Off-Season Updates: MotoGP – What the Top Riders Are Up To After 2025

I hear MotoGP riders love Empire!

As the UK braces itself for 1 cm of snow — which will inevitably cause nationwide chaos — MotoGP riders are busy training in warm, sun-soaked climates. While most of us are stuffing our faces with mince pies and re-watching Empire Strikes Back, these guys are already grinding away for next season.

Naturally, as paid athletes, the training never really stops. So now feels like the perfect time to take a look at what our favourite MotoGP riders have been up to since the chequered flag fell on the 2025 season.

1. Marc Márquez

After wrapping up the 2025 title — and being unceremoniously torpedoed by Marco Bezzecchi — Marc Márquez headed straight for yet another shoulder surgery, missing the final rounds of the season. November was largely spent in recovery mode, with intensive physio, strength training, and some cheeky flat-track sessions to keep the feel alive.

Marc looked happy, healthy, and relaxed at the FIM Awards in Switzerland, before spending the rest of the year training alongside brother Alex and enjoying Christmas with his family.

More recently, Marc was spotted at the Aspar Circuit riding a Ducati Panigale V2, signalling the beginning of his serious bike-fitness rebuild ahead of his 2026 title defence. The big question remains how his shoulder will hold up over a full season — something we’ll begin to understand at the Sepang Shakedown (29–31 January).

If history tells us anything, a fit Márquez is a terrifying prospect.

2. Álex Márquez

Álex finished 2025 with his most impressive MotoGP campaign to date. Second in the championship, three race wins, multiple podiums — and crucially, he beat factory rider Pecco Bagnaia along the way.

Post-season celebrations quickly turned into structured training: gym work, cycling, motocross, and plenty of karting battles with brother Marc. The confidence is clearly there — and so is the momentum.

I genuinely believe 2026 will be Álex’s defining year. Now armed with equal machinery to the factory Ducati riders, there will be nowhere left to hide. I’ve often felt Álex has lived in Marc’s shadow — and at times in 2025, it looked like he avoided certain passes that he might have attempted on other rivals, perhaps to avoid jeopardising Marc’s title run. Understandable? Yes. Sustainable? No.

Enough is enough. I want to see fairings banging and sibling rivalry in full force.

With Marc heavily linked to a Honda move under the 2027 rule changes, Álex could find himself leading Ducati’s factory charge in red. Alongside who? My money is firmly on Pedro Acosta.

3. Marco Bezzecchi

I’ll be honest — at the start of the season, I didn’t foresee Marco Bezzecchi being this successful with Aprilia in 2025. But he proved a lot of people wrong.

Marco methodically unlocked the RS-GP during the first half of the season and slowly chipped away at Ducati’s advantage. Three Grand Prix wins and three sprint victories followed, mostly in the latter half of the year, where he occasionally looked untouchable.

Off the bike, Bezzecchi remains refreshingly low-key. No flashy influencer lifestyle — just snowboarding, time at Valentino Rossi’s ranch, and some well-earned downtime with fellow riders. A standout moment came when Marco was selected as a torchbearer for the Milan Winter Olympics, highlighting his growing profile beyond MotoGP.

With a revised RS-GP coming in 2026 and Jorge Martín returning fully fit, Bezzecchi will be aiming to turn consistency into a full-blown title assault.

4. Pedro Acosta

Pedro Acosta is quickly becoming one of my favourite riders on the grid.

His no-nonsense attitude, raw aggression, and sheer commitment to riding bikes reminds me of a young Valentino Rossi. In 2025, he was punching way above his weight — scoring 307 points compared to Brad Binder’s 155, despite riding essentially the same machinery.

Pedro came agonisingly close to a maiden MotoGP victory, and while KTM hasn’t yet delivered a title-winning bike, the talent is undeniable. His off-season content says it all: kart circuits, 600cc bikes, endless sideways slides. No holidays. No fluff. Just riding.

He lives, breathes, eats — and yes — sh*ts bikes.

If the rumours of a Ducati move in 2027 are true, Pedro Acosta could become a regular race winner almost overnight.

5. Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia

Pecco Bagnaia endured a deeply frustrating 2025 season, and it’s never been entirely clear why. He’s repeatedly stated that the feeling with the bike simply wasn’t the same as the 2024 version — without ever pointing fingers or publicly criticising the team.

That professionalism makes it even more telling that he tested the VR46 bike, then went on to dominate the Japanese round on what was believed to be GP24-spec machinery. It raised eyebrows — and questions.

Off-track, Pecco has leaned into family life. He’s often seen travelling with his twin sister and spending downtime with friends and relatives, and the off-season has followed the same pattern alongside structured training.

But 2026 is absolutely make-or-break.

With Pedro Acosta widely tipped to join the factory Ducati team, either Pecco or Marc Márquez could be pushed out. If Marc jumps ship to Honda, Pecco may survive — but only just. To be safe, he likely needs a win or at least second place in the 2026 championship.

MotoGP 2026: Remaining Tests & Key Dates

Pre-Season Test Schedule

• Sepang Shakedown (Malaysia): 29–31 January

• Sepang Official Test: 3–5 February

• MotoGP Season Launch (Kuala Lumpur): 6–7 February

• Buriram Test (Thailand): 21–22 February

  
  

These tests will give us the first real clues about form, fitness, and whether winter optimism translates into lap time.

First Races of the 2026 Season

• Season Opener – Thailand GP (Buriram): 27 February – 1 March

• Brazil GP (Goiania): 20–22 March

• Americas GP (COTA): 27–29 March

The Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi returns later in the year:

• Japanese GP: 2–4 October

Final Thoughts

The 2026 season is shaping up to be one of the most fascinating in recent memory — fading dynasties, rising stars, and major manufacturer shake-ups all brewing beneath the surface. Winter testing can’t come soon enough.