Pedro Acosta has reportedly agreed to join Ducati when his KTM contract expires. The timing of the movement is amazing.
Acosta’s transition to Ducati It has not yet been confirmed, but it is now widely seen as a foregone conclusion. They shook hands with Luigi D’Aligna ahead of pre-season testing when he was expected to leave KTM.
And this is not the only step that is being completed. Fabio Quatararo is bound for Honda.And Yamaha chose George Martin As his replacement.
All these deals fell apart in a remarkable 24 hours. Experts have always thought MotoGP rider market It moves fast, but now there is a very real hope that the most sought-after seats will be filled before the end of the race.
Carlos Checa called on MotoGP to introduce a transfer window
Carlos ChecaIn the year He is not happy about this, having made almost 200 MotoGP appearances between 1995 and 2010. He thinks early transfers will ‘diminish’ the excitement of the 2026 season.
AcostaMartin and Quatararo won’t have ‘high confidence’ to chase down Marquez this year because they already know they’ll be going elsewhere. As ‘professional’ as the riders, Cheka fears that they might inadvertently lose some motivation.
His proposed solution is a ‘transfer window’ similar to professional football. MotoGP teams can only sign other riders during a certain period in the middle of the season.
“Yes, I think that will ultimately be a little bit lower than 2026,” Cheka said. Sports world. “I think we should reduce these signatures a bit, tie them up, don’t we? Something in football, for example.”
“The winter transfer window, the summer transfer window, right? I think this thing should be suspended, for a little bit of ice, that the signing window should be opened a little bit in the middle of the season.
“Because at the end of the day, that’s what I’m saying, it’s going to take some of the joy out of this year. When Marc’s direct rivals have already announced they’re leaving the team, it doesn’t help the team, the rider, to have high confidence and give it their all.”
“So there’s the reality of what might happen, you know?
Everyone here is professional and they do their best, but in the end this is a very emotional sport, and in that environment, well, I think you’re well integrated, for the team, for the people, for the continuity project, you’ll perform better than what you say you’ll leave at the end of the season.
Aleix Espargaro explains why the MotoGP transfer window is ‘impossible’
Honda test rider Aleix Espargaro can understand the Cheka’s concerns, but he believes. Dorna He finds it ‘impossible’ to enforce such a change in law.
Dorna stops Martin and Acosta Canceling their contract last year, but they can’t intervene when a driver’s contract expires.
Espargaro, who has changed teams five times since entering the premier class, explained that the riders would break the rules by reaching temporary agreements and formalizing them during the “window”.
“I can say yes, but it will be very difficult,” he said Same publication He asks him about Cheka’s idea. “Impossible, I dare say, in the end, you talk behind the scenes and sign a letter of intent.
“And later, when the transfer window opens, you put your signature on the final contract.
“A rider’s price is based on their recent run or track record, and it’s very hard to fight that.
“I understand the position of people who propose this kind of thing, but it’s too complicated.”
