Mid-Season MotoGP 2024 Report Card: Rider Rankings and Scores at the Halfway Mark

Rating: All MotoGP Competitors at the Midpoint of the 2024 Season

We provide a rating out of 10 for each MotoGP competitor at the halfway mark of 2024.

This past weekend's British Grand Prix signified the midpoint of the 2024 MotoGP campaign, having completed 10 races and another 10 still to go.

The competition for the 2024 MotoGP championship is incredibly close at this point in the season, as Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia are separated by a mere three points at the summit of the standings.

Ducati has maintained its position as the leading brand, with six out of its eight riders reaching the podium this year. The recent win at the British Grand Prix achieved a historic seventh consecutive podium sweep for the company.

Ducati has evidently advanced beyond its competitors, with Aprilia being the only one to surpass Ducati by achieving one grand prix victory and two sprint wins in 2024.

Moving down the rankings, KTM has struggled to advance its RC16, yet newcomer Pedro Acosta has impressively taken the motorcycle to the podium in two grand prix events, with Brad Binder contributing an additional podium finish to their record.

Currently in a phase of reconstruction, Yamaha and Honda find themselves trailing in the manufacturers' rankings, with 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo emerging as the leading rider among those on Japanese motorcycles to date.

As we enter the latter part of the 2024 racing season, we evaluate the performance of both the riders and the manufacturers up to this point.

We've categorized the participants according to their bike brands and evaluated them on a scale that reflects not only their performance outcomes but also considers factors like the specifications of their motorcycles and any anticipated standards.

Ducati

Has 8 racers

Top Grand Prix finish – 1st place

Top finish in sprint – 1st place

Top qualifying position – 1st

Title Holder – 1st Place (352 points)

#1 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Team. Rating: B+

As the current two-time world champion, Bagnaia was expected to earn top marks by the midpoint of 2024. However, his season has been characterized by too much inconsistency.

Throughout his championship-winning seasons in 2022 and 2023, he has encountered setbacks with five instances where he did not finish races, including both grand prix and sprint events this year. Following an incident where he lost the lead in a sprint race in Barcelona, he found himself trailing the championship leader by 44 points. However, he staged an impressive comeback with consecutive victories in the grand prix races in Barcelona, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany, propelling him into a 10-point advantage as the summer break commenced.

A fall during the sprint at the British Grand Prix and a slow speed in the primary race have once again cost him the top position.

At his peak, Bagnaia is unmatched on the factory Ducati, yet he continues to commit significant errors.

#23 Enea Bastianini – Representing Ducati Corse. Evaluation: B

Bastianini's rating would have dipped at this point in the season if not for his impressive comeback during the Italian GP, underscoring that he wouldn't secure a spot with Ducati for 2025.

Finishes on the podium at Mugello, Assen, coupled with a pair of wins following his initial season successes at Portimao and COTA, have now catapulted him into the championship race, only 49 points behind the front-runner, Jorge Martin.

A series of injuries in 2023 hindered his ability to adjust to the GP23, and it immediately became evident that the GP24's braking features were more aligned with his riding approach. His progress from the start of the season was hampered by a temporary decline in performance during the Spanish, French, and Catalan Grand Prix races.

Silverstone highlighted Bastianini's championship potential, yet his reliability is still under scrutiny.

#89 Jorge Martin – Pramac Racing. Evaluation: B+

Martin's exit from Ducati after the 2024 season represents a significant setback for the team. Right from the start of this season, it was evident that he would pose a greater challenge to Bagnaia's dominance than he did in 2023.

However, similar to Bagnaia, crucial errors have occurred at the worst possible moments. Falling out of the top spot in both the Spanish and German Grand Prix allowed his main competitor, Bagnaia, to claim the win, significantly contributing to why his impressive performance in 2024 has resulted in just a slim three-point lead in the championship race midway through the season.

Overall, however, the duo has proven to be closely competitive, with Martin demonstrating remarkable resilience by quickly recovering from his crash in Germany to secure two second-place finishes, surpassing Bagnaia at Silverstone, highlighting his strong determination.

#21 Franco Morbidelli – Pramac Racing. Evaluation: D-

Morbidelli’s initial year with the 2024 model Ducati proved challenging to assess due to his absence from all pre-season activities, following a concussion he sustained during a training event in Portugal.

Eager for a period to get to grips with the motorcycle and to restore his self-assurance after a challenging period with the factory Yamaha team, Morbidelli's full potential has yet to be showcased.

Morbidelli has shown brief moments of brilliance, such as his sixth-place finish at Mugello and leading the race at the Sachsenring before ultimately securing fifth place. However, these instances have been rare. As the lowest-ranked Ducati rider, currently in 12th position, Morbidelli is lucky to retain his position on the starting grid for the 2025 season.

