Questions surrounding whether Guenther Steiner would continue to use KTM machinery for the Tech3 team have justifiably been floated. But among all the MotoGP satellite teams, there has been more speculation about which manufacturer the VR46 squad will use going into 2027 than any other. Ducati has provided the team with bikes since it entered MotoGP in 2022, but that contract expires in 2027, and other brands have been circling.
It's hard to imagine switching from Ducati to any other brand if you're a MotoGP satellite team. We needn't look further than the Pramac 2024 vs 2025 season as a reminder. In 2024, Pramac's rider, Jorge Martin, won the MotoGP Rider's World Championship, and his teammate, Franco Morbidelli, took 9th. Then both riders left, Pramac switched to Yamaha machinery, and the team's top rider in 2025, Jack Miller, finished in 17th in the rider's championship.
It's not crazy to think that VR46 could've switched to Yamaha, given the fact that the Japanese manufactur has reportedly tried to provide the satellite team with bikes over the years. There were also reports that Yamaha would've supplied the team at a discounted rate, given the fact that Valentino Rossi, the owner of the team, is a Yamaha global brand ambassador. Rossi stuck with Ducati, but recently, there was an arguably more attractive offer from Aprilia.
