That said, the rider market is not the only thing getting completely shaken up for next year, as sponsorship deals are also shifting in ways nobody quite expected, according to Motorsport.com Italia. Honda and Red Bull have agreed that the famous energy drink brand will return to sponsor the official MotoGP factory squad starting next season.
Now, this big corporate reunion carries a very visible casualty. As Motorsport.com Italia reports, Fabio Quartararo will be forced to leave Monster, his direct rival brand with which he has maintained a close relationship since his debut in the premier class in 2019. Quartararo has been chosen to become the flagship rider for the golden wing manufacturer from that moment on, meaning he will join the Red Bull athlete roster starting in January.
Here's the thing: Honda reportedly had to take care of the compensation payout required under the rider's contract with Monster, which extended beyond 2026. Even so, Quartararo is still expected to sport the green claw logo at his debut with his new prototype during the test held in Valencia on the Tuesday following the end of the World Championship.
The return of the red bull brand to Honda comes four years after they pulled the plug on their previous HRC sponsorship. That exit was triggered by a contractual clause allowing them to walk away if Marc Marquez left the Japanese constructor—which happened at the end of 2023 when the multi-champion walked away from his remaining contract year to join Gresini Racing, before eventually claiming a championship aboard a Ducati.
Now, the energy drink maker is heading right back down that same road in reverse for 2027. The Austrian company's logo is expected to be much more visible on the machine than it was during its previous stint, where it sat mainly on the lower fairing and the front fender.
Meanwhile, the broader paddock landscape keeps shifting beneath our feet. Monster currently holds major title sponsorships with the official Yamaha and Aprilia structures, alongside heavy presence in Ducati, while Red Bull currently stands alone with KTM. But the balance of power is set to swing right back when Honda and Red Bull reunite for 2027—especially with the Ducati-Monster contract expiring at the end of next season, and a factory Ducati lineup featuring two staunch Red Bull figures waiting in the wings for 2028.