#93 Marc Marquez – Gresini Racing. Evaluation: B

The story of the eight-time world champion's debut season with the 2023 model Ducati has emerged as one of the most significant narratives of the year.

Undoubtedly, he's rediscovered his rhythm following a series of challenging years on the factory Honda. He began the season with a fourth-place finish in Qatar, which was soon followed by consecutive podium finishes in sprint races, leading up to his first Grand Prix podium in Spain after an intense battle with Bagnaia.

Delivering podium finishes in France, Barcelona, and Germany from starting positions outside the top 12 amazed many, yet Marquez's qualifying performance has been modest, achieving just one pole position and making it to the front row only two other times.

The transition to the GP23 across different circuits is turning out to be more challenging than anticipated, and the year-old setup is beginning to appear outdated compared to the newer GP24 models.

He remains a contender for the championship, yet he must progress in the final 10 races to become a genuine challenger.

#73 Alex Marquez – Representing Gresini Racing. Evaluation: C-

The junior Marquez sibling significantly influenced Marc's decision to join Gresini Ducati in 2024, by making a similar move the previous year and delivering strong performances.

Alex Marquez has not displayed the same level of performance as he did the previous year, yet securing a podium finish at the German Grand Prix has highlighted his potential to achieve significant outcomes from time to time.

Maintaining steady performances on Sundays has secured him a spot among the top 10 in the rankings and positioned him as the sixth Ducati rider, yet he must also elevate his game in the season's latter half.

#49 Fabio Di Giannantonio – Team VR46 Racing. Evaluation: B

Before Marc Marquez joined Gresini, Di Giannantonio seemed at risk of not having a team for 2024. However, his impressive performance towards the end of the previous season, highlighted by a victory at the Qatar Grand Prix, secured him a spot on a GP23 bike with the VR46 team.

Initially seen as an outsider within the VR46 stable, the team has embraced him as a member, and in return, he has delivered an impressively strong season thus far.

In the initial 10 races, Di Giannantonio hasn't managed to secure a spot on the podium yet, but he currently ranks as the top GP23 racer after Marc Marquez. He has managed to earn points in every race except for one, placing him in the eighth position in the overall rankings.

He has also outperformed his well-regarded teammate Marco Bezzecchi, who was a contender for the championship last year, and has secured a factory bike at VR46 for 2025 after being considered a highly sought-after talent in the rider market.

#72 Marco Bezzecchi – VR46 Racing Team. Evaluation: C-

Bezzecchi's choice to stick with VR46, opting for an older Ducati rather than moving to Pramac for a factory model in 2024, was praised as a wise decision by the young Italian at the time.

However, it's difficult to believe he doesn't regret it at this point. Having demonstrated strength on the GP22 last season by securing three grand prix victories and contending for the championship into the final phases of the season, his performance has significantly declined on the GP23.

Struggling with similar issues of engine braking and understeer that Bastianini encountered on the motorcycle the previous year, Bezzecchi has managed to achieve a podium finish once.

With an equal number of points as Morbidelli, Bezzecchi is looking forward to a more successful last 10 races to kick off his stint with Aprilia with a boost in confidence.

Aprilia

Quartet of

Top Grand Prix finish – 1st place

Top finish in sprint – 1st place

Top qualifier – 1st place

Runner-up Position – Second Place (192 points)

#12 Maverick Vinales – Aprilia Factory Racing Team. Evaluation: B-

The 2024 campaign appeared to be a critical juncture for Vinales, who had not shown significant results with Aprilia since becoming part of the team in the middle of 2021.

Initially struggling to find synergy with the 2024 RS-GP during the winter tests, Vinales and his team achieved a significant breakthrough at the Portuguese GP, where he triumphed in the sprint race and was in a strong position to secure a podium finish in Sunday's race until a late gearbox problem derailed his efforts.

In the United States, his fortunes turned favorably when he clinched the race, overcoming a disastrous beginning where he fell to the 11th position, to secure his much-anticipated tenth Grand Prix win.

Since then, Vinales has only managed to make it to the podium in two sprint races and hasn't finished in the top 10 since the race at Assen, yet he currently holds the fifth position in the overall standings.

This is primarily attributed to the Aprilia setup, which has recently faced challenges in tire management, as Vinales pointed out during the British GP, indicating that the motorcycle's capability has "diminished."

#41 Aleix Espargaro – Representing Aprilia Factory Racing. Evaluation: C+

The seasoned Spanish rider's final year in MotoGP has been steady, yet the decline in performance that Aprilia has experienced prevented him from achieving the success of winning two grand prix races in 2023.

Espargaro continues to demonstrate that he can outpace his Aprilia teammates when the opportunity arises. His victory at the Catalan Grand Prix, achieved in a sprint following Bagnaia's accident, was succeeded by a fourth-place finish in the Grand Prix, where he faced challenges with the RS-GP's late-stage tyre wear issues.

