The rumors are now confirmed. After announcing that Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins would be leaving the factory Yamaha MotoGP team at the end of the year, Yamaha have now signed Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura to take their places. Both moves could be seen as surprises, considering Yamaha's struggles recently, but we suspect lots of zeros were added to the contract to lure Jorge Martin (not to mention Martin secured his Aprilia exit after his antics last year trying to leave the team) and Ogura, though the latter might also be excited to ride for a **** anese manufacturer and provide input as part of the factory team.
The full press release is below.
Begin press release:
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that Jorge Martín and Ai Ogura have signed with the Yamaha Factory MotoGP Team for the 2027 and 2028 MotoGP seasons.
As MotoGP prepares to enter a new technical era in 2027, Yamaha continues to shape the foundations of its long-term project by combining proven championship-winning experience with one of the sport's brightest emerging talents.