The MotoGP bidding war for the services of Diogo Moreira - and Honda's victory in that bidding war - has aged spectacularly as he stormed his way to the 2025 Moto2 title via a 60-point comeback.
When earlier this year the 21-year-old Brazilian was at the centre of interest from Honda, Yamaha and Aprilia satellite team Trackhouse, his intermediate-class title push looked to be imploding - with a particularly poor rejoin from a collision at the Sachsenring that led to another, worse collision and a heavy sanction.
Moreira's potential was clear then already, but he looked a rider who could very much do with a third year in Moto2. But Honda and Yamaha were both known to be very interested in his services and offering favourable terms.
At the time, you could have absolutely wondered whether both were rushing too much to get Moreira on a premier-class bike in 2027. Yamaha was ready to discard Jack Miller from Pramac along with Miguel Oliveira; Honda only needed to shelve the underperforming Somkiat Chantra but ultimately committed to Moreira on what is known to be a longer-than-usual three-year contract, though the exact mechanisms and commitments of the deal (under which Moreira will start at satellite team LCR next year) have of course not been made public.
Honda in particular looks more attractive now than it did at the time of Moreira's signing. Its seats should now be prized commodities - the 2026 prototype looks good, and the names involved in putting together the 2027 bike for Pirelli tyres and new 850cc regs look even better.
"He's a very good rider and it's a good opportunity for him. I think for sure he will be super fast and super strong, our bike is quite easy to learn at the beginning and has a good potential - and especially I think next year he will have a really good package compared to [the Hondas of] previous years," said factory rider Luca Marini earlier this year.
Moreira's MotoGP promotion with Honda was only announced in October, but it was reported as a done deal back in August - and that coincided with Moreira beginning a run of form that can only be described as an absolute tear.
Starting with Austria in mid-August and up to the season finale at Valencia, he banked eight top-fives in nine starts, and led 62 laps - versus seven for fading championship favourite Manu Gonzalez.
Gonzalez's title aspirations were dealt a brutal blow by a Mandalika disqualification for running non-homologated software. A firmware update had gone wrong, and 20 points were taken off the board just like that.
But the tides had also long shifted by then. Moreira was coming one way or another - though that 20-point swing did make it so that he could then go into the season finale needing just the bare minimum of scoring for the title. He delivered via an 11th-place finish, though a technical problem for Gonzalez meant the crown was never in any danger.
Moreira's bike racing CV since leaving Brazil
2017 - 4th in Spanish 85cc
2018 - 2nd in Spanish Moto4
2019 - 6th in European Talent Cup
2020 - 10th in CEV Moto3
2021 - 6th in Red Bull Rookies Cup, 11th in CEV Moto3
2022 - 8th in Moto3
2023 - 8th in Moto3
2024 - 13th in Moto2
2025 - 1st in Moto2
A stellar Moto2 2025 rookie class - headlined by Dani Holgado and David Alonso - means MotoGP manufacturers should be as reluctant as ever to hand out any long-term premier-class contracts.
It often feels like the MotoGP paddock is guilty of chasing flavour-of-the-month riders, and there were grounds to feel that way about Moreira mid-season - but he has done nothing but prove Honda right since the two sides made their multi-year commitment.
