The summer break in MotoGP not only marks a pause but also signifies the end of the first part of the season. While it doesn’t coincide exactly with the midpoint of the calendar (the British GP will be the tenth of 20 scheduled rounds), it provides a good moment to reflect on the season so far.
One striking fact is the limited variety of winners. Besides Maverick Viñales’ (Aprilia) victory at the GP of the Americas, all the main race wins have been taken by either Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati) or Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati).
The trend is similar in Sprint races. Martín and Bagnaia share six Saturday victories between them, with Viñales adding two Sprint wins and Aleix Espargaró (Aprilia) securing one.
From a manufacturers’ perspective, Ducati shows clear dominance, having won eight out of nine Grand Prix races and six out of nine Sprint races. While the field isn’t vastly imbalanced, Bagnaia and Martín consistently demonstrate that they are a step ahead of their competitors, especially in main races.
Pole positions, however, have seen a bit more variety, with six different riders securing the top spot in qualifying: Bagnaia, Martín, Marc Márquez (Gresini/Ducati), Enea Bastianini (Ducati), Viñales, and Espargaró.
When compared to last year, the situation isn’t drastically different. In the first nine rounds of 2023, Bagnaia, Martín, Marco Bezzecchi, and Álex Rins were the only riders to win Grand Prix races (four riders in total, with only one non-Ducati winner). Similarly, four different riders had won Sprint races by the ninth round last year, and pole positions were obtained by five different riders.