CONFIRMED 2027 WORLDSBK RIDER MOVES TAKE SHAPE AHEAD OF MICHELIN TYRE ERA

The 2027 WorldSBK grid is starting to take shape ahead of the sport’s first Michelin tyre season, with several confirmed rider moves already shaping the paddock. Champion-elect Nicolo Bulega is set to leave WorldSBK for MotoGP, while three recent premier-class race winners are expected to make the switch the other way: Jack Miller, Franco Morbidelli and Brad Binder.

Not every high-profile name is following the same path. Alex Rins has already ruled out joining the WorldSBK group despite links to Goeleven Ducati. Maverick Vinales, who has also been left off the MotoGP grid, is still yet to announce his next step. Former WorldSBK champion Alvaro Bautista is also among those without a confirmed future.

The reporting also highlights that Xavi Verge—shown by Miller at Yamaha—is connected to a ride, though the exact WorldSBK destination is still listed as to be confirmed in the broader line-up picture.

So far, only a handful of manufacturers have locked in full two-rider line-ups, with BMW, Bimota, Pata and GRT Yamaha singled out as having confirmed their pairings. The wider list includes riders already tied to specific teams such as Iker Lecuona and Morbidelli at Aruba.it Ducati, Miguel Oliveira and Binder at ROKiT BMW, and Miller and Andrea Locatelli at Pata Maxus Yamaha. Other confirmed names include Yari Montella at Barni Ducati, Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani at Bimota, Remy Gardner and Stefani Manzi at GYTR GRT Yamaha, and Garrett Gerloff at Kawasaki WorldSBK.

Across the remaining seats, multiple entries are still marked TBC, including Honda HRC, Kawasaki’s second slot, and Ducati teams such as MGM and Motocorsa, as well as Goeleven Ducati.