Five MotoGP riders that have impressed and disappointed the most so far in 2023

Starting with the most impressive riders, which is a list that’s heavily dominated by Ducati, we have gone with one of two Pramac riders…

5 - Johann Zarco

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Zarco showed brilliant consistency before crashing out of the Dutch Grand Prix when Fabio Quartararo went down directly in front of him, leaving Zarco with nowhere to go. Prior to Assen, Zarco was on a run of three consecutive Grand Prix podiums, while also finishing all three of those sprint races in the top six. Late race pace has been Zarco’s biggest strength so far this season and has resulted in him being a podium threat through the year. Zarco remains winless in MotoGP but 2023 appears to be his best chance yet at changing that. 

4 - Jorge Martin 

Like his Pramac teammate, Martin has been brilliant for much of the season and is currently the main threat to Bagnaia in the championship. A double victory at Sachsenring is Martin’s highlight, however, it’s his consistency that has been the biggest improvement compared to last year, not his out-right pace which has never been in question. If Martin is to challenge Bagnaia for the title then his ‘bad weekends’ need to see him finish slightly higher than he has thus far. 

3 - Brad Binder 

The only non-Ducati rider on this list, Binder, like Martin is double winner albeit his two wins have come in the sprint races. The KTM rider won from 15th on the grid in Argentina, a result that very few riders could manage from that far back. Binder, who was already superb in a Grand Prix setting over the last few seasons, has elevated his game even further since the addition of Jack Miller to the Austrian manufacturer. Binder is currently fourth in the world championship.

2 - Francesco Bagnaia

Making his way in at two on this list is the current series leader Bagnaia, who aside from mistakes in Argentina and America, has largely been the rider to beat. Dominant when leading races, Bagnaia has also pushed several riders all the way such as Binder at Jerez and Martin in Sachsenring. Bagnaia has not been off the podium in any of the last seven races which is by far the best streak of anyone so far this year. 

1 - Marco Bezzecchi 

The only Ducati rider on this list that’s not on full factory machinery, Bezzecchi has been nothing short of sensational for much of this season. A dominant winner in Argentina, Bezzecchi backed up his maiden MotoGP win by doing the same during the French Grand Prix at Le Mans. Bezzecchi also completed a near clean sweep at Assen after topping every practice, qualifying and winning the sprint. When he’s been at his best, no one has managed to lay a glove on him, something that’s hugely impressive considering he’s in his second year in MotoGP and is riding last year’s spec bike.  

In terms of the five most disappointing riders, some big names have found their way onto the list, including three out of the last four MotoGP champions. 

5 - Raul Fernandez

Fast throughout pre-season testing, Fernandez began to emerge as a rider that could become a factor in his second season in MotoGP, however, the early promise aboard last year’s RS-GP22 has since faded. Fernandez’s best result is 12th place which came in Assen, but the talent that was on display during his 2021 Moto2 season is still yet to be seen in MotoGP. 

4 - Maverick Vinales 

Another Aprilia rider in Maverick Vinales finds his way onto the list after failing to achieve the results he’s been capable of. In many of the race weekends Vinales has been one of the fastest riders, particularly in practice, however, poor starting position and/or poor starts have led him to finish further down the field than he should have. His only podium of the season came at the season-opener which is not something we expected to be saying after the improvements made throughout 2022. 

3 - Fabio Quartararo 

Previously teammate to Vinales, Quartararo ranks one place above the Spaniard after enduring a very difficult 2023 thus far. A podium at COTA is the 2021 world champion’s best result, but after seeing Yamaha fall behind its rivals, Quartararo has been unable to make up for the difference in performance. Always so strong in qualifying, Quartararo has also endured his worst season in terms of starting positions, highlighting again the struggles he’s having at Yamaha. Much of this is on the Japanese brand as Quartararo has still delivered the odd standout performance, but it’s clear that the French rider needs help from Yamaha. 

2 - Marc Marquez 

Finding himself in a very similar situation to Quartararo is Marc Marquez, who has been impressive at times in qualifying, however, the eight-time world champion has again been very prone to crashing. Fed up with his situation at Honda, Marquez has struggled to contain his anger, especially after crashes in Mugello and Sachsenring. Marquez has not finished a Grand Prix so far this season, while he’s also missed several races due to injury. 

1 - Joan Mir

Behind riders who have competed in just one or two races as wildcard entries or substitutes, Mir is 26th in the world championship and has been nothing like the rider we saw at Suzuki. Mir has already suffered more crashes this season than the entire 2022 campaign with Suzuki, the last of which resulted in him being injured and missing the German and Dutch rounds. Unable to gel with a struggling Honda bike, Mir has been the worst of their four riders.