Sponsoring a MotoGP rider in 2026 can be a strategic move for brands that want authenticity, excitement and immediate return. We analyze all the riders, team by team, with real insights, risks, and tips for turning a partnership into a competitive advantage.

In MotoGP, choosing a rider to be a sponsor of is very different from sponsoring a team or a championship. The difference between sponsorship of a MotoGP team and that of a rider lies first and foremost in the very nature of the message and its strategic scope. Sponsoring a team means tying yourself to a structured entity with a business trajectory, a vision and a collective identity: it is an investment that speaks of belonging, continuity and long-term positioning. The team becomes a communication platform, a vehicle for shared values and a guarantor of constant visibility throughout the entire sports season.

Sponsoring a pilot, on the other hand, means focusing simultaneously on the athlete and the individual: on charisma, personality, talent, and the ability to make direct and authentic connections with the audience. It is more intimate and flexible, but also more exposed to performance and personal career variables. Both options can be powerful, but they serve profoundly different goals and strategies.

In 2026, the grid is a perfect mosaic of experiences, debuts, rebirths, and revolutions. Here is a clear and realistic guide to help companies and investors understand who to sponsor, why to sponsor, and how to maximize impact.

Sponsoring Marc Marquez

Team: Ducati Lenovo Team

Marc Marquez does not need much introduction. He is the most winning, polarizing, and magnetic rider in the paddock. His rebirth in Ducati is the perfect narrative: courage, talent, and second life.

Pros: global awareness, cross media and PR presence, universal appeal. Added to this is the storytelling about one of the most extraordinary “comeback stories” in the sports world

Cons: Overexposure; proprietary creativity is needed in order not to be “one of many logos.”

Insight: Márquez is the news, even when he doesn’t win. A partner must enter his story, not just pay to appear in it.

Sponsoring Francesco Bagnaia

Team: Ducati Lenovo Team

Bagnaia’s 2025 season tells a story of ups and downs: a brilliant rider and two-time World Champion, but also difficulties in race pace and pressure control. Pecco remains an elite rider, but today more human-and for that, more attractive to a smart sponsor.

Pros: clean image, sober leadership, value consistency, Italian-ness.

Cons: Fluctuating season, fluctuating media perception.

Insight: those who choose Bagnaia today buy resilience, not automatic glory. The value is in methodicality, process and the ability to get back up.

Sponsoring Pedro Acosta

Team: KTM Factory Racing

The youngest and most anticipated talent in MotoGP, Acosta is an extraordinary rider and an excellent natural communicator. Sponsoring him in 2026 means owning a piece of the future, but also equipping him with an exuberant asset, vibrant on social media and engaging at events.

Pros: youth appeal, social virality, “rise” narrative

Cons: Pressure and learning cycle.

Insight: perfect for tech, gaming or education brands that want to position themselves as “mentors.”

Sponsoring Brad Binder

Team: KTM Factory Racing

He is not a rock star, but he is what every company wants in an ambassador: combative, down-to-earth, honest, tireless. Binder is a fighter on the track, as well as a highly spectacular driver, but he is also a serious professional and a hard worker. Ideal for industrial, energy, automotive brands.

Pros: authenticity and respect for the paddock.

Cons: Low mainstream exposure.

Insight: South African provenance could unlock interesting market areas.

Sponsoring Jorge Martin

Team: Aprilia Factory Racing

The 2024 world champion is back from a 2025 that did not discount. First the serious injuries at the beginning of the year, then the controversy with Team Aprilia (which was followed by a peaceful rapprochement), and finally another physical relapse have not really shown the potential of the Madrid ace this year. Jorge is a fast rider, but also an emotional man: for a brand he can embody human performance.

Pros: modern image, connection with young audience, crystal clear talent

Cons: Spikes in form and moments of nervousness.

Insight: famous for spectacular and iconic curves, Martin counts on a vast and very diverse audience, combining men and women, young and longtime fans in equal measure

Sponsoring Marco Bezzecchi

Team: Aprilia Factory Racing

Sympathy, smile, spontaneity. Bezzecchi speaks to everyone, not just fans. In the second part of the 2025 season he established himself as the only real alternative to Marquez, showing a growing feeling with the Noale factory. Great for lifestyle or FMCG brands that want empathy and Italian-ness.

