Is a two-rider title battle good for MotoGP?

While four riders are mathematically in the 2024 MotoGP championship hunt, only two are considered the genuine contenders: Jorge Martin and Francesco Bagnaia.

Ahead of this weekend’s Thai Grand Prix at Buriram, Martin leads Bagnaia by 20 points in the standings with just three rounds to go.

It is the second year in a row that Bagnaia and Martin have faced off for the title.

While the war between the pair has ebbed and flowed across the first 17 rounds, Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo is looking at Thailand as being “one of the most important races for both of them”.

“To be honest, I have no idea because I’m not following at all what is happening, because they are two riders that we are not even looking at, by the lap times and by the pace they are doing,” he said on Thursday at Buriram.

“We are more looking to the top five, they are always in the top three.

“So, it’s two riders that are really strong, that fought two years in a row for the championship.

“Martin has 20 points of advantage, but there are also three races with more than 100 points [available].

“So, I think we cannot really say something. I think this is one of the most important races for both of them.”

While at one stage of the season this was shaping up to be a four-rider battle between Martin, Bagnaia, Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini, a rematch of 2023 is now what is unfolding.

But Martin’s Pramac team-mate Franco Morbidelli doesn’t see an issue with this, noting that a true head-to-head between “the best” riders is actually a better proposition for MotoGP.

“If the fight was between more riders, would it be fun,” Morbidelli asked, “I don’t know, because the head-to-head fight is probably the best one and Pecco and Jorge were the best this year and last year as well actually.

“So, they deserve what they are fighting for and they both deserve this championship, and it’s going to be very, very nice for the fans to follow the battle.

“Also because there are riders, mainly Marc and Enea, that can go in the middle of this fight.

“I would like to go in the middle as well and lately I just managed to go in the middle in the early laps of the race.

“Anyway, I think the head-to-head battle is the best one. So, for sure it’s better for MotoGP and for sure it’s better than someone winning already and better than four riders fighting for the championship, because the head-to-head is the best.”

Alex Marquez offered an interesting hypothesis, in that not much can change in a title battle in a static rider market where there isn’t much in the way of bike swapping like there will be in 2025.

“I think yes,” the Gresini rider said when asked if a two-rider title battle was good for MotoGP.

“I mean, it’s normal. They are on the same bike, the best bike on the grid, so it’s normal that two riders have an evolution.

“Next year can maybe be different because one of them is changing manufacturers and many riders are changing manufacturers and teams.

“So, it will be different, but with the two-year contract that we have now, I think there will be a tendency.

“After two years, if we have more movement like this year then it can change the championship a lot. But if not, I mean from one year to the other one not much will change.”

Aleix Espargaro believes the championship “would be better” if more riders were involved, but a head-to-head is better than a runaway winner.

“I think it’s not bad,” the Aprilia rider said.

“Obviously if the championship would be a little bit more open it would be better, but I think I prefer this than to have like a clear champion before starting the season.

“Obviously three guys, four guys fighting for the title makes it more interesting but I think this is very difficult.

“And the level of Pecco and Martin this year is much higher than the rest, so I think they deserve it.”