Why Honda chose David Alonso when Ducati and Yamaha said no

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Honda Signs David Alonso as MotoGP Factory Rider for 2027

Honda have made a move to secure one of the top young talents in the sport, agreeing terms with David Alonso to join as a factory rider for the 2027 season. The deal sets him apart from offers made by Ducati and Yamaha, though Ricard Jove has expressed doubts about whether he will actually line up for HRC’s main team.

Alonso has been on the radar for some time now, and many expected it was only a matter of time before he found his way onto a MotoGP bike. That step up now looks set to happen with Honda in 2027, following reports that he turned down both Ducati and Yamaha to make the move.

It’s already an open secret that Fabio Quartararo will be making his way from Yamaha to Honda in 2027, although neither side has formally announced it. With Joan Mir and Luca Marini both out of contract at the end of that year, there would be space available for both Quartararo and Alonso.

But despite how open talks have been so far, Jove isn’t fully convinced that Alonso will actually take up a seat with the works Honda squad.

David Alonso’s Factory MotoGP Request Only Met by Honda, Not Ducati or Yamaha

Before settling on a move to Honda for the 2027 MotoGP season, Alonso was in talks with both Yamaha and Ducati. According to Jove, while he was looking for factory status, only Honda were willing to offer it, something the other two weren’t prepared to do.

However, with Diogo Moreira already holding a factory contract at LCR that could run through 2028 and includes an option for promotion to the works team, Jove believes Alonso will likely start his MotoGP career at LCR – even if it is on a factory HRC deal.

Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, Jove said: “It’s true that David Alonso will be with Honda – even though they’ve also spoken with Yamaha and Ducati, but he didn’t have a chance of being a factory rider with either of those last two.

“David Alonso wants and is asking for that status, and Honda are giving it to him. However, I have serious doubts that he will be in the factory team. And why do I say that? Because we have to see how they work everything out.”

He added: “Moreira also has a factory bike at LCR with an official rider contract. I know that, if he meets his objectives, Honda’s plan is to have him in the factory team. How would he feel if another rider comes along and skips that step, going straight into the factory team?

“If Moreira gets results, he won’t take it well at all. I don’t doubt that David Alonso will have an official rider contract at Honda, but I do doubt that he will be in the factory Honda team.

“Promoting a Moto2 rider directly to the factory team, when you have a rider like Diogo Moreira under contract and have promised him that progression from satellite to factory, it does not make sense to me. I see David Alonso at LCR.”