In recent years, satellite teams in MotoGP have been getting closer or even leveling up with factory teams in MotoGP. Still, the status of being in a factory team makes those positions desirable. For example, Jorge Martín is in a position to fight for the title at Pramac but aims to move up to a factory team in 2025.
For Miguel Oliveira, the difference isn’t radical as long as the support is similar. Quoted by the newspaper O Jogo, the Trackhouse Racing rider began by stating: ‘At the moment, all factory seats are very overrated’.
The Portuguese, who is in the satellite team of Aprilia, has already been through the factory team of KTM between 2021 and 2022 – where he achieved three victories. However, he believes that the differences from the sporting point of view may not exist:
– As long as you have the entire technical package, support from the team, and impartiality between the official and satellite bike, the only difference is that a factory team can offer much more money.
The GP of the Americas showed that being in a satellite team is not necessarily a disadvantage. Pedro Acosta took the best KTM to second place in the GasGas Tech3 satellite team. And for much of the race, Martín and Marc Márquez (Gresini) were the best Ducatis on the track.