We are two rounds into the 2024 MotoGP season. If we think back to all the pre-season stories, like Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) switching brands, the wonder kid Pedro Acosta (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) joining the big leagues, along with all the usual suspects we expect at the front, what do we now know after two rounds?
The answer is… maybe not much.
We had the usual suspects at the front collecting most of the points in the first two rounds. At the 2024 season opening Grand Prix of Qatar at the Losail International Circuit in Doha, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) took victory. But it was Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) taking the Sprint win. He also won round two, while Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) took the sprint win. It’s the first time Martin has led the points for longer than 24 hours.
Maybe the pre-season prediction about Acosta is the only one bearing early fruit. A brilliant four rides so far has seen the youngster already capture his first podium in a full length Grand Prix.
This should make you worried. Just look to the gap of his teammate and you will quickly see how ‘real’ this kid is.
But what else do we really know at this point. I could argue that Marquez will hang around the championship for a while, but its clear even at this point the new 2024 Ducati – MM is on a 2023 – is a huge step forward in performance and as the year wears on, MM could get left further and further behind. Not like Honda behind, but Ducati behind.
As for the others, and interesting story is Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team). He literally is riding for his future. There is no question Martin already has his name decals ordered for that bike in 2025, but it is a long way from signed and done. Bastianini was solid in the last round, despite a brain fade moment in the sprint where he didn’t get the ride height device lowered for the start. Bas can keep that ride I feel, and that will present a host of issues. There will be no room at the inn for Martin, as Bagnaia has already signed long term. What is Ducati to do. There are only a few options. Pass on Bas and risk losing him to KTM or Aprilia? Or keep him and Martin going to greener pastures for 2025. Not good problems to have or solve if you are Ducati.
Aprilia and KTM both have made steps forward, and it could not have come at a better time. You see, with the Ducati team ‘issues’ mentioned above, either brand could attract a top rider if their bikes are soon to be perceived as possible race winners. Maverick’s win came on pace, not luck, but it was a sprint not a feature. If you remember he was one lap away from a podium in round 2 when the gearbox exploded.
The Yamaha and Honda riders are in for a long year I feel. Now, having said that the new concessions could well help them with an eye on 2025. No one really knows how powerful the concessions can be during a given year and Yamaha clearly are a step further along than Honda at this point.
What I hope is not the biggest news so far of Liberty Media buying Dorna has the possibility of derailing the whole shebang.
Here’s why.
Liberty, as we have seen since they have been at the helm of Formula 1 have done a magnificent job of building brand awareness and excitement about the teams and drivers…hell, a team principal was headlining the Drive to Survive dog and pony show. It’s all about the team news, driver news, political news and controversy. It sadly is not about the racing. Its not about the cars, the events, or the championship. Its other big, big problem are the races. Let’s be honest, they are boring. The only question to be answered is how much will Max Verstappen win by.
MotoGP on the other hand is all about the races, teams and riders. That and the fact that they put on really, exciting races. This is what will lead to the new fans Liberty desires, not building fake, peripheral stories to support a reality show.
Hopefully they – Liberty – will do nothing about the racing.
News and notes:
Fermin Aldeguer to Ducati for 2025.
The moto2 rider has already signed for Ducati for 2025. Expect to see him at Gresini or Pramac. It’s a good signing as he is clearly the class of the Moto2 grid at this point. But it does set a dangerous precedent for other riders to be signed basically a year in advance. Personally, I think you shouldn’t be able to sign a following year contract until the season is half over… but that’s just me.
BMW sniffing around.
BMW, fresh off a World Superbike win at Barcelona is said to be investigating a factory entry to MotoGP. Ideally, it’s a few years away when the new regulations come into effect but good to see another factory sniffing around.
Toba to SuperSport.
Kaito Toba has finally left Moto3 for bigger bikes. He has joined European Moto2 and WSB SuperSport. Sadly, the first two rounds have done him no favours, finishing at the back of the grid both times. (I mention Kaito Toba as he was the first rider I followed when I went to MotoGP in Valencia in 2019. I keep up with him just to see how he is doing. As he got me started on this whole MotoGP thing that I’m now a huge fan of, he had to be in the first Lean Angle.)
- From Russ Bond
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