MotoGP silly season is in full swing, who’s the next shock move?
KTM
The Austrian manufacturer are at the heart of silly season because they currently have five riders but only four bikes.
Pedro Acosta has been assured of a premier class place having moved up from Moto2.
But since promising him a seat, Dorna have denied KTM’s request for a fifth bike, leaving them with a headache.
Jack Miller feistily reminded us that he has a contract for 2024, yet DAZN reported that he could the shock victim of this situation, if KTM can’t find a way to add Acosta to their existing bunch.
No such rumours have plagued Miller’s factory teammate Brad Binder.
Tech3 GASGAS’ Pol Espargaro has been linked with becoming their test and reserve rider. This is if KTM can agree to having six wildcards next year. Espargaro would also fill in for injuries at KTM’s factory and satellite teams.
Augusto Fernandez, once the obvious choice to be moved away, has been rewarded with a 2024 contract so looks guaranteed to stay put.
Honda
Marc Marquez is the big question. He is contracted for 2024 but Honda have been so underwhelming that reports continue to swirl that he might move next season.
Alberto Puig insisted nobody would be forced to stay, and KTM admitted they tried and failed to lure Marquez for next season.
Ducati’s two vacant seats - at Pramac and alongside his brother at Gresini - also emerged as shock destinations. Ducati continue to insist that Marquez will never ride for them, but should today’s most successful rider truly become available, could today’s most dominant team really resist him?
Joan Mir considered retirement, such is the disappointment of his debut Repsol Honda season. He is so keen to escape that he has reportedly offered his own services to Gresini Ducati (Iker Lecuona would be a straightforward replacement for Mir).
Takaaki Nakagami is so often questioned, with Ai Ogura always lurking in the background, but his place appears secure due to the doubt over the factory duo.
Alex Rins, Nakagami’s LCR teammate, has already confirmed he will leave - after one grand prix win and one broken leg representing Honda - to join Yamaha.
Ducati
There’s no doubt over factory rider Francesco Bagnaia’s future. Enea Bastianini has also been backed, despite his injury-interrupted season, but will be feeling the pressure to remind Ducati of his talent soon.
Jorge Martin was a candidate to join Yamaha but will now stay with Pramac.
Johann Zarco has quit Pramac to join LCR Honda (swapping the best bike for the worst but due to the longer contract), creating a vacancy.
Pramac are contractually entitled to a 2024-spec Desmosedici next year, which in Zarco’s absence was offered to Mooney VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi.
Bezzecchi instead chose to stay alongside Luca Marini at Mooney VR46, meaning the Pramac vacancy is the only free seat currently up for grabs.
Alex Marquez has been given a new contract to stay at Gresini, but the place of his teammate Fabio di Giannantonio is constantly in doubt.
But, Moto2 duo Tony Arbolino and Jake Dixon, who were both linked to the Gresini seat, have now signed new contracts to stay where they are.
Di Giannantonio could cling onto his at-risk seat if the contenders rule themselves out.
Franco Morbidelli remains an obvious candidate for either the Pramac or Gresini seats.
Yamaha
The Japanese manufacturer chose to get rid of Franco Morbidelli in favour of Alex Rins.
Their bigger headache is star rider Fabio Quartararo - he’s made it pretty clear that, if he doesn’t see significant progress at the upcoming Misano test, he’ll look around for a better bike somewhere else.
Quartararo is contracted for 2024 but the interest could begin to queue up for 2025.
Aprilia
No drama here. Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales at the factory team, and RNF’s Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez, will all stay. Eventually, though, Aprilia will need to think long-term about who replaces veteran duo Espargaro and Vinales.
