Honda has called up Joan Mir for the post-Czech GP test with 2027 MotoGP bikes despite the fact that he will join a rival manufacturer next year, Motorsport.com has learned.
The Spaniard will not remain with the Tokyo factory team in 2027, having already reached an agreement with Ducati’s satellite team Gresini.
This is a real anomaly, as never in the MotoGP era has a rider who is switching manufacturers the following year been given access to test the bike under development.
However, it is understood that Honda asked Mir to take part in the test on the Monday after Brno to test the RC214V, the 850cc prototype that HRC is preparing for the new regulations that will arrive in the premier class next season.
The same source reported that Luca Marini, whose future in MotoGP is still undecided, has also been called up by HRC for the same test in Brno.
Honda’s intention is to receive feedback on the new bike from its current pair of factory riders. Although the Japanese manufacturer has a rider under contract for 2027, the young Diogo Moreira, the rookie has not been called up for this test so far, as each manufacturer may only field two 850cc bikes on track.
An unprecedented decision
Until today, a rider who was going to switch manufacturers had never been given access to testing of the following year’s new bike.
“We gain more than we lose,” is Honda’s argument. With test rider Aleix Espargaro injured, it only has Takaaki Nakagami available to develop the 2027 prototype. The RC214 is a key bike for Honda’s growth, as it wants to provide 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo with a machine capable of fighting for the world championship.
Luca Marini and Joan Mir
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
As things stand today, only the following riders have a contract in force or renewed for 2027: Marc Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer with Ducati; Marco Bezzecchi with Aprilia; Toprak Razgatlioglu with Yamaha; and Honda riders Moreira and Johann Zarco. However, the Frenchman was injured on 17 May and will again be replaced by veteran Cal Crutchlow at the LCR team for the Czech Republic and Dutch Grands Prix, with no date confirmed for his return.
Many top riders are left out
The Monday test at Brno is specifically for 2027 bikes, which feature 850cc engines and reduced aerodynamics. Ride-height devices have been removed, while Pirelli replaces Michelin as the sole tyre supplier.
That accumulation of changes marks the start of a new era in the top class of the world championship. It will be a turning point for riders who are able to test and develop new bikes and tyres early in the season. Conversely, Quartararo, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Pedro Acosta, Alex Marquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Enea Bastianini and Ai Ogura are all switching manufacturers for the 2027 season, and set to lose out on crucial mileage.
Marc Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
The 22 June session in Brno is the first test for factory riders with the 2027 bikes and Pirelli tyres, tests that will be repeated on the Monday after the Austrian GP, on 21 September and also on December 1, after the conclusion of the season in Valencia, where all MotoGP riders will already be allowed to take part without restrictions.
Those who are able to test the bike in Brno and Spielberg will undoubtedly have a major advantage over the rest ahead of next season, as Pirelli’s MotoGP director Giorgio Barbier explained in a recent exclusive interview with Motorsport.com.
Barbier revealed that the Italian manufacturer will pay very close attention to the opinions and feedback of the factory riders who test its compounds for the final development of the 2027 tyre range.
