Jorge Martin told his independent title was “exceptional, but can happen again”

Trackhouse team principal Davide Brivio is confident that a repeat of Jorge Martin’s Independent MotoGP title victory will be ‘more and more possible’ in the future.

Martin became the first rider since Valentino Rossi in the 500cc era to win the premier-class title outside of an official factory team.

Like Rossi in 2001, Martin had access to full factory-spec machinery, at Pramac, which he used to beat official Ducati rider and reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia by ten points.

For Brivio, who previously won MotoGP titles as a factory team principal at Yamaha and Suzuki, the level of machinery now supplied to the independent teams is the key factor in their rise from grid fillers to championship winners.

Speaking to the media following the Trackhouse team launch, Crash.net asked Brivio about the significance of Martin’s title victory and the likelihood of another Independent MotoGP champion.

“I think in the future it’s more and more possible because MotoGP from this point of view is changing,” began Brivio.

“Going back some years, it was always the factory teams with the best equipment and the best riders.

“But now things are becoming much more equal. First of all, for the last two or three years most Independent teams have had factory bikes, the same as their factory team.

“We in Aprilia have the same bike as the factory team. Ducati has been doing this for a few years. And now also Yamaha and Honda. I think everybody is following this philosophy.

“So first of all, the equipment is the same and this was not happening a few years ago. That's why the Independent teams have more chances now.”

Only three of the 22 riders on this year’s grid will not be on the latest factory-spec bikes.

But even those riders - Franco Morbidelli, Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer - have the consolation of using last year’s title-winning Ducati GP24. 

Marc Marquez, riding a year-old Desmosedici at Gresini, made it two Independent riders in the top three of last year’s world championship.

The final title top ten was also weighted in favour of the Independents, with six satellite (Martin, M. Marquez, Acosta, A. Marquez, Morbidelli, di Giannantonio) and only four factory riders (Bagnaia, Bastianini, Binder, Vinales).

Brivio continued: “And then it's a matter of finding the right rider, and maybe getting a talented young rider before he goes to a factory team!

“This is also our challenge, no? Let's say that Raul [Fernandez] and Ai [Ogura] are big talented riders. We will try to use them in these next two years, with the best equipment we can, and maybe we can get the results.

“Of course, the factory team in our case has Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi. Two strong riders. But we can fight with them.

“So in general, I think [another Independent champion] is something that can happen in the future.

“I mean, also looking at other teams, you see Honda, where Zarco at the end of last season was better than the factory riders.

“So what happened with Martin and Pramac is something exceptional. But I feel it can happen again.

“It kind of opens a new way. We all have the same equipment now and then it's a matter of getting the talented riders, managing them well and having an efficient team.

“I see that it can happen again. And maybe that's our challenge; to make it happen.”

With Martin and Marquez both moving on to factory teams, Enea Bastianini - fourth for Ducati Lenovo - is the highest-ranked rider of last season competing for an Independent team in 2025 (Tech3 KTM).