Valentino Rossi picks out Pecco, Martin during “transition” MotoGP season
With development frozen, Valentino Rossi believes MotoGP 2026 could still deliver surprises from underperforming stars.
With engine design frozen for most manufacturers and development focus shifting to the new 850cc machines, Valentino Rossi has described MotoGP 2026 as a “transition” year.
But “every season has its own story” and The Doctor hopes former world champions Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin can be “back to their best”.
Both endured nightmare 2025 campaigns, albeit for very different reasons.
Bagnaia struggled to adapt to the latest Ducati GP25, was overwhelmed by the Marquez brothers, and then also lost out to Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi and KTM’s Pedro Acosta in the world championship standings.
Meanwhile, Martin started just eight events during an injury-ravaged debut season with Aprilia.
"From a technical standpoint, little has changed. This is a transition season; all the manufacturers are already looking ahead to 2027 and are already working on new bikes,” Valentino Rossi told Sky Italia.
“The bikes are very similar to last year's, but every season has its own story. Last year, there were some riders who underperformed compared to their potential: especially Pecco, but also Martin, for example.
“We hope they're all at their best and that Franco and Diggia can also make another step forward and be stronger. Then we'll see."
Rossi’s VR46 duo of Franco Morbidelli and Fabio di Giannantonio is seeking greater consistency as it aims to end a two-year MotoGP win drought.
"The level is very high and, above all, in MotoGP everyone is strong and all the bikes are strong,” Rossi said at Wednesday’s team launch.
“The problem is that on one track the bikes are good, they perform well and can fight for the podium. Then the following week everything is the same but nothing works anymore and we have to try to get the weekend back on track.
“Since everyone is so fast and so close, it takes just a moment to go from fighting for the podium to finishing tenth. That will be the key. We also have to grow as a team and try to arrive at the various tracks always ready to be fast."
di Giannantonio and Morbidelli finished directly behind Bagnaia for sixth and seventh places in last year’s world championship.
2026 pre-season testing kicks of at Sepang in Malaysia on February 3.
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Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.