Daniele Romagnoli will remain as Francesco Bagnaia's crew chief at Aprilia Racing for the 2027 MotoGP season, while reigning world champion Jorge Martin will move to Yamaha without his long-time technical partner, in a sign that factory teams are increasingly unwilling to accept double rider-crew chief transfers.
The decision marks a significant shift in MotoGP's rider market dynamics. Romagnoli, the experienced Italian crew chief who guided Martin to the 2024 world title at Pramac-Ducati and followed him to Aprilia at the end of 2024, has been retained by the Noale manufacturer. Massimo Rivola's team has instead assigned him to two-time MotoGP champion Bagnaia, who will leave Ducati Lenovo to partner with the Italian engineer on the RS-GP.
Martin, meanwhile, will join Yamaha Racing as a "solo" signing — without the option to bring Romagnoli with him. The Spaniard, who currently leads the 2026 world championship standings on an Aprilia, will instead work with David Munoz, the last crew chief to serve Valentino Rossi before the nine-time world champion retired. Munoz currently oversees the garage of Alex Rins at Yamaha.
The split reflects a broader trend across the MotoGP paddock. Factory teams have moved to protect their technical staff, recognising crew chiefs as valuable assets in their own right rather than mere extensions of a rider's contract. Aprilia's decision to hold onto Romagnoli was also influenced by the arrival of Fabiano Sterlacchini as the RS-GP's new chief developer — the pair enjoyed a long and successful collaboration during their Ducati Corse years.
Elsewhere in the paddock, Ducati Lenovo will continue with Marco Rigamonti alongside Marc Marquez and welcome Christian Gabbarini for Pedro Acosta. KTM retains Paul Trevathan and Phil Marron for its new signings Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez. Honda has confirmed that 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo will also arrive as a solo rider, working with current Luca Marini crew chief Cristhian Pupulin.
The 2027 season is shaping up to be one of the most significant grid reshuffles in recent MotoGP history — and one where crew chiefs are finally being treated as the cornerstone figures they have always been.
Sources
- https://www.speedweek.com/a/motogp/motogp-werke-klammern-martin-geht-crew-chief-romagnoli-bleibt-bei-aprilia/
