There has been plenty of speculation surrounding Kawasaki Racing Team’s plans for the 2027 MXGP World Championship, with the manufacturer’s rider line-up beginning to take shape ahead of the new season.
KRT have already confirmed that they will be expanding their MX2 World Championship effort for 2027, with Francisco Garcia earning a full factory ride alongside Mathis Valin.
The situation in MXGP, however, has been less clear. Kawasaki were understood to have shown strong interest in both Kay de Wolf and Guillem Farres as they looked at potential options for the premier class, but both riders have opted to remain with their current teams for next season.
That appears to have opened the door for Pauls Jonass to continue with the factory Kawasaki squad.
The Latvian currently sits tenth in the 2026 MXGP World Championship standings with just one round remaining. Jonass, who claimed the MX2 World Championship title back in 2017, has been with KRT since the start of the 2025 season and, according to our sources, is expected to remain with the factory Kawasaki team for 2027.
Should the deal be finalised, it would mark Jonass’ third season under the KRT awning.
It is understood that Jonass has attracted interest from elsewhere in the paddock, with both SR Motoblouz Honda and ZXMOTO believed to have shown an interest in the former world champion. However, at this stage, the expectation is that Jonass will remain with Kawasaki for the 2027 campaign.
If confirmed, Jonass is also expected to be Kawasaki’s sole MXGP World Championship rider next season, with the Japanese manufacturer instead placing additional focus on its expanded MX2 programme.
As always, this remains a rumour at this stage and nothing has been officially confirmed by Kawasaki or Jonass.
We’ll continue to keep you updated as and when we hear more from around the paddock.
