The 2026 season will be the last in MotoGP for an entire generation of top-level riders, all of whom have enjoyed long careers and grand prix victories. The group comprises of five talents in Maverick Vinales, Alex Rins, Jack Miller, Brad Binder and Franco Morbidelli, all born in 1995 except for the Italian, who was born in December 1994.
Between them, they have 25 premier class grand prix victories and 84 wins across the three categories, with Morbidelli’s 2017 Moto2 title and the Moto3 crowns won by Vinales in 2013 and Binder in 2016 standing out among their achievements.
Three of these accomplished racers will join the World Superbike Championship, which is also run by the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (MotoGP SEG).
Among the trio, Australia’s Jack Miller will race for the factory Yamaha team, the same manufacturer he has represented with satellite outfit Pramac for the past two seasons.
Miller will leave MotoGP after 12 seasons in the premier class, having scored four victories.
It has also been officially confirmed that Binder will join the growing list of MotoGP stars moving to the production-based series. After 16 years in the world championship, including the past seven in the premier class, the South African will leave KTM to join BMW’s factory WorldSBK outfit.
Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
He will partner Miguel Oliveira, who moved from MotoGP to WorldSBK this year after 15 seasons in the premier-class paddock.
Morbidelli’s move has not yet been officially announced, but he is also expected to follow the same path after committing to the Ducati factory team, where he will replace Nicolo Bulega on the bike that has won 26 out of 27 races held in the category this season.
After nine years in the premier class, Morbidelli will therefore have to seek a new challenge. The Italian finished runner-up in the 2020 MotoGP championship and has three premier class grand prix victories to his name.
The three high-profile additions are expected to boost the championship’s competitiveness and, above all, its popularity.
One of the key advantages for riders making the switch between the two championships will be the arrival of Michelin as the sole tyre supplier in WorldSBK, replacing Italian manufacturer Pirelli, which will take over from the French company as MotoGP’s tyre supplier.
Maverick Vinales, Red Bull KTM Tech 3
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
Vinales and Rins say no to WorldSBK
The other side of the coin is represented by Spaniards Vinales and Rins, who have ruled out moving to the production-based paddock.
Tech3 KTM rider Vinales made his position clear in a social media post, writing: “Stop writing stupid articles about me: I will not race in SBK and I will finish the year as stated in my contract.”
That contract will be the final one of his MotoGP career for the 10-time grand prix winner, who has not ridden a motorcycle since retiring from the Sachsenring race on 12 July, eight weeks ago.
WorldSBK does not appear to have provided the motivation or appeal Rins is looking for either. The Yamaha rider has had an offer on the table from the GoEleven team for several weeks to race a Ducati Panigale V4, but the Barcelona-born rider declined the offer and will step away from motorcycle racing, at least temporarily, at the end of the season.
Rins is looking for a challenge that WorldSBK cannot offer him and is finalising a new opportunity in car racing.
Statistics
|
Rider |
MotoGP wins |
Total wins |
Titles |
Seasons* |
|
M. Vinales |
10 |
26 |
Moto3 (2013) |
16 (12+4) |
|
A. Rins |
6 |
18 |
– |
15 (10+5) |
|
J. Miller |
4 |
10 |
– |
16 (12+4) |
|
F. Morbidelli |
3 |
11 |
Moto2 (2017) |
14 (9+5) |
|
B. Binder |
2 |
17 |
Moto3 (2016) |
16 (7+9) |
* Total seasons in the world championship (MotoGP + other categories)
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– The Autosport.com Team
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