First of all, I agree, we haven't had a proper MotoGP livery shake-up in years. Honda HRC Castrol was forced to after Castrol became the team's main sponsor when Repsol left, but even that was lacking. Ducati's all-red, Ferrari-like 2019 livery is probably the last time we got a refresh that was different enough to be 'new,' and fans actually liked.
I'm not going to lie and say 2026 is a "year like no other", but 8 out of the 11 MotoGP teams have released their 2026 liveries so far, some are cool and others atrocious—here's how I rate them.
8: Pertamina VR46 Racing
Jesus, what does Rossi have against Fabio di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli?
The Pertamina VR46 Racing paint scheme is one of the few liveries that is noticeably different from last year, but has gotten worse as a result. The blended neon yellow-and-white paint scheme on the 2024 and 2025 bikes caught a lot of flak, and I didn't even think they were as bad as most folks, but for 2026, the team can rest assured that absolutely nobody will like this. The neon yellow looks harsh against the blacked-out midsection, and since the paint scheme is now symmetrical, the riders' suits just look weird.
7: Trackhouse Racing Aprilia
The Trackhouse Racing Aprilia livery for 2026 is more frustrating than anything else. Let's start with the fact that the team released two liveries, one of which is the coolest I've seen for 2026, and the other is as bland as last year's.
The 'Gulf' livery will only be used at five events this year—Thailand, Brazil, Italy, Indonesia, and Malaysia—and that's a shame because it's so cool. So this ranking is based on the livery the team will use for most of the season, which is as meh as the 2025 paint scheme, mainly because it has barely gotten a tweak.
6: Monster Energy Yamaha Racing
People have been throwing around "Ctrl-Alt-C-Ctrl-Alt-V" comments in reaction to most of the 2026 livery releases, but arguably, no one is a bigger offender than Monster Energy Yamaha Racing.
This livery looks identical to last year's, but it's not last in my rankings because it's not the worst looker of the bunch. And although the livery is essentially the same, the bike underneath isn't, and that shines through in the form of a shiny aluminum swingarm in place of the carbon fiber one on the 2025 bike, and a shiny chassis, which is left on display instead of painted black.
5/4: Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Tech3
The fifth and fourth spots in the rankings go to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Tech3—they share the spots, as both teams have the livery for 2026. The latest livery from the teams looks like a carbon copy of the 2025 paint scheme, but it's not. Somehow, KTM has managed to make its livery even more orange.
Under very close, bordering on microscopic inspection, you'll find that the front aero features KTM's distinct orange on both wings along with the company's branding. Adding to the bike's color assault is more yellow at the front, along with Red Bull's iconic bull coming in from the sides instead of under the windscreen. This is a color palette that makes the grid a bit more fun, although it remains almost unchanged from last year, it still earns a mid ranking.
3. Aprilia Racing
Much like the number four spot in the rankings, the 2026 Aprilia Racing livery is almost the same as its 2025 livery, but the paint scheme has changed somewhat. The factory RS-GPs took on a predominantly black livery in 2022, and Aprilia has refined it into the most fierce, minimalist machine on the grid. Well, minimalist by today's standards.
Adding to its presence is a lion at the end of the logo on the sides of the bike and an even more blacked-out vibe—design queues I absolutely get behind. It's just a shame the bike looks like it's melting.
2: Pramac Racing
It almost seems unfair for Pramac Racing to be ahead of Aprilia Racing, considering the team is as much of a 'Ctrl-Alt-C-Ctrl-Alt-V' offender as Monster Energy Yamaha Racing. Luckily for Pramac, the team was in a pretty good place to start with in 2025, and the color scheme works even better with the aluminum swingarm and exposed twin-spar frame than on the factory Yamaha YZR-M1 V4.
And if you look extremely closely, there are a couple of advertising spaces blank in this photo compared to last year, making it look a bit better.
1: Ducati Lenovo Team
Ducati Lenovo Team's GP26 takes the number one spot because the livery is noticeably different from the previous year's and because the differences are nice. Ducati gave its MotoGP machinery a much-needed makeover for the 2020 season, and basically gave the bikes a Ferrari red paint job, and the brand has been on the up ever since.
The red-on-red paint scheme will be synonymous with Ducati's rise to the top of the sport, but there was simply no more space for red, leading designers to bring white back into the picture, ala the factory Ducati GP19. Apart from the obvious white stripes, there are sprays of white on the front fairing under the screen and on the sides of the fairing on the belly that look like road rash at a glance or graffiti upon closer inspection.
Another win for Ducati, and the season hasn't even started. Of course, these are just my rankings, and apart from my sixth and first spots, I'm pretty open to changing my mind. So please, tell me how the 2026 MotoGP liveries stack up for you thus far.