Pros: authenticity, irony, simplicity, combined with a very positive approach to work

Cons: Must be surrounded by positive environments to perform

Insight: Riminese by birth, Bezzecchi does not hide but rather often celebrates his Romagnola origin and his lively participation in Italian culture. Most useful for local brands.

Sponsoring Fabio Quartararo

Team: Monster Energy Yamaha

Quartararo has probably been the only positive note in the last two years of the house of the tuning fork, punctuated by performance gaps and a giant technical leap that has yet to be completed. Despite this, Fabio is the popstar of the paddock, as well as obviously a World Champion Rider. Fashion, tech or beverage brands would benefit enormously in visibility.

Pros: Speed, internationality, status, freshness, irreverence

Cons: He is not currently driving a vehicle that is up to his standards; the absence of results for a long time could affect his serenity, including in the media

Insight: From a marketability standpoint Quartararo is an absolute guarantee. He masters several languages, is very approachable with the public and has an excellent social following.

Sponsoring Alex Rins

Team: Monster Energy Yamaha

Precision and expertise, meaning less spectacular, more technical. Rins is the ideal face for brands that want to explain, educate, tell the “behind the scenes” story of performance. Several injuries have undermined performance in recent years, without likely showing the makings of the Spanish rider, who had impressed with speed and method in his Suzuki years.

Pros: Experience, instinct, pride, resilience

Cons: Uneven results and physical condition not always at the top

Sponsoring Joan Mir

Team: Honda HRC

The calmness of the professional. Mir is method and discipline. He does not raise his voice, but embodies the value of constancy. A “seriously solid” testimonial, the 2020 World Champion has given ample display of your talent and perseverance during the Suzuki years and took some time to find confidence with a Honda package that was not always cooperative. But the 2025 campaign has seen him regain some of his former glory and bodes well for the year ahead.

Pros: cleanliness, perseverance, resilience, intelligence

Cons: After the 2020 Championship he failed to live up to the expectations that were on him, probably because he doesn’t like to run on problems. And Honda has given him more than one.

Insight: Mir is reserved and unflamboyant. He does not like the limelight and prefers action to words. Hard to involve him as a testimonial in aspects of private life or away from the track.

Sponsoring Luca Marini

Team: Honda HRC

Marini, like his brother, is a natural communicator: he has the gift of words and an empathetic tone. He is ideal for PR, corporate events, dealer programs, as well as an excellent fit for automotive or corporate brands. Team Honda HRC has renewed its trust in him for next year as well, confirming that Luca is not only a top-notch rider but also the right man to develop the upcoming prototypes of the House of the Wing.

Pros: Fast, technical, clean and hardworking. Always far from scandals, chatter and paddock rumors, Marini is a first-rate professional.

Cons: Doesn’t always know how to lead on difficulties. Makes a few too many mistakes at times during the season.

Insight: Being Valentino Rossi’s brother is complicated operation, especially if you ride racing motorcycles by trade. Luca has managed to break out of the impasse

Sponsoring Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

Team: Prima Pramac Racing

The Turk comes (back?) to MotoGP loaded with expectations, energy and with a lot to prove. In Superbike, he has been the rider to beat for almost a decade, both in terms of pure speed and showmanship. He has a huge country behind him, Turkey, for which he can become the national hero. He starts from a bike that is a work in progress and has difficult brand mates like Quartararo. But if he does well right away, he would be one of the greatest two-wheeled stories of recent years.

Pros: The talent is there and the Superbike career has amply demonstrated it. For sponsors, the reels and mind-blowing photos are assured, because Toprak has never skimped on cover tricks.

Cons: For someone coming from a factory derivative, MotoGP can have a tiring learning curve, even if your name is Toprak Razgatlıoğlu. Seeing how he will adapt to a completely different bike and calendar is the real question to be answered.

Insight: Perfect pilot for energetic brands that are not afraid to dare. Needless to say, if there are interests on Turkish soil next.

