Yamaha are reportedly looking at Izan Guevara for a MotoGP factory seat in 2027, as the buzz around his talent continues to grow. The Japanese brand could make some changes to their line-up before the season is out.
Fabio Quartararo is off to Honda, and it doesn’t look like Alex Rins will get a new deal. That opens up two spots in the main team, with Jorge Martin expected to take one of them.
There’s been speculation that Toprak Razgatlioglu could be moved up from satellite squad Pramac to join Martin, but Motorpasion Moto are picking up different signals from Yamaha.
Yamaha’s Izan Guevara is Toprak Razgatlioglu holds up factory promotion
Although Yamaha would prefer to bring in Razgatlioglu, the Turkish rider isn’t pushing for a move. He’s settled at Pramac and seems happy to stay put for another season.
With no clear backup option, this could pave the way for Guevara to step into the role. Jack Miller, meanwhile, is more likely focused on keeping his Pramac seat than making a case for a factory promotion.
Guevara picked up his first Moto2 podium at last year’s Indonesian GP and has since added three more in his last eight starts, including a debut win in Valencia.
This year he’s started well with finishes of P2, P6 and P3 and currently sits second in the standings behind Manuel Gonzalez. While his post-Moto3 title run hasn’t been standout, Yamaha reportedly views him as having similar potential to Fabio Quartararo.
The team believes he has “explosive” potential in MotoGP, even if they admit his results so far have been “decent but unremarkable.”
Quartararo himself was an average rider in Moto2 and Moto3 before moving up in 2019. Three years later he was champion of the world. It goes to show that sometimes early results aren’t everything.
Honda’s Tech3 move could open the door for Guevara at Yamaha
Honda are in talks to expand their grid presence to six bikes by bringing Tech3 over from KTM, a move that would have a significant impact on the 2027 rider market.
Fabio Quartararo and David Alonso are already lined up to join Honda’s main team, with Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira under contract at LCR. That left Joan Mir and Luca Marini looking like casualties of the shake-up, until the potential addition of two more seats changed the landscape.
If Marini is offered one of those extra spots, he may choose to stay with Honda rather than pursue a move to Yamaha. That scenario would leave Guevara as the leading candidate for the factory seat next to Jorge Martin.
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