The future of Janis and Karlis Reisulis has been one of the biggest talking points in the MXGP paddock ahead of the 2027 season, with the talented Latvian Brothers attracting plenty of interest from other manufacturers.
Both riders are currently part of Yamaha’s factory programme, but uncertainty surrounded their future following the confirmation that Hutten Metaal Yamaha will part ways with the manufacturer at the end of the 2026 season. With Yamaha set to restructure its MX2 operation, questions have naturally been asked about where the Brothers would end up.
There has certainly been no shortage of interest. HRC Honda had been pushing hard to sign both riders, while KTM were understood to have been particularly keen on Janis Reisulis after an impressive MX2 rookie season.
However, one key factor appears to have shaped the outcome. It is believed that Janis and Karlis were determined to continue racing together under the same team, making a switch to KTM for Janis alone highly unlikely despite the Austrian manufacturer’s interest.
While Honda made a strong attempt to secure the services of both Brothers, we understand they are now expected to remain with Yamaha, with both Karlis and Janis agreeing new contracts with the brand.
The Yamaha structure itself is also set for a change. Hans Corvers, who currently oversees Yamaha’s factory MXGP programme, is expected to take backk responsibility for the factory MX2 effort from 2027 onwards following the end of the Hutten Metaal Yamaha partnership. Corvers has experience running the setup in the past before running the MXGP setup and helped Yamaha win MX2 GP’s.
Taking on both projects will make Corvers one of the busiest figures in the paddock, and it is understood he is currently in discussions to appoint a team manager to help oversee the MX2 programme. Pierre-Alexandre Renet is thought to be one of the names in discussions for the role.
As always with rider market speculation, nothing is official until contracts are announced. However, with the Reisulis Brothers now believed to have decided their futures, one of the biggest pieces of the 2027 rider market puzzle appears close to falling into place—meaning more rider moves are expected to follow in the coming weeks.
