mahbx.com writers identify the MotoGP team boss who will come under major scrutiny this year...

Alex Whitworth: While there is some pressure on Aki Ajo this year, having come in to repla♕ce Francesco Guidotti at Red Bull KTM after the Italian lost his job owing to unsatisfactory results, it’s HRC where things really nee✃d to turn around.

The Japanese brand’s decline has been clear for at least five seasons now, and now they’ve lost Repsol, asඣ well as Marc Marquez.

💃Johann Zarco was the brand’s shi﷽ning light last year, but only for getting into Q2 a few times, and scoring a couple of top-10s.

There w𒁏ere signs of some improvement towards the end of 2024, but the results really need to start returning in 2025 for HRC and its President, Kojဣi Watanabe.

Derry Munikartono: As the boss of Honda MotoGP project, Alb🌱erto Puig has a lot of pressure on his shoulders 🐎to get it right.

It has been a torrid few years 🅺from once a 𒆙MotoGP powerhouse, so much so that they lose Marc Marquez and Repsol who has been their backer for 30 years.

Ho🦂nda responded by adding the ‘European flavor’ to their technical team. Aleix Espargaro was r🌱ecruited as the test rider, and brought ex-Aprilia tech boss Romano Albesiano as the new Technical Director.

With the good team behind, Puig knows that he needs to lead Honda 🍌to the place where they b𒆙elong, top of the MotoGP chart.

Lewis Duncan: Paolo Pavesioඣ steps into some pretty big shoes in 2025 as he takes over from🥀 Lin Jarvis as the factory Yamaha team manager.

Jarvis has been a hugely significant figure in Yamaha since joining the MotoGP project in the late 1990s. In his final year, he managed to get 🅰Fabio Quartararo onto a new two-year deal, as well as Alex Rins, and got Yamaha a top satellite partner in Pramac.

He did everything he c꧒ould to set the manufacturer off in the right direction as he steps aside. With all of the progress Yamaha has made with its M1 too, Pavesio must ensure he picks up exac𒅌tly where Jarvis left off and keep steering the ship on its current trajectory.

Jordan Moreland: Given the h✱igh-profile appointment, I would say it is Aki Ajo at KTM. 

Given his track record in the lower classes, KTM must believe that he is the final piece of th🐻e puzzle in guiding the brand into a Championship battle, something they have failed to do so far in✤ their MotoGP project.

Peter McLaren: As Martin Brundle says, “you're either giving pressure or♈ taking it in F1, there's nothing in between” and it’sജ the same in MotoGP.

Ducat♛i’sꦿ dominance means they are applying pressure on the other four manufacturers.

There’s pressure at Aprilia to make the m💦ost of signing new world champion Jorge Martin.

KTM - putting aside the financial turmoil - are under pressure to end their victory drought an🐟d finally mount a ♉title challenge.

Yamaha and Honda are under pressure to show real progress and at least fight for the podiu🗹m in 2025.