Diogo Moreira Promoted to Honda HRC Castrol for 2027 MotoGP Season

The 2025 Moto2 World Champion will join Fabio Quartararo at the factory Honda team on a multi-year contract after an impressive rookie MotoGP campaign with LCR Honda.

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Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) has confirmed that Diogo Moreira will join the Honda HRC Castrol factory team for the 2027 MotoGP World Championship, partnering Fabio Quartararo on a multi-year contract.

The 22-year-old Brazilian will step up from Pro Honda LCR, where he has been competing in his rookie premier-class season after securing an HRC contract following an impressive campaign in Moto2. His promotion reflects Honda’s confidence in his potential as the manufacturer looks to return to the front of the MotoGP grid ahead of a new era of technical regulations in 2027.

Moreira has established himself as one of the sport’s most promising young talents, recording five victories, 13 podium finishes and nine pole positions across the Moto3 and Moto2 categories since entering the World Championship in 2022.

His breakthrough came in 2025 when he secured the Moto2 World Championship in just his fourth season competing at world championship level. After claiming his maiden intermediate-class victory at Assen, Moreira mounted a strong challenge through the standings before ultimately securing the title.

His combination of speed, racecraft and composure under pressure convinced HRC that he was ready to make the step up to MotoGP.

Moreira’s first season in the premier class has further strengthened that belief. He gradually built his confidence and understanding of the Honda RC213V, eventually achieving his first top-10 finish at the Catalan Grand Prix.

Since then, the Brazilian has regularly challenged for top honours among Honda riders. A maiden Sprint podium at the Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi, Honda’s home race, further demonstrated his progress and strengthened his case for promotion to the factory squad.

Moreira will become the latest young talent to join Honda HRC Castrol as the manufacturer prepares for the introduction of new technical regulations in 2027. Honda hopes its upcoming rider line-up will help drive its development efforts and restore the team to the top of the MotoGP World Championship standings.

The Brazilian will also follow in the footsteps of fellow countryman Alex Barros, who represented Honda’s factory team in the premier class and secured four podium finishes during the 2004 season aboard the Honda RC211V.

Moreira expressed his excitement at earning a place in the factory team, describing the opportunity as a major milestone in his career. He also thanked HRC for its confidence in him and acknowledged the contribution of the LCR Honda team in helping him adapt to MotoGP during his rookie season.

The Brazilian added that his experience with Honda so far had given him positive expectations for the future, and he looked forward to contributing to the manufacturer’s efforts to return to championship-winning form.

Yuzuru Ishikawa, General Manager of Honda Racing Corporation’s Motorcycle Racing Division, highlighted Moreira’s ability to adapt quickly to different motorcycles and racing categories as a key factor behind the decision.

According to Ishikawa, Moreira’s progression from motocross to Moto3, Moto2 and now MotoGP demonstrates the talent and adaptability required to succeed at the highest level.

He added that HRC would continue supporting the Brazilian as he takes the next step in his career, while emphasising the importance of having a competitive rider line-up across both Honda HRC Castrol and LCR Honda.

Ishikawa also expressed confidence that the riders would push one another to improve their performances while helping HRC engineers develop a competitive motorcycle for the new technical era.

With Moreira joining Quartararo at Honda HRC Castrol in 2027, the manufacturer will look to combine the experience of an established MotoGP race winner with the potential of one of the championship’s emerging talents as it targets a return to the front of the grid.