Every year, with varying degrees of intensity, the MotoGP world experiences the so-called silly season, marked by abundant speculation about the future of riders and teams. Amid truths and theories—some logical, others far-fetched – this window remains open for weeks or months until everyone’s future is confirmed and settled.
In a year like 2024, when almost all riders are out of contract, things get even more «wild». Take, for example, Maverick Viñales: the rider claims to be comfortable with Aprilia, but that hasn’t stopped rumors linking him to Red Bull GasGas Tech3 or even Honda, where he would face less competitive conditions.
The truth is, this is a phenomenon that benefits from staying «alive». For starters, it engages fans even during periods without on-track competition, such as these weeks between the Italian and Dutch GPs. Even MotoGP’s own website and social media play their part in spreading rumors. An example: during the Mugello weekend broadcast, commentator Matt Birt discussed the potential scenario of Joan Mir deciding to retire at the end of the season.
Similarly, the press spreads and reports rumors and speculations – some with more basis than others. It’s a way to keep followers, spectators, and readers engaged, providing them with information about the facts. Because, no matter how much they are rumors or speculations, there are always sources and grains of truth. Take Enea Bastianini’s case: when nothing seemed to indicate it, his own manager, Carlo Pernat, sparked the rumor about his move to Red Bull GasGas Tech3.
This brings us to another aspect of the intense silly season speculation. For riders without contracts and their managers, having their names linked to different teams or manufacturers can, to some extent, strengthen their negotiating position – the sense of being attractive in the market and having more than one option to choose from. But, of course, they must back up this interest, whether real or speculative, with convincing on-track results.
The silly season makes the MotoGP grid seem like a game of musical chairs, with apparent changes and revolutions in the lineup. Sometimes, the rumors even affect the teams and their future, as is the case this year with Pramac: will they stay with Ducati or switch to Yamaha?
However, radical changes are not always the norm – more often than not, there are few significant changes, as with Marc Márquez moving to Ducati and Jorge Martín to Aprilia. Ultimately, the grid structure and its riders don’t change drastically from one year to the next, being processes that unfold more gradually.
The last two-year contract cycle ended in 2022. Since then, only four full-time riders have left (Andrea Dovizioso and Pol Espargaró were two, due to retirement). It’s true that many team changes have occurred since then, but these happened over a two-year period, not in just one silly season.