Bem-vindo à MotoGP, Diogo Moreira! Who is Brazil’s next racing superstar?

Get to know LCR Honda's latest recruit, who is looking to make his mark on the sport

That’s it then! After months of speculation, the grid for the 2026 MotoGP season is finally complete. The last piece of the puzzle finally fell into place ahead of the Australian GP, when it was announced that Diogo Moreira had signed a multi-year MotoGP deal with LCR Honda.

The young Brazilian was one of the most sought-after prospects in the paddock, with multiple factories reportedly chasing his signature. Ultimately, Honda won the battle, securing a rider who’s been tipped as one of the sport’s brightest young stars.

Moreira will be one of two rookies on the 2026 grid — alongside Toprak Razgatlioglu, who comes from WorldSBK — and notably, he’ll become the first Brazilian MotoGP rider since Alex Barros, an icon of the sport across the 1990s and the early 2000s. But who exactly is Diogo Moreira?

Hailing from Guarulhos, São Paulo, Diogo Moreira began his racing journey in Brazilian motocross before moving to Spain in 2017 to pursue a career on asphalt. Determined to make his mark, he worked his way up through the European junior ranks, scoring impressive results in the junior categories.

It was in the Red Bull Rookies Cup that Moreira truly caught attention, finishing 6th overall in 2021 with four podiums to his name. His speed and consistency earned him a coveted seat in the Moto3 World Championship with MT Helmets – MSI in 2022.

The Brazilian immediately caught the eye with a string of top 10 finishes on his way to the Rookie of the Year crown. On the opening day of his sophomore season, he delivered his first podium in Portugal, which was quickly followed by another in Argentina.

-->Diogo Moreira, Indonesian GP, 2023Diogo Moreira, Indonesian GP, 2023

His first-ever World Championship win came in Round 15 in Indonesia as he finished P8 in the Championship, but Moto2’s Italtrans Racing had seen enough as they offered him an intermediate class ride in 2024.

His debut year in the intermediate class started inconsistently, but his pace steadily improved as he adapted to the more demanding machinery. By the end of the season, he took his first Moto2 podium at the Barcelona finale — and with it, another Rookie of the Year crown.

-->Diogo Moreira, Austrian GP, 2025Diogo Moreira, Austrian GP, 2025

That was just a taste of what was to come in 2025, with the Brazilian evolving into one of the class’s standout stars. With a string of top-five finishes, back-to-back podiums at Silverstone and Aragon, and a maiden win at Assen, the Brazilian firmly announced himself as a title contender. That was the first of three wins, the other two coming in Austria and Indonesia, which leaves him within nine points of title rival Manu Gonzalez at the time of writing, heading into the Australian GP.

With a move to the premier class now signed and sealed, he’ll be looking to deliver a first World Championship crown. Brazil have never had a Grand Prix World Champion, and Moreira could become its first if he can outscore Gonzalez in the remaining four rounds.

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His MotoGP debut will also coincide with the long-awaited return of the Brazilian Grand Prix to the calendar in March 2026. If all goes to plan, Moreira will race in front of his home fans in just his second MotoGP outing, making it a truly emotional milestone for both him and Brazil’s passionate motorsport community.

Throughout his career, Moreira has proudly raced with the number 10, but he'll have to find a new one for MotoGP as that number is already taken by factory Honda rider Luca Marini. Still, it’s a small price to pay for achieving his lifelong dream: a place in the premier class of world motorcycle racing.

He’s expected to make his MotoGP testing debut at Valencia later this year, but before that, his focus remains firmly on the 2025 Moto2 title fight. So tune in for the Phillip Island Grand Prix, and see for yourself why Honda has placed its faith in Diogo Moreira — Brazil’s next MotoGP superstar.

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