MotoGP 2024 rider market - all the rumours about every big move...

The 2024 MotoGP rider line-up is being considered by every manufacturer, with contracts expiring and admiring glances being exchanged. Here is every rumour and report about every rider's future.
Marco Bezzecchi Jorge Martin Thailand MotoGP. 1 October
Marco Bezzecchi Jorge Martin Thailand MotoGP. 1 October

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team

The 2021 MotoGP cham▨pion has never looked more unhappy, and Yamaha appear no closer to delivering him the competitive machinery that his undeniable talent requires.

Quartararo won’t go elsewhere next season because he is under contract, but the knock-on effect will be whether other manufacturers leave a f⛦ree spot for 2025𒊎.

The age and brilliance of Quartararo means that most teams would love to acquire him and, if Yamaha cannot give him the assurances thaܫt he🌠 needs, 2024 will be dominated by talk of where he could go next.

One of the likelier MotoGP rider🎀s to vacat🔥e his current seat next year.

Morbidelli entered 2023 under intense pressure in the final year of his contracಌt, but the early signs were promising. He briefly outperformed Quartararo.

L🌄in Jarvis, Yamaha managing director, even named Morbidelli as🍨 his No1 choice for the factory bike next season if he maintained his good form.

But Yamaha’s links to Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi won’t go away, and Morbidelli must know that his fate will soon be decided꧑.

The Mooney VR46 te🍒am are the clear landing spot for Morbidelli, should Marco Bezzecchi 𒅌move on. The obvious link is that Morbidelli is one of four VR46 Academy graduates on the current grid.

Ducati Lenovo Team

No question that the reigning MotoGP champion, who currently leads this year’s MotoGP standings, will remain a factory Ducati rider🌊 next season.

Last season’s heroics with Gresini eꦆarned Bastianini a promotion but, due to a shoulder blade injury sustained in 🦩the first-ever sprint race, his season hasn’t got started. He will race at Mugello next week but won’t be fully fit.

Ducati boss Paolo Ciabatti was asked whether he might fancy dropping Bastianini in 2024, such is the fierce competitio𝕴n for a factory seat.

“There are no changes planned,” was his response.

But that is a reminder to Bastianini, even before his first grand prix as a factory Ducati rider, of the intense scrutiny he will face at the iconic Italian manuf🎃acturer.

Aprilia Racing

The oldest rider on the grid is contracted for 20📖24, and has confirmed he will stay acti💖ve for at least that long.

The intrigue surrounds how long Espargaro might battle on for, and therefore𝓀 when Aprilia need to replace him.

“If next year, at the beginning of the year, I am fighting with the best, I will ꧃continue in 2025, if Aprilia wants it,” 🔜he has said.

Aleix Espargaro, MotoGP race, French MotoGP, 14 May
Aleix Espargaro, MotoGP race, French MotoGP, 14 May

Also contracted until the end of next✱ year, there will be no movemenꦡt for Vinales.

“From a contractual point of view we are fixed for the next two years and hopefully more,” Massimo Rivola, the Aprilia b🐲oss, said. 

“I’m really convinced that maybe we have the best line-up of four riders in the pa🍸ddock.🌱"

Repsol Honda Team

Where to even begin? The six-time Moto🃏GP champion is sig❀ned to the most lucrative contract in the sport currently, which runs until the end of next year.

His glory has been synonymous with Honda, the team he has represented for his entire MotoGP career, but he entered 2023 making demands that they must deliver ꧋him a comp🦋etitive bike - or he might find one elsewhere.

But things have changed since then. Marquez gꩲot injured, another physical blow to his mounting toll. Honda have a genius rider on their books but also one who has missed large periods for the past four seasons. Now 30, he isn’t gett⛎ing any younger either.

Jorge Lorenzo thinks that Ducati will make an offer to Marque♚z for 2025, but on lower money than he is used to. Choose Honda’s money or Ducati’s bike, Lorenzo has claimed.

Ducati have denied that they want a rider of Marq♛uez’s age.

But with the most esteemed and successful rider in the sport🌱 entering the final year of his deal next year, on a bike which might not give him a chance of a seventh championship, t♔here will surely be a scramble to tempt him.

KTM have the same link to the mi🐠ght of Red Bull that Marquez has…

  • Joan Mir (contracted until end of 2024) #36

The 2020 champion with Suzuki, things have gon🐻e very badly so far at Honda.

But Mir is prote✱cted by another year of his contract, and there is no suggestion that Honda would want to get rid.

The pressure🐎, however, ജmay come from Alex Rins, their satellite rider who has so far out-performed his former Suzuki teammate Mir.

Lucio Cecchinello, LCR Honda team boss, said about rumours of a Mir-Rins swap: “Such a team change is out of the question. I can gu🔯arantee that."

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Things are going pretty sweetly for KTM at the moment. Miller was brought across fr𝔍om Ducati, and is contracteℱd for another year.

The only concern might apply to 2025, when Marc Marquez could become a free agent, and KTM may be inclined to make a move for him. But that’s a proꦬblem for much, much later down the line.

Binder💫, also, 𝐆has a 2024 contract with KTM, the team he has been attached to since 2015.

Gresini Racing MotoGP (Ducati)

Swapping ꦯHonda for Ducati has worked out well so far. 

