Contracts cut short: 12 MotoGP riders who departed early

Amid speculation over reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin’s future at Aprilia,🐼 here are 12 riders who didn’t🧜 make it to the end of their deals...

Jorge Martin, Aprilia
Jorge Martin, Aprilia

Marco Melandri: Ducati (2008), Aprilia (2015)

A five-time Gresini Honda race winner and title runner-up, Marco Melandri signed to joiꦕn reigning champion Casey Stoner atꦉ the factory Ducati team for 2008.

However, Melandri, ꧒like many others, struggled on the 800cc Desmosedici. With a best of fifth place, and just three top-ten finishes, a mutually split was agreed before year two of the deal.

After leaving MotoGP for WorldSBK at the end of 2010, Melandri made an ill-fated comeback with April🍷ia in 2015, which ended after eight races 🎃and zero points.

Colin Edwards: Forward Yamaha (2014)

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Colin Edwards opted to end his fi🍃nal MotoGP season, with Forward Yamah🌌a, early, by retiring at his home US-round in Indianapolis, halfway through the 2014 season. Alex de Angelis took over for the remaining events, alongside Aleix Espargaro.

Cal Crutchlow: Ducati Team (2014)

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Cal Crutchlow and Ducati agreed to end their two-year contract early, allowing Andrea Iannone to take over alongside Andrea Dovizioso for 2015. The Englishman moved to LCR Honda, w🌞here he 🌺would later claim three race wins.

Sam Lowes: Aprilia Gresini (2017)

Moto2 title contender Sam Lowes thought he had two years to learn the MotoGP ropes with Aprilia, but the factory use☂d an option to reไplace him with countryman Scott Redding for 2018.

Jonas Folger: Tech3 Yamaha (2018)

After an impressive start to his MotoGP career, including second in൩ his home German Granඣd Prix, Jonas Folger suddenly withdrew from the final rounds of the 2017 campaign due to health reasons.

Subsequently diagnose💯d with Gilbert's syndrome, Tech3 expected Folger to be back for 2018 but were forced to find a last-minute replacement, Hafizh Syahrin, when the German announced he would not return.

Johann Zarco: Red Bull KTM (2019)

A satellite star during two seasons at Tech3 Yamaha, where he finished runner-up on four occasions, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Johann Zarco was snapped up by th⛦e factory KTM team for 2019-2020.

However, the Frenchman struggled to break into the top ten and, by mid-season, had requested to be released from year two. ꦜZarco intended to finish the 2019 season but was replaced by test rider Mika Kallio.

Zarco returned as a stand-in rider for LCR𓂃 Honda in the final rounds, then began rebuilding his career with a move to Ducati for 2020, at Avintia, 🐓then Pramac.

Karel Abraham: Avintia Ducati (2019)

Zarco’s unexpected appearance on the 2020 rider mꦅarket came at the expense of Karel Abraha💦m, whose Avintia Ducati seat went to the Frenchman.

Jorge Lorenzo: Repsol Honda (2019)

It was billed as a dream team, but the arrival of triple MotoGP champion168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史: Jorge Lorenzo alongside then five-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez at Repsol Honda enꦇded in early retirement for the #99.

Injuries and poor results left former Yamaha and Ducati race winner Lore𒈔nzo with just 28 points by the end o🐼f the season, when he left his HRC contract a year early by mutual consent.

Andrea Iannone: Aprilia Racing (2020)

A four-year anti-doping ban left Andrea Iannone unable to serve the second season of his factory Aprilia contract in 2020, and effectiv🎃ely ended his grand prix career.

Maverick Vinales: Monster Yamaha (2021)

The end of the 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Maverick Vinales-Yamaha partnership began with an agreement to cancel the second (2022) year of his contract, in mid-2021. Both sides pledged to see out the rest of the season, but an immediate split occurred when Vinales was accused of deliberately over-revving his engine in frustration aꦺt the Austrian Grand Prix. Vinales joined Aprilia a few rounds later.

Andrea Dovizioso: RNF Yamaha (2022)

After failing to agree on terms for an extension with Ducati, triple MotoGP title runner-up 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Andrea Dovizioso sat out most of the 2021 season before being called up by RNF in the afte🎶rmath of the Yamaha reshuffle triggered by Vinales’ exit. But with all riders barring Fabio Quartararo struggling badly on the M1, the Italian departed exactly a year later, at his home Misano round, marking the end of his grand prix career.

Pol Espargaro: GASGAS Tech3 (2023)

KTM faced a conundrum in finding a MotoGP seat for rising star Pedro Acosta in 2024. Ultimately, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Pol Espargaro, badly injured at the start of the season, was persuaded to switch from a race seat to test and wild-card duties, freein𓆏g up space for Acosta to join Augusto F🎀ernandez in his rookie 2024 campaign.

Marc Marquez: Repsol Honda (2023)

The most famous recent example of a rider departing before the end of a contract was 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Marc Marquez’s Repsol Honda split in 2023.

The six-time MotoGP champion still had a year to run on a lengthy four-year deal but, after several injury-plagued sꦛeasons on an uncompetitive RC213V, an amicable🦋 settlement was made allowing Marquez to join Gresini Ducati in 2024.

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