a fact. »
The prediction of Coleman it rests on an implacable mechanism. I think some big names will arrive earlyAnd when that happens, the rest of the grid will have to move at the same time. So I think that even in the first quarter of next year, we'll see some changes. »
If a leader like Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin ou Marc Marquez If a pre-contract is signed early in 2026, the entire grid will have to react in the aftermath, triggering a widespread upheaval well before the summer.
2026 It is therefore shaping up to be a year of extremely tense behind-the-scenes dealings, where secret negotiations will count almost as much as the races themselves. With a Richard Coleman determined to mark his arrival and a Guenther Steiner known for his daring exploits, Tech3 could well be the epicenter of this predicted earthquake. The war for the 850cc era has already started in the offices.