His progress is supported by securing pole positions, yet the lack of a podium finish on Sundays has negatively impacted his rating, especially since injuries forced him to miss races at Assen and the Sachsenring, clearly halting his momentum from Barcelona.

#88 Miguel Oliveira – Represented by Trackhouse Racing. Performance Rating: D

After transitioning to Aprilia with the RNF team in 2023, prior to Trackhouse assuming control in 2024, Oliveira has found it challenging to duplicate the winning performance he exhibited during his time with KTM.

Struggling to adjust to the 2024 RS-GP and remaining somewhat dissatisfied halfway through, his achievements so far are minimal.

His quick pace earned him a spot at the front of the grid in Germany, leading to a second-place finish in the sprint race and a sixth-place finish in the main grand prix event.

However, their inconsistency has not matched what is expected from a rider of his skill level.

#25 Raul Fernandez – Trackhouse Racing. Evaluation: D+

Fernandez's experience with Aprilia has mirrored Oliveira's trajectory closely, albeit the 2021 Moto2 second-place finisher has found himself at a bit of a setback throughout most of 2024, being the sole competitor on the 2023 RS-GP model.

Facing challenges for his spot at Trackhouse for the 2025 season, Fernandez took the lead in the Barcelona sprint before an unfortunate crash, yet managed to secure a strong sixth-place finish from a front row start.

Fernandez has reached his peak performance to date, undoubtedly demonstrating sufficient skill to earn a two-year deal with Trackhouse.

Making his first appearance in competition on the 2024 model of the RS-GP, which was equipped with the 2023 engine in compliance with regulations, didn't provide any indications of how he might perform in the remaining 10 races, since he was involved in an accident on the opening lap of the British Grand Prix.

KTM

Quartet of

Top Grand Prix finish – Runner-up

Top sprint finish – Runner-up

Top qualifying position achieved – Runner-up

Position in Championship – Third with 178 points

#33 Brad Binder – Representing KTM Factory Racing. Evaluation: C

Despite its ambitious goals, KTM has not achieved the breakthrough against its competitors that it aimed for throughout a strong 2023 season, yet Binder continues to be a stalwart performer for the Austrian manufacturer.

Starting the 2024 season with two second-place finishes in Qatar, Binder has since struggled to make it back to the podium, though he has consistently scored points in every race except for one Sunday. Additionally, he is the sole KTM rider to have finished in the points in every race of the season so far.

The emergence of newcomer Acosta is making the world take notice of Binder's talent, yet he hasn't faltered under the weight of this challenge as he strives to make the RC16 significantly more competitive.

#43 Jack Miller – Representing KTM Factory Racing. Evaluation: D-

Miller's amiable demeanor and straightforward public relations strategy have solidified his popularity among fans. In justice to him, KTM's handling of his situation this year, especially concerning their 2025 intentions—initially instructing him to avoid discussions with other teams as they planned to retain him, only to later dismiss him—was unworthy of a racer who has clinched grand prix victories four times.

It's worth noting that Miller has faced difficulties competing on the KTM this season, amassing only 42 points through 10 races. His highest finish was fifth in Portugal, and notably, he hasn't secured any other positions within the top 10. This performance falls short of expectations for a rider of his talent.

He has hinted that while his critiques of the Ducati he used to ride have been acknowledged, the implementation of new features based on his feedback hasn't been as prompt or effective as expected.

Acosta joining the KTM team at the same time as Miller's difficulties has not improved his situation, and it seems that regardless of his performance in the upcoming 10 races, he won't secure a spot on the 2025 MotoGP lineup.

#31 Pedro Acosta – Tech3 GASGAS. Evaluation: B

It was always clear that Acosta's entry into MotoGP in 2024 would bring excitement and drama.

Amidst all the excitement, he has approached his career with professionalism, achieving podium finishes in grand prix races in Portugal and the United States, as well as in sprint events in Spain, Barcelona, and Italy.

Since then, Acosta has not maintained his podium finishes, but he remains the leading KTM rider in the rankings.

The likelihood of him achieving additional podium finishes, and potentially his initial victory, continues to be strong. However, this will hinge on the extent to which KTM can enhance the speed of the RC16.

#37 Augusto Fernandez – Tech3 GASGAS. Evaluation: F

The 2022 Moto2 titleholder didn't seem to have much in his favor before making his MotoGP entrance with Tech3 the previous year, as numerous observers considered him just a placeholder until Acosta was prepared.

Quick bursts of pace, despite challenging conditions and the absence of a supportive team-mate to facilitate his development, secured his position for 2024. However, it raises the question of whether he would have maintained his spot if Pol Espargaro hadn't faced significant injuries.