Sponsoring Jack Miller

Team: Prima Pramac Racing

Authentic, funny, immediate. A “mate” before he is an athlete, the Australian is the smiling, easygoing, and Gascon face of the paddock. Despite his many years in the saddle, Miller retains the freshness and enthusiasm of his early days, as well as cementing Australia’s great tradition in the sport. Perhaps the performance is no longer that of the roaring years, but he remains one of the most beloved and respected riders in the World Championship.

Pros: Sunny personality and always ready with a joke. If there is a “social” driver, it is Miller.

Cons: He is still struggling to be at home on this defining Yamaha-perhaps precisely why returns are often erratic.

Insight: Perfect for social-friendly campaigns and young brands.

Sponsoring Raúl Fernández

Team: Trackhouse Aprilia

His victory at Phillip Island in 2025 made him a GP Winner-a label that not every two-wheeled rider can boast. Fernandez’s potential is no mystery to anyone, and the Spaniard came to MotoGP with high expectations. Results have often been uneven, partly because of a Trackhouse project that is far from always competitive.

Pros: There is so much potential to be expressed and so much time to do it, because at 25 Fernandez is still a fairly young rider. The win in Australia is certainly an encouraging sign.

Con: The next two seasons will be truly make-or-break for the Spaniard, who must prove he deserves a major saddle.

Insight: Ideal for brands that want to grow along with talent under construction.

Sponsoring Ai Ogura

Team: Trackhouse Aprilia

Perhaps a little more was expected from Ai Ogura, who had started the 2025 season with a bang only to string together a series of dull results. Perhaps this is the biggest flaw of the Japanese driver, who too often gets carried away by the weekend without facing it with the proper grit. He has the pressure of being the only Japanese in the bunch on him, a burden more than anything else.

Pros: Great worker, strong on ethics and a distinctly Nipponese approach.

Cons: Still not very strong in hand-to-hand combat. Suffers from complicated weekends where the bike and conditions are not excellent

Insight: Disciplined, polite, humble. Good for campaigns in Japan and Asia. Excellent ambassador for tech or high-precision brands.

Sponsoring Maverick Viñales

Team: Red Bull Tech 3

Few athletes in the world look as good riding a motorcycle as Maverick Vinales. The Spaniard was born to ride motorcycles and is gifted with over-the-top technique and instincts. This is evidenced by his excellent pedigree, which has seen him win during his career on different manufacturers. However, he has never hit the big target, even in years when all the planets were aligned, perhaps due to a tempestuous nature and a few too many distractions.

Pros: Elegance, speed, technique, talent.

Cons: Maverick is his own worst enemy and his headspace is not always top notch. Despite crystal-clear talent, the mental element still weighs heavily.

Insight: Look, posture, charisma. Perfect for fashion, watches, design. Need direction and calendaring to ensure consistency.

Sponsoring Enea Bastianini

Team: Red Bull Tech 3

One comes to say “too bad” when one thinks of Enea Bastianini, because one always has the feeling that he broke down at a top moment in his trajectory. After good years in Gresini he deserved the official Ducati saddle except…he almost never got on it for the first year. When he returned to the Desmosedici it was probably too late for his morale and learning curve. He remains an intelligent and gifted rider with great race reading and management.

Pros: Despite his nickname, “Beast,” Aeneas is a docile character and a meticulous and punctual driver. Authentic Italian, very attached to his past and his traditions. Very effective in the second part of the race, also thanks to a wonderful kindness with the tires.

Cons: Recent injuries probably prevented us from seeing the true potential of the Beast, who then switched to a project too uncompetitive to be measured properly.

Insight: Great for luxury, automotive or banking. Elegant and determined. A profile that combines performance and delicacy.

Sponsoring Johann Zarco

Team: LCR Honda

A life of a middleman, Zarco’s in MotoGP. The Frenchman has never been given the chance of a World Championship saddle, but that has not stopped him from taking some prestigious satisfaction and entertaining his many supporters. Eclectic personality, three-dimensional character, and distinct transalpine humor have made him an icon in these years of MotoGP. At Team LCR he has found a home and he is reciprocating with a year of great performance.

