“Let's see in Silverstone” - Diogo Moreira on factory Honda MotoGP chance
Diogo Moreira expects clarity over his MotoGP future by Silverstone amid speculation over a factory Honda promotion.
MotoGP rookie Diogo Moreira expects to know by the British Grand Prix at Silverstone whether he will be promoted from LCR Honda to the factory HRC team for 2027.
The reigning Moto2 champion completed the opening half of his debut premier-class season by recovering from 18th on the grid, following a penalty, to finish 11th in the German Grand Prix.
Honda is now the only manufacturer yet to announce its 2027 factory team line-up.
Fabio Quartararo is destined to fill one of the HRC seats, but the identity of his future team-mate remains unclear.
Moto2 frontrunner David Alonso had initially been tipped for the role, but Moreira's impressive rookie campaign has strengthened his own chances of a factory promotion.
The Brazilian is already under a multi-year MotoGP contract with Honda.
A move for Moreira would leave Alonso alongside Johann Zarco at LCR for the opening season of the new 850cc/Pirelli era.
“I don’t know!” Moreira said when asked about his future team before leaving the Sachsenring.
“For sure, we will talk during this summer break, so in the end let’s see in Silverstone.
“I think there will be something 100%.”
Moreira has scored points in nine of the first 11 grands prix of the season, with a best finish of sixth in Hungary.
“I think we are surprised, all the team,” Moreira said.
“Because this is just race eleven, so we are already there.
“I think we are in a good way. We need to keep working until the end.”
Moreira's charge through the field at the Sachsenring was made more difficult by MotoGP's revised grid format, with bigger spaces between each rider and row.
“In the past I was able to make good starts and magic in the first laps, but today we saw with this new grid it is super-difficult to make a start like that,” he said.
“I was trying to be calm the first laps and I was able to catch the group in the end.
“When I saw the pitboard and there were 22 laps to go I said, ‘Woah, it will be a super-long race.’
“I was trying to focus every lap, not make mistakes and I think we managed the race well.
“Starting from the back it is super-difficult to overtake here and I overheated the tyre, so in the end we survived well.
“I passed Miller in the last laps, but this weekend was difficult for Honda in general. We survived, and also Marini made a good race today.”
Marini, Honda’s top rider in the world championship, in tenth, is expected to join Tech3 KTM next season.
Team-mate Joan Mir, who has already signed for Gresini Ducati, crashed out at Sachsenring.
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.
