Unlocked pilot market; Ducati has already decided. And now?

The place next to Francesco Bagnaia in the Ducati factory team was seen as the big blocker in the MotoGP rider market. Now that Marc Márquez has been confirmed, conditions should exist for the rest of the movements to start happening. The other duo that is already closed is the Red Bull KTM: Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta. Aprilia Racing In fact, one consequence has already occurred: Jorge Martín was confirmed at Aprilia, after losing the chance to fulfill the dream of reaching Ducati… for the third consecutive year, despite good results. And one of the factory seats to decide is precisely at Aprilia. The Noale manufacturer wants to continue with Maverick Viñales, but there is speculation that the Spaniard has a financially tempting offer from Repsol Honda. Since Luca Marini already has a contract until 2026, the one who could leave could be Joan Mir. At the end of his contract, the 2020 champion is far from satisfied with the lack of progress of the bike. Japanese manufacturers Could we see a direct swap between Viñales and Mir? For Mir, it would be ideal from a sporting point of view, but for Viñales it would be illogical considering that he is going through one of the best phases of his career with Aprilia.Afterwards, there is a place at Monster Energy Yamaha, but there don’t seem to be any major doubts about Álex Rins’ continuity. At least, there have been no rumors about the rider who arrived at the Iwata team this year or potential successors.

Ducati satellite teams

There are three Ducati satellite teams with six open spots, and it is expected that these puzzle pieces will now start to fit together. VR46 has Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi, and it seems illogical for either of them to leave… unless it is to have a current bike in 2025, possibly at Pramac. However, Paolo Campinoti’s team should already have a spot filled by rookie Fermín Aldeguer. It is expected that this will depend only on the officialization alongside Ducati with two official bikes. Martín is leaving, and on the other side of the garage is Franco Morbidelli, who in his first year is visibly recovering from the injury that forced him to miss the entire preseason. Gresini will lose Marc Márquez. And Álex Márquez? Also at the end of his contract, he will have to prove himself worthy of the place when his best result in 2024 so far is a fourth place (the only one in the top five). Bezzecchi does not seem to be an alternative: seeing VR46 as a family, the rider would likely prefer to stay in the current team if it means continuing with a bike of previous specification. And for Di Giannantonio, it would be a change after just one year. Why give up stability if he would have the same competitive conditions?

The other satellite teams

At Red Bull GasGas Tech3, Acosta’s move to KTM is already a done deal. Augusto Fernández is at the end of his contract and far from impressing with results and performances, possibly facing the end of the line.

Carlo Pernat, Enea Bastianini’s manager, assured the Italian press that the rider will be piloting a KTM RC16 next year. Since the factory team is closed, it is assumed that the rider will be with GasGas Tech3 despite no confirmation. Jack Miller may also have his eye on the French structure when he has no program for 2025.

However, as KTM is one of the most competitive bikes currently, the interest of other riders may arise – not even excluding surprises like Mir or the return of Miguel Oliveira or Raúl Fernández.

This is because the two current Trackhouse Racing riders are at the end of their contracts, with an uncertain future. There is speculation that Justin Marks’ team may already be considering Joe Roberts to have an American rider, which would cost at least one of the current riders their spot. There have also been rumors pointing to Mir joining the team, in what would be a reissue of the winning duo with team boss Davide Brivio.

The other vacant seat is at LCR Honda alongside Johann Zarco. Being a satellite team of the least competitive manufacturer currently, it may not be the most coveted position these days, but it is still a seat and a possibility. Takaaki Nakagami is not doing a bad job – he has one point less than Zarco and is ahead of Luca Marini (Repsol Honda). And, being Japanese, he is a perfect fit for Honda, so he may well renew.