Race Against the Clock: The MotoGP Rider Market’s Final 10 Seek Stability Amidst Major Moves

Major MotoGP riders have already made their decisions. But what about the remaining ten?

Ten riders are still urgently figuring out their MotoGP careers.

The most prominent figures and the primary focus for MotoGP teams have determined their plans for the upcoming season.

However, the roster of riders for the 2025 MotoGP season has yet to be

Pecco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo, and Pedro Acosta have each secured new contracts with Ducati, Yamaha, and KTM, respectively.

Marc Marquez secured the position with the official Ducati team, leading Jorge Martin to join Aprilia and Enea Bastianini to move to KTM.

It has been confirmed that Aleix Espargaro is set to retire, while both Luca Marini and Brad Binder had previously secured extended contracts.

However, there are still 10 riders who have not made a decision. What will happen

Alex Rins (Yamaha)

After spending a year with LCR Honda, Alex Rins is now in his first season with Yamaha and may not be keen on switching teams again.

Yamaha may not have top-performing equipment this year, but their situation could become more attractive starting in 2025 and in the following years.

Should Yamaha successfully establish a satellite team, they anticipate that it will contribute positively to the advancement of their overall project.

This could also mean that Rins might join a new team if Yamaha decides to choose a different teammate for Fabio Quartararo.

Alex Rins, a rider who has claimed victory in six MotoGP races, managed to secure a win for Honda in Austin last season, which is impressive in retrospect. Despite enduring a severe leg fracture last year, Rins continues to be well-regarded in the racing community.

Joan Mir (Repsol Honda)

Joan Mir appeared to be the most probable rider without a contract to look for a new team in 2025.

He has openly expressed how challenging the last 18 months have been after transitioning from Suzuki to the underperforming Honda.

Unexpectedly, it has been verified that his top choice is to remain.

Paco Sanchez, his manager, informed Crash.net that Joan's main focus since the beginning of the season has been to renew his contract with HRC.

Despite the bike not being competitive right now, Joan is not one to leave quietly. He prefers to battle and contribute to the development of a more competitive bike.

"We haven't finalized any deal yet. We're currently in negotiations and I'm hopeful that we'll come to an agreement in the coming weeks."

Jack Miller (KTM)

Jack Miller was initially replaced by the highly talented Acosta for the factory KTM team, a move that Miller himself acknowledged as reasonable.

Adding to the frustration, he was also passed over by the Tech3 KTM team, which chose to sign Maverick Vinales and Bastianini instead.

This implies that Miller, having spent two years with KTM, is now searching for a new team.

Alarming reports suggest he is primarily associated with Honda.

However, if Mir indeed signs a new contract as he says he intends to, it will finalize Repsol Honda's roster. Additionally, LCR's Johann Zarco has been confirmed, which nearly eliminates any possibility for Miller to join Honda.

Despite everything, KTM executives have praised the seasoned Australian significantly for his role in advancing their motorcycle. Two years prior, it was far less desirable than it is currently.

Miller's performance ought to secure him a spot on a different team, despite the limited opportunities available.

The potential introduction of a revamped Yamaha satellite team offers a sense of optimism.

Trackhouse and Gresini are considered long shots.

Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati)

Throughout the silly season, there has been little discussion about what lies ahead for Alex Marquez.

The attention has shifted to his brother's departure from their joint team to join the official Ducati squad.

There is hardly any indication that Alex Marquez will go with him.

There don't seem to be any other options that are significantly more appealing to him.

Having been with Gresini for a year more than Marc, Alex is expected to remain until 2025.

This could mark the first instance in his MotoGP career where he is recognized as an undisputed team leader.

Franco Morbidelli (Pramac)

Franco Morbidelli’s challenging stint with Yamaha came to an abrupt end last year. His first season with Pramac also faced setbacks due to an injury sustained during preseason testing.

With only a one-year contract providing minimal security, his future is once again uncertain.

Include the consideration of Pramac's choice between staying with Ducati or switching to Yamaha.

Switching to Yamaha would result in no opportunity for Morbidelli.

However, VR46 presents a clear and appealing choice for him.

With Marco Bezzecchi set to leave, VR46 might bring in Morbidelli to keep the Academy's cohesive atmosphere intact.

Securing seventh place in Le Mans and sixth place at Mugello in two of the last three grands prix highlighted that Morbidelli has acclimated to the Ducati and can pose a significant challenge near the front of the race.

Fabio di Giannantonio (VR46)

Fabio di Giannantonio signed a one-year contract with VR46 this year.

Honda has briefly shown interest in him for 2025.

However, Di Giannantonio has consistently delivered strong performances for Valentino Rossi’s team this season.

He has consistently placed within the top 10 in each grand prix race this season.

The VR46 team, already facing the departure of Bezzecchi, would likely prefer not to bring in two new riders. Therefore, retaining Di Giannantonio, who has two years of experience riding a Ducati with Gresini and secured a victory in last season's Qatar MotoGP, seems like an obvious decision.

Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse)

Concerns are growing due to the lack of information regarding Miguel Oliveira's future.

Trackhouse's rebranding has sparked rumors that they aspire to have an American rider.

At present, Oliveira's future in 2025 remains uncertain as he is being overshadowed by his teammate Raul Fernandez.

Since switching to an Aprilia last season, he hasn't replicated the victory performances he achieved during his time with KTM.

Currently in his sixth season in the top tier, Oliveira is aware that his options are becoming limited if Trackhouse chooses to pursue other drivers.

He is one of the racers who may look forward to new opportunities with the new Yamaha satellite team.

Raul Fernandez, who races for Trackhouse, has less experience compared to his teammate Oliveira. However, his recent superior performance has positioned him well to secure a contract renewal from Trackhouse.

With Aprilia's factory team now settled, the focus will shift to securing the selected riders for Trackhouse.

However, the prevailing rumors in the MotoGP community indicate that Fernandez is likely to remain.

"The paddock is currently very busy," stated team manager Wilco Zeelenberg.

"The period of unpredictable behavior continues for everyone, and I believe all the riders are prepared to put in their maximum effort for the next two races before the summer break."

Augusto Fernandez from Team Tech3

Augusto Fernandez is often considered the MotoGP rider facing the most danger nowadays.

This season, Fernandez has been thoroughly outperformed by his teammate, Acosta. In retrospect, this will be attributed to Acosta's exceptional talent as a rookie. However, things are not looking favorable for Fernandez at the moment.

Tech3 KTM's updated lineup for 2025 doesn’t include Fernandez, leaving him urgently searching for a new team.

Given that Fernandez is currently the KTM rider with the poorest performance in the MotoGP rankings, it would take a bold person to wager that he will keep his spot in the top class next year.

There has been talk of a potential switch to World Superbikes.

"We don't have to make it sound better than it is. It has always been obvious," said Hubert Trunkenpolz, a member of the executive board at Pierer Mobility, in an interview with GPOne.

“Augusto must produce exceptional results in the initial races of 2024, or his chances are done.”

Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda)

Every year around this time, there is frequent speculation about Nakagami's future.

Once more, disappointing outcomes can be blamed on the substandard equipment he is using.

Nakagami is currently doing better than factory rider Luca Marini in the MotoGP rankings. However, Nakagami has much more experience with the Honda bike, and Marini has the security of a long-term contract.

Honda aims to have a Japanese rider to represent their Japanese brand.

The issue for Nakagami is that Ai Ogura is making significant progress in Moto2.

Ogura was considered unprepared last year. However, he recently clinched victory in the Moto2 grand prix held in Barcelona and secured second place in Le Mans.

There is a possibility that Nakagami might be substituted by a younger Japanese talent.

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