Pros: a 100% Frenchman, intellectual, philosophical, rich in interests outside the world of two wheels. The victory in front of his parents in the rain at LeMans will remain one of the most exciting pages in the recent history of the sport.

Cons: He is no longer very young, and Honda denied him the official saddle this year. It was perhaps his last chance.

Insight: Serious, technical, polite. Pilot from “educational” content, clinics, corporate events.

Sponsoring Diogo Moreira

Team: LCR Honda

The great revolution of 2026 is named Diogo Moreira and sits on the second bike of Lucio Cecchinello’s LCR Honda Team. After a great Moto2 season, Moreira arrives at the top series of two wheels pushed by Honda’s top management and the love of an entire continent. He will soon have to adapt to a championship and a bike that do not discount, as well as get used to a weekend format that is revolutionary for him.

Pros: Young, exuberant, from a land rich in motorsport tradition. He comes to an experienced team that is ready to work hard with him right away.

Cons: Inexperience is a key factor and MotoGP is a different sport, mentally and physically. He will have to adapt quickly.

Insight: First green rookie of the new class. Young, enthusiastic, social-native. An ideal springboard for campaigns in Latin America.

Sponsoring Fabio Diggianantonio

Team: Pertamina Enduro VR46

Diggianantonio’s 2025 proved that the Roman rider is capable not only of fighting for the podium, but of being a more than legitimate contender for victory. “Diggia” has gained great feeling with this Ducati, which he rides effectively. Unfortunately, a history of numerous injuries and an inability to always be at his best on the bike have made him an inconsistent performer. On good days, as evidenced by some exploits such as the 2024 Mugello pole, he is among the strongest of the group.

Pros: Great feeling with the Ducati and excellent race management. On the right weekends he can aim for the podium with great consistency.

Cons: Prone to injuries, quite alternating in performance.

Insight: Communicative, smiling, with digital appeal. Perfect for young, media-first brands.

Sponsoring Franco Morbidelli

Team: Pertamina Enduro VR46

The Italian-Brazilian has been a cornerstone of Valentino Rossi’s Academy since the beginning. Morbidelli plays his role with seriousness and professionalism, always proving to be one of the most media friendly riders on the grid, both for great eloquence and for lucidity and acumen. He was vice world champion in Mir’s world championship year, showing that talent is abundant. In Partamina Enduro VR46, after a difficult 2025 start, “Frankie” has regained some consistency of results and confidence.

Pros: Experience, charisma, great communication skills

Cons: He seems far from his best form, although he never stops pulling a few rabbits out of his hat.

Insight: The most “human” on the grid. A pilot who narrates resilience with class. Ideal for value campaigns and docu-stories.

Sponsoring Alex Marquez

Team: Gresini BK8

It must be difficult to be the little brother of one of the greatest motorsport talents ever. However, Alex Marquez has always played this role with great calm and confidence, showing on the track and with results that he is there to make his own way. He has found a home and consistency at Team Gresini, where accomplice to a first-rate bike and a highly competitive team, he has been able to put together two years of excellent level. In 2025 he was Marc’s only real rival on the track, deserving a second place in the world championship that speaks volumes about mental strength, speed and talent. Clean-cut guy, smiling and helpful.

Pros: fast and consistent, learned to make few mistakes, built an exceptional working and personal relationship with Team Gresini.

Cons: He discounts the fault not his own of bearing the last name Marquez and thus always being the “second” name on the doorbell. Injustice.

Insight: He has found his identity: calm, professional, consistent. Great for Spanish or B2B brands.

Sponsoring Fermín Aldeguer

Team: Gresini BK8

Talented, young, already mature, Aldeguer has been the real surprise of 2025. The second half of the season, where he also captured a victory, showed that the very young Spaniard has the will and the means to be up there at the front. Sometimes we forget that he is only in his first year in the premier class.

Pros: Great talent and great speed of learning. Grows fast and the future looks very bright indeed.

Cons: He needs to find consistency of performance. After what he has shown, he will not be forgiven for missteps.

Insight: Perfect for tech, innovative, fintech brands. An investment to plant today to harvest tomorrow.