Gresini supports Mir revival and Holgado novice regeneration
BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP has confirmed Joan Mir and Dani Holgado as its rider line-up from 2027, while also extending its partnership with Ducati Corse under a new multi-year agreement.
The announcement gives Gresini a completely fresh MotoGP pairing for the championship’s new technical era, with Mir set to take the lead from Honda and Holgado for his premier-class debut.
This is an interesting combination. There’s a former MotoGP World Champion looking for the podium to prove he’s still at the forefront. The second is a highly rated young Spaniard who is preparing for the biggest step of his career.
Equally importantly, Gresini has confirmed that its Ducati status will continue, with the Mir being provided with an official factory-spec machine in 2027.
The move is particularly attractive to Mir.
After several difficult seasons with Honda, the 2020 MotoGP World Champion now has the chance to reset his career on a Ducati-backed platform within a team that has already shown it can provide the environment for riders to find their best again.
There is a clear recent similarity. Gresini was the team that gave Marc Marquez the Ducati opportunity he needed to change the direction of his career, and while Mir’s story is different, the broader appeal is the same. This is a chance to step away from a problematic factory project and join one of MotoGP’s strongest technical ecosystems.
It’s also worth noting that while there have been plenty of crashes and painful weekends throughout Mir’s Honda years, effort has rarely seemed absent. If anything, there have been times when he has looked fantastic on the RC213V, hanging on to everything and taking considerable risks in an attempt to extract something worthwhile from a difficult package.
That commitment has come at a cost, but it also offers some important suggestions. Mir didn’t look like a rider who had checked out mentally. The hunger to be at the forefront and the willingness to risk everything to get there still shines brightly.
Gresini Ducati now gives them a very different question to answer. If Ducati’s form carries over into the 2027 850cc era, and through a switch to Pirelli tyres, Mir may finally have the platform to show if that commitment can still translate into leading results.
Reconstruction for Mir, launchpad for Holgado
Mir’s CV remains impressive. He is a two-time world champion, having won the Moto3 crown in 2017 before claiming the MotoGP World Championship with Suzuki in 2020.
However, his Honda tenure has not provided the machinery necessary to consistently display that level of ability. There have been accidents, injuries and frustrations, but there have also been flashes of commitment and class that have taken them to the top of the sport.
At Gresini, with the factory-spec Ducati at the edge of the garage, the Spaniard should finally get a clear read of where he sits relative to the front of the field.
This is perhaps the most compelling part of this move. Mir is not a rider trying to rebuild because the desire has disappeared. He is trying to rebuild because, on the evidence of recent seasons, the platform beneath him does not match the ambition he is still willing to show.
For Holgado, the move represents a very different challenge.
The No. 96 finished Moto3 World Championship runner-up in 2024 and has since continued his progress in Moto2. Gresini has clearly seen enough to commit to a rookie MotoGP campaign, giving him a path into the premier class with one of the most competitive independent teams in the paddock.
Holgado said the move with Gresini was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
“I am very happy to join the MotoGP project of the BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP Team: racing in the premier class is truly the dream of my life, and doing it with a team like this makes it even better.
“This is the result of many years of hard effort and hard work. I know it will be a big challenge, but I’m ready to grow as a rider and a person. Thank you so much to Nadia and the team, my family and everyone who has believed in me and kept me going. I know it won’t be an easy journey, but I’m fully prepared for whatever lies ahead.”
Ducati Continuity Locked
Gresini’s ongoing relationship with Ducati is a key part of the story.
With MotoGP 2027 preparing for a technical reset, maintaining the support of Ducati Corse provides valuable continuity for the independent Italian team at a time when the rest of the championship is undergoing significant change.
The move also keeps Gresini within the Ducati structure, which has proven to be such a powerful platform in recent seasons. It matters to both riders. Mir gets to learn about competitive ability and factory-specific equipment, while Holgado gets to learn MotoGP inside a proven structure rather than being thrown into an underdeveloped project.
Of course, no one can be sure how much of Ducati’s current profits will survive the 2027 reset. The move to 850 cc machinery and the switch to Pirelli tires is likely to lead to a reshuffle of the competitive order. But based on current evidence, Mir is moving from one of MotoGP’s toughest projects to one of its most proven environments.
This makes it less of a blind gamble than the other 2027 rider-market moves that are now being implemented.
Team owner Nadia Padovani said that despite the changes in 2027, the team’s identity will remain intact.
“A lot will change from next year, but the essence of the BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP Team will remain the same. We will remain a team that works to grow season after season, and in 2027 we will do so with two riders in whom we have great confidence and whom we are ready to fully support.
“Dani is a profile we have been following for a long time and we are delighted that he can start his novice experience with us. Joan is a MotoGP World Champion: his record speaks for itself. One is at the beginning of his journey, the other aims to rediscover his best sensations and make the most of his potential. For both, we want to be a constant point of reference.
“We will continue to race with Ducati Corse, which has proven to be a reliable and winning partner over the years, and we are very happy about that. Last but not least, at the end of the season we will say goodbye to Alex and Fermin, two riders who have given a lot to our team both in terms of results and human relations. Our thanks to them and all the best for the future.”
Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna also welcomed the continuation of the relationship, and described Gresini as a key partner within Ducati’s MotoGP project.
“We are pleased to confirm the continuation of the multi-year collaboration between Ducati Corse and the BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP Team. A relationship built over time based on shared values, technical expertise and a common determination to pursue ambitious goals on the track.
“This partnership has been enriched by the significant sporting results achieved by the team, which are testament to the quality of the work done together. The BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP Team represents a key partner within our project and we will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with the aim of furthering our shared development journey.”
Another key piece of the 2027 puzzle
This announcement is another important part of what is shaping up to be one of the most dramatic MotoGP rider-market resets in years.
For Gresini, the move balances proven pedigree with future prospects. Mir brings championship-winning experience and the drive of a rider who still has a lot to prove. Holgado brings to Gresini youth, speed and the opportunity to develop from the start of his MotoGP journey.
For Ducati, retaining Gresini underlines the value of its wider satellite structure at a time when the 2027 rules will put every manufacturer back on the pace of development.
However, for Mir this is perhaps the most interesting part.
Having spent years trying to get results from a difficult Honda, he has now moved to one of the most dominant independent teams in the paddock, equipped with factory Ducati machinery and a clear opportunity to rebuild his MotoGP status.
Accidents have happened many times, but the intention behind many of them has been clear. Mir is still trying. Still committed. He is still willing to put himself on the line for the results Honda has now allowed him to achieve.
If Yamaha’s 2027 announcement was about riders gambling on a struggling project succeeding, this is almost the opposite.
Mir is leaving the troubled project behind.
If Ducati’s competitive prowess survives the new 850cc regulations and the Pirelli tire era, Gresini may have given Joan Mir his best opportunity in years to remind MotoGP why he became world champion in the first place.
