TRACKHOUSE CONFIRMS ENEA BASTIANINI WILL RACE FOR APRILIA IN 2027 AFTER TECH3 EXIT

Enea Bastianini will leave Tech3 at the end of the 2026 season and join Aprilia’s satellite team Trackhouse for MotoGP’s 2027 campaign, with the switch confirmed in coordinated announcements on Monday. Tech3 KTM stated that “After two seasons with the team, it’s time to say goodbye to Enea Bastianini at the end of the year,” adding: “Thank you for everything you’ve brought to the team over the past two seasons, the commitment, the racing, the laughs and the moments along the way!” Trackhouse then moved quickly to confirm the signing, with the Italian set to race for the team on a two-year deal.

The move also reshapes Trackhouse’s rider line-up. Bastianini will take the seat vacated by Ai Ogura, who is set to join Yamaha next season. At Trackhouse, Bastianini will become teammates with Raul Fernandez, who has already re-signed with the team on a two-year extension, meaning the Aprilia satellite squad has its pairing for 2027 in place.

Bastianini’s path to Trackhouse has been widely discussed as part of MotoGP’s ongoing silly-season churn. He joined Tech3 at the start of 2025 after a difficult period with Ducati’s factory team. In his first season with Tech3, he dropped to 14th in the riders’ standings, a sharp contrast to the fourth-place finish he achieved with Ducati the year before. In the months since, there had been suggestions that Bastianini may not have fully appreciated Tech3’s internal challenges when he signed, making his eventual exit appear increasingly likely.

Trackhouse’s confirmation came shortly after Tech3’s departure message. According to the reporting, Bastianini had reportedly accepted Trackhouse’s offer back in May, with Monday’s official announcement following later than the initial understanding of where he would land.

While the 2027 destination is now settled, one source also points to how the decision may not have been straightforward. Former manager Carlo Pernat is quoted as saying that KTM “misled Bastianini when he joined the satellite squad months before the scale of their financial problems became clear.” The same report adds that Bastianini’s talks with Aprilia “fell apart” after Aprilia moved for Francesco Bagnaia, who became available once Ducati’s situation changed.

The background to that “Bagnaia factor” is tied to Ducati’s recruitment priorities. The report states that Aprilia felt it could not miss the opportunity to sign Bagnaia after Ducati’s move for Pedro Acosta made Bagnaia one of the most sought-after free agents. It also notes that Bastianini and Aprilia had made progress, but the chance to secure a two-time MotoGP champion changed the direction of negotiations.

Bastianini was also linked with Gresini, a team that is set to lose both Fermin Aldeguer and Alex Marquez. However, the report says he was given the “option” to join Trackhouse instead, and he took it.

The broader market context includes the domino effect created earlier in the year. Ogura’s departure from Trackhouse is part of a chain that also involves Yamaha’s plans: Ogura is expected to partner Jorge Martin at Yamaha next season, and Martin’s move is described as one of the first major shifts to fall this year.

With Bastianini now confirmed for 2027, Trackhouse will be looking to translate its current satellite momentum into the new regulations era. The report notes that, with Ogura third in the championship and Fernandez sixth, Trackhouse is currently the top satellite team on the grid. Whether Aprilia can maintain that performance level under the upcoming rule changes remains to be seen, but the team’s 2027 plans are now clearly defined: Bastianini and Fernandez together, after the Italian’s two-season stint with Tech3 comes to an end.