Fernandez achieved a top finish of 11th place in Portugal riding a KTM, a bike he has found challenging to adapt to after transitioning to a carbon fiber frame this season, and his performance has not improved since then.

Midway through, he finds himself with just 15 points, with no indications of a significant improvement in performance in the remaining 10 rounds.

Yamaha

Two participants

Top Grand Prix finish – 7th place

Top sprint finish – 5th place

Top qualifying position – 8th

Position in the Championship: 4th place with a total of 53

Fabio Quartararo. Evaluation: B

Despite a B rating seeming generous considering Yamaha's performance this season, it's precisely this context that highlights the commendable efforts of 2021 world champion Quartararo.

Currently undergoing a period of restructuring, Quartararo has transformed from a frustrated world champion hindered by an underperforming motorcycle to a competitor who grasps the broader perspective. This shift has largely been influenced by the entry of Max Bartolini as the head of technology, coming from Ducati.

Progress has been gradual yet noticeable, with Quartararo consistently maximizing the performance of the M1, amassing 49 points – a significant 35 points ahead of his competitors in the 'Japanese Cup'. If not for an unfortunate penalty related to tyre pressure, he would have secured a podium spot, having navigated through the chaos of the Jerez sprint to end up in third place.

Without Quartararo, Yamaha's situation would significantly deteriorate. Advancements in the last 10 races will be challenging, yet if there are any notable improvements, it's probable that Quartararo will be the one achieving those successes.

Alex Rins. Evaluation: D

Evaluating Rins' performance this season presents a complex challenge due to three significant aspects: he is adjusting to another new motorcycle for the consecutive season; his recovery from a severe leg fracture sustained in 2023 is ongoing; and recent injuries have further impacted his condition.

However, accumulating only eight points and failing to secure a place in the top 10 makes it difficult to rank Rins any higher in our standings.

Rins has shown moments of quickness, especially when competing with his esteemed colleague. However, the last 10 competitions will mainly focus on enhancing the motorcycle and deepening his comprehension of it, as any significant progress is expected to occur in the following year.

Honda

Quartet of participants

Top Grand Prix finish – 12th place

Top sprint finish – 9th place

Top qualifying position – 13th

Position in Championship – 5th place with 26 points

#36 Joan Mir – Team Repsol Honda. Rating: D

Honda is unlikely to see impressive results from its team of four riders, considering the challenging year they've had in 2024.

At one stage, it appeared that Joan Mir might end his MotoGP career instead of renewing his contract with Honda for the 2025 season. Finishing at a high of only 12th place is certainly not satisfactory for the champion of the 2020 world series.

Considering the significant lag and the downward spiral Honda Racing Corporation found itself in at the season's outset due to a misguided design strategy, Mir frequently stood out as the sole rider on an RC213V demonstrating steady improvement throughout a race weekend.

Nonetheless, this often results in accidents. Mir's pace is impressive, and improvements from Honda in the last 10 races will confirm this.

#10 Luca Marini – Repsol Honda Team. Evaluation: Unsatisfactory

Amid Honda's challenging season, Marini's performance has been notably underwhelming.

Honda's selection pool for Marc Marquez's successor in 2024 was quite short, yet Marini's performance throughout the year hasn't really justified the confidence placed in his two-year contract.

Transitioning from a Ducati to a Honda is a challenging endeavor, but Johann Zarco is demonstrating that achieving more from such a change is feasible compared to Marini's efforts.

Marini, who has only a single point to his name—a point that came as a result of a penalty in Germany before a penalty in Britain took away what could have been his first earned point—must elevate his performance in the upcoming 10 races.

#5 Johann Zarco – LCR Honda. Evaluation: C-

As previously noted, Zarco is transitioning from the successful Ducati team to the struggling Honda team in 2024, performing admirably given the situation.

Equally matched with Mir in terms of top performances, Zarco has secured an additional point and frequently demonstrates to be the fastest among the Honda riders – his efforts leading to the brand’s highest qualifying position of the year, all thanks to the French rider.

Following his challenging period at KTM in 2019, Zarco's switch to Honda has given him an opportunity to demonstrate his ability to significantly improve a floundering initiative.

Thus far, through 10 races, his recruitment is showing to be a beneficial move for HRC.

#30 Takaaki Nakagami – LCR Honda. Evaluation: F

As a seasoned Honda rider, Nakagami is expected to achieve far greater results on his motorcycle than what he has demonstrated up to this point in 2024.

Though no one seems to be getting a lot out of the RC213V, ideally, Nakagami would be at the forefront of Honda's efforts, rather than trailing behind Mir and Zarco in third place.

Nakagami's prospects of securing an eighth season in MotoGP are in jeopardy, as his place at LCR could be threatened by Somkiat Chantra, who is reportedly in HRC's sights for 2025. His hopes of continuing in the championship now depend on delivering solid performances in the remaining 10 races.

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