The countdown to the season opener in Qatar is on, but between now and our return to Lusail International Circuit from the 8th to the 10th of March, there’s plenty of MotoGP to look forward to. The first headline event of the season goes to Gresini Racing MotoGP as the Independent squad are the first to roll out their 2024 colours, in their case those ready to be raced by their blockbuster Marc Marquez-Alex Marquez line-up. That’s on Saturday the 20th of January.
With a host of moves for 2024 – and a superstar fresh face joining the grid as Pedro Acosta lands at GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 – the team presentations will be our first glimpse of all the new line-ups and colours. We’ll also get to see the race livery of the new Trackhouse Racing MotoGP team as they prepare to take on the world’s most exciting sport. The full calendar of presentations was revealed recently, so take a look through, with Gresini first up and Prima Pramac bringing the curtain down.
Track action and pre-season testing gets underway with the Sepang Shakedown from the 1st to the 3rd of February. This season it’s a blockbuster too, with Honda and Yamaha able to field their race riders to test alongside the rookie and factory test riders. In the case of Honda, that includes the Independent LCR Team: new arrival Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) and long-time competitor Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR). How? The new concession system has already come into effect. Below is where each factory stands and what they get, or don’t get, as we begin 2024. It gets re-assessed for the first time in summer!
That’s not the only key change in regulations. A more sustainable era also starts now: from 2024, fuel for all Grand Prix classes must be of minimum 40% non-fossil origin. This was first announced in 2021, and 2024 is only the first step. By 2027, all fuels in all Grand Prix classes must be 100% non-fossil origin.
Every premier class manufacturer has worked with their supplier to develop their own, and Moto2 and Moto3 are supplied by official fuel supplier PETRONAS. As the pinnacle of two wheels, MotoGP is a perfect platform to develop these more sustainable, drop-in fuels, and with no single proprietor, the initiative can create truly global impact.
Source: MotoGP