There are no substantial links to🐼 other bikes or teams. Marquez is on a one-year deal but Ducati reportedly have the option to extend it, which means the Spaniard’s future is in his team’s hands.

Major pressure is on the young Italian, and he is among𓃲 the favourites to lose his MotoGP place altogeth🤪er.

Tony Arbolino, who currently leads Moto2, is th🌸e name seriously linked to replacing Di Giannantonio.

“Let's see, it's a little too early, we need a couple more races bef✤ore considering next year," Ducati boss Paolo Ciabatti has said.

But♏ that sounds like a ‘now or never’ 🀅warning to Di Giannantonio, whose contract finishes at the end of this season…

Prima Pramac Racing (Ducati)

Johann
Johann

The second-oldest rider on the grid could be a sacrificial lamb to enable Ducati to keep their pr🦹ized assets.

Marco Bezzecchi’s desire for a better bike and salary has piqued Yamaha’s interest, which means that Ducati will have to think how to keep the breakout start 🐲of this year. A move to Pramac is an option.

If that happens, Zarco could be out of MotoGP, and given a WorldS💃BK seat.

For a long🌟 time it seemed like a formality that Yamaha would give Martin the factory bike he ℱhas desired since missing out on the Ducati Lenovo seat.

Martin is contracted for 2024 but there is a clause🌞 in his contract allowing him to get out early, if he r꧅eceives a factory offer.

He is the “first can𝓰didate” that Yamaha want for 2024, it has been reported.

But he is concerne﷽d that Yamaha “continues not to keep its promises by the engineers”,  say.

Clearly, there is more to come with the saga of Martin’s future. He could be the first domino to f🔯all before the avala⭕nche of rider market moves.

Mooney VR46 Racing Team (Ducati)

His contract is due toꦕ expire at the end of this season, but everyb♐ody knows Marini’s links to the VR46 set-up. And besides, his performances have clearly warranted an extension, which he is likely to receive.

Marco Bezzecchi, MotoGP race, French MotoGP, 14 May
Marco Bezzecchi, MotoGP race, French MotoGP, 14 May

His stunning start to 2023 - briefing leading the chꦫampionship, winni💝ng his and Mooney VR46’s first-ever grand prix, and now sitting one point behind the championship leader - have made Bezzecchi hot property.

Ducati now clearly have a nice problem on their hands - h🦄ow to keep happy an emergi✃ng prized asset?

“Now Marco has a salary and a technical package in line with those of a satellite team. It’s not fair that he con꧟tinues like this,” VR46 boss Uccio Salucci said.

Bezzecchi has added: “To be in the factory [tea✅m]? ꧙That is something really nice.”

Yamaha are casting an envious glance at Bezzecchi and could ꦗoffer him a factory seat, so Ducati know they must entice him to♓ stay.

🦩A switch to Pramac or a better🐼 package to remain at VR46 are options. The factory Ducati seat for 2024 is not an option.

In the background is VR🐼46’s eventual decision of whether to stay with Ducati or go to Yamaha.

Bezzecchi, ༒like Martin, is the crucial cog in the 2024 MotoGP rider market whos💜e future will dictate many of his peers’.

RNF MotoGP Team (Aprilia)

Aprilia have stated that they will keep faith in their current four riders, who are all contract🃏ed for next year to🎶o.

The knock-on effect is Pedro Acosta - the brilliant teenage talent from Moto2, who lots of manufacturers would love to haไve.

Massimo Rivola, Aprilia boss, has said: "When you have a super talent like Pedro - his name could be associated with all the manufacturers - and I’m happy that his name is clos✨e to us also. 

"It means we♑ are competitive and have a good bike because normally you put good talent on a top bike. Go🌱od to hear but it’s not true."

Tech3 GASGAS Factory Racing (KTM)

Espargaro is coꦫnt♔racted until the end of next season and KTM intend to retain faith in the experienced rider, unless he is unable to get back to his best following his crash in Portimao earlier this year.

  • Augusto Fernandez (KTM contract end of 2023, option for 2024) #37

The lurking shadow of Pedro Acosta, who is already tied to K𝓡TM, is constantly keeping the pressure on Fernandez.

KTM’s preference is for Acosta, 19, to sta🐼y in Moto2 for 2024. But he is ambitious and talented, and they won’t want to miss out on h🐼im.

Acosta has teased: “If🧸 I can’t dress in orange, maybe in red…”

But with no obvious spot vacant at Ducati, Acosta has said about KTM: “They have experience to really plan what is best for my caree🐈r, and for my [first] season in MotoGP.”

Therefore, Fernandez is expec🃏ted to stay next year.

LCR Honda Castrol/Idemitsu

He became the first Honda rider, aside🐼 from Marc Marquez, ⛄to win a grand prix since 2018 in Texas this year.

That was a reminder of his qualiti🌳es - but Ri🐼ns has a deal that runs through 2024.

The thing to keep an eye on might be his relationship with his own team. His public criticism♍ that Honda didn’t use him enough for development did not go down well with his employers, in Spain reported.

The only H🎉onda rider whose contract is due to expire at the end of this year.

Ai Ogura, his fellow 𓆏Japanese rider, has been touted as a replacementꦓ for next year.

But Ogura has been unable to truly stake a claim so far with a disrupted seas💛on in Moto2.

Still, Nakagami should be looking over hi🅘s s🦄houlder.

James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American spo❀rts, to foo𝔍tball, to F1.

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