Luca Marini will join his fourth team and third manufacturer in the 2027 MotoGP season, having been confirmed to be moving to Tech3 KTM.
Marini first joined MotoGP in 2021 with the Esponsorama team, with his side of the garage backed by the VR46 squad, which entered in full capacity the following season with Marini as one of its riders. He then moved to the factory Honda team in 2024 and has been there since, but with Fabio Quartararo and David Alonso signed up by HRC for 2027 Marini has found himself in need of a new team.
Rumours linking Marini with Tech3 emerged first at Assen, but it has taken until now for the deal to be made official.
Marini’s team-mate has not yet been confirmed by the French team, although it is anticipated that Maverick Vinales will be replaced by Australian Moto2 rider Senna Agius.
“Luca [Marini] is a rider we have been watching closely, and we are very pleased to welcome him to Tech3 from 2027,” said Tech3 CEO Guenther Steiner.
“He brings a huge amount of experience, but also the right mentality and approach for what we are building here.
“2027 will be a big reset for MotoGP, so having a rider who can contribute to our progress in this new era will be important.
“Luca understands how to work at this level of the sport, whether it’s collaborating with the engineers, developing the bike or pushing forward in challenging circumstances.
“We are entering an exciting new chapter with KTM, and we believe Luca has the speed, experience and determination to help us achieve our goals.”
Nicolas Goyon, Red Bull KTM Tech3 team manager, added: “We are very happy to have Luca joining us from 2027.
“He has already shown his ability to perform at the highest level, and his experience in MotoGP will be extremely valuable as we enter this new chapter.
“He has a strong understanding of what is required from both the rider and technical side, and we are confident that he will be an important part of our progress with KTM.
“We are looking forward to working with him and seeing what we can achieve together.”
