The Moto2 starting field for 2026 is not only shrinking quantitatively, but is also losing some of its defining figures from previous years in terms of quality. Several regular drivers, some with a significant Grand Prix past, no longer find a place for the coming season or are consciously deciding to take on new challenges away from the GP circus. The reasons range from a lack of results to a lack of development prospects to strategic career decisions. One thing is clear: the class of established Moto2 names is noticeably thinning out. What remains is a field in transition – and the realization that the balance of power in Moto2 is likely to shift noticeably in 2026.
One of the most high-profile departures is Jake Dixon. The Brit, who got a taste of Moto2 for the first time in 2017 and has been part of the class’ regular roster since 2019, has reoriented himself after seven years in the GP paddock. Dixon, who even made two MotoGP appearances for Petronas Yamaha SRT in 2021, found his final breakthrough at Aspar in 2022 and later at MarcVDS: seven Moto2 victories, plus 5th place in the World Championship in 2025 as the best Boscoscuro rider. The 29-year-old is now heading to the Superbike World Championship – and straight into the Honda factory team.
Albert Arenas, 2020 Moto3 World Champion, is also reorienting his career. After five Moto2 years, his best to date in 2025, the doors to MotoGP remained closed – at almost 29 years old, the chance of a late promotion is dwindling. The Spaniard is therefore daring to take the step into the Supersport World Championship, where former Moto2 pilots have regularly won titles in recent years. In the future, Arenas will start with a Yamaha R9 in the team of Andrea Quadranti, who previously represented MV Agusta for years. With 6 GP victories under his belt, Arenas has the class needed for a successful restart.
For Yuki Kunii, the Grand Prix chapter ends for the second time. After his Moto3 retirement at the end of 2022, the Japanese fought back through the Asia Road Racing Championship, where he won the Superbike title and thus earned a Moto2 comeback in Idemitsu Honda Team Asia. But the return remained without points – now Kunii is disappearing from the World Cup scene again.
A former MotoGP pilot also loses his place: Darryn Binder will no longer drive in Moto2 in 2026. The South African, who has been in the GP paddock since 2015, shone in 2021 with 7th place in the Moto3 World Championship and, thanks to the contract structure, was given the chance to move straight up to MotoGP in 2022. There, only a few outliers made it to the top. After moving to Moto2 in 2023, Binder established himself in the midfield. But 2025 turned out to be a disaster: a season full of pain in his left elbow, later the necessary operation and an early end to the season for Gresini. His Moto3 victory in Barcelona in 2020 remains the outstanding highlight of his career, which is in danger of not being continued.
All MotoGP fans were looking forward to the 2025 season. A sensational three-way battle with Marc Marquez, Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin was inevitable. But for two pilots the year got completely out of hand.
For Marcos Ramirez, the end of OnlyFans American Racing was surprisingly sharp. Although the Spaniard had already signed for 2026, the team announced the termination of the contract “by mutual agreement” at the end of 2025 – a classic formula sentence that usually has more to it. Ramirez, a two-time GP winner, suddenly found himself without a Moto2 bike. But the 27-year-old fell soft: A little later he signed a factory contract with QJ Motor for the 2026 Supersport World Championship.
