2024 banter & Silly season thread for MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3

[Everso Biggyballies]

Moto GP News and race following has dropped off a bit lte, so much so we didnt even have a 2024 thread, but I guess we should have one to post stuff into. Maybe if there is a thread it might spark some interest. Certainly the racing has been good and I have still been watching the news.

As most would know, the year started ofwith Mark Marquez having left Honda and headed to Ducati, albeit not on the works team but for the Satellite Gresini Team. He has, after a slow start which seemed to regularly see him on the ground, and although he was quick from the start he is now becoming a bit more consistent.... he is yet to actually win a race, although he has led and fallen, and seems to have made a recent habit of finishing 2nd.

I guess the big news this year has been the arrival in MotoGP of Pedro Acosta, the young Spaniard who has shown already he is the next generational talent. Having waltzed through Regional Spanish Red Bull Rookie Cup title with apparent ease..... next step was.the Moto3 World Championship stage with Red Bull KTM Ajo. His impact in the class was instant, taking P2 in the season opener before going on to claim three consecutive victories, the best of which was a stunning ride from pitlane to P1 at the Doha GP. Suddenly he was the name on everyone’s lips and rumours of a direct move from Moto 3 to MotoGP began to circulate.

Three more victories and another podium saw the rookie win the 2021 Moto3 World Championship becoming the first rookie champion since Loris Capirossi in 1990, and the second youngest ever champion, just one day older than Capirossi was at the time of winning.

However, the move to the premier class never materialised, with Acosta instead opting for a seat in Moto2. In his debut season in the class, Acosta made more history by becoming the youngest ever race winner with victory at Mugello. Two more wins and two more podiums helped him to fifth in the Championship and the Moto2™ Rookie of the Year title.

He remained within the ranks of Aki Ajo’s KTM outfit and following seven wins, Acosta won his second title in three years with two races to spare. One of the most exciting talents we've ever seen was promoted to MotoGP for 2024 with Red Bull GasGas Tech3.

He impressed in Qatar as he finished P8 in the sprint and P9 in the race, where he was as high as P4, but slowed due to tyre degradation. In Portimao, he achieved a podium in the main race, having overtaken experienced riders Brad Binder, Marc Marquez (both in turn 1) and Francesco Bagnaia (in turn 3). At the Circuit of the Americas he fought Marquez again, as well as Jorge Martin only to finish P4 in the sprint, but in the main race he lead a race for the first time and made moves that would have seen either a rider go wide on the exit of the corner or crash, he finished P2 behind Maverick Vinales.

So Acosta already has two Sunday podiums and two Sprint podiums in Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 colours. His first win isnt far away.
So, we have a new star and an undoubted future world champion who seems on current form to certainly be a World Champion on the right machinery in the future. This year however it has all been about Ducati and they have done most of the winning

Jorge Martin has led the Championship for much of the year, but this last weekend we were at Mugello for the Italiam GP. The works Ducatis had a new blue livery for the event and reigning World Champion Bagnaia had a great weekend with a double Sprint and Feature race win . The #1 took the maximum points available at every opportunity this weekend – adding 37 points to his tally. To make matters more special for Ducati Bastanea caught Martin unawares, and having passed MM93 crept up and mugged Martin at the last corner to make it a works Ducati 1-2...

With Martin rounding out the podium it drops his Championship advantage to 18 points leaving Italy.

The Title race after Mugello looks like this....

[Everso Biggyballies]

On the eve of the Italian GP the 2025 SillySeason got underway with a bang.

Already we had seen Quatararo re-commit to Yamaha into the future, so one name out of the game.
With MM93 getting closer to a win there has been much discussion as to his next move within the Ducati ranks, with Marc keen to get onto a works bike. Bagnaia is already contracted for next year, but with Jorge Marin leading the championship on a Pramac satellite bike it was not a straightforward decision.

As mentioned it was a big weekend and post race for rider signings...

First up, before the race came something that was to be expected.

Acosta secures factory KTM MotoGP seat for 2025

Tech3 GasGas rider Pedro Acosta was confirmed to move up to the factory KTM MotoGP team in 2025 as part of a new multi-year deal, replacing Jack Miller. Miller has not matched Binder. this year and the writing was on the. wall, with Acosta in the wings and Binder already signed for 2025.
Pedro has secured a promotion to KTM’s top squad after just six rounds into his rookie campaign, where he has already secured two grand prix podiums and fought with champions including Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia.

Acosta has been nurtured by KTM since his early days in grand prix racing effectively guaranteed a premier class ride while he was still racing in Moto3 in 2021.

He finally made his much-awaited move to MotoGP this year a joining Augusto Fernandez at the GasGas-branded Tech3 satellite squad, but on a factory RC16 and with KTM-supplied engineers.

So impressive has Acosta been in the early part of the 2024 season that he has been the top-scoring rider on the KTM. His results in the opening six rounds have put him a solid sixth in the championship, two places ahead of factory KTM rider Brad Binder, who has a long-term contract with KTM that runs until the end of the 2026 season.

Miller might not be out of the KTM picture entirely with Jack believed to be evaluated for a move in the opposite direction to GasGas.



Hardly had the champagne stopped flowing at Mugello when Jorge Martin made Ducati's decision a bit easier in terms of the fight for a Ducati works ride alongside Bagnaia.

It seems that after the previous race in Spain, Ducati had offered the works ride to Jorge, with Ducati convinced Marc would happily take on the Pramac seat Jorge would vacate, being an identical spec to the works bike. . The eve of the race a senior factory executive welcomed Jorge and they shook hands, thanking the championship leader for his patience. It all seemed settled

But everything took a radical turn on Thursday when La Gazzetta dello Sport reported the news and Marquez closed the door to Ducati's wishes: “Pramac is not an option for me,” Marquez told them that either he would go to the official team or to another factory. He wasnt interested in a satellite ride.

This reaction was not expected by Ducati bosses. Theyi panicked when ithey saw it risked losing the rider with the highest profile of the paddock by giving in to his demands:.... in 2025 he will be Bagnaia's team-mate. In effect Jorge had the works ride offered, accepted and was awaiting the contract to be drawn up for signatures.

Although Jorge had become aware of the sudden upheaval due to Marc's dismissal of the Pramac deal. Jorge had several other offers on the table from KTM, Aprilia, Honda and even Pramac,

However everything suggests now that Pramac will also separate from Ducati and becomes a partner of Yamaha.

There will also be no place for Enea Bastianini at Ducati.

Bastanea, second on Sunday in the Italian Grand Prix, has also taken the decision not to wait any longer and hopes to close the negotiations he has open with KTM, Aprilia and also Yamaha to ride with Pramac.

Aprilia has since announced that Martin will join the Noale-based marque in 2025, with the news all but confirming that Marquez will step up to the factory Ducati team.

SO as usual once the first domino falls into place, we have some confirmations in place.

I hope for Jorge Martin sake that he is ble to compete for the wins he has been managing with Pramac. I can understand his wish, once the works ride had seemingly gone Marc's way, that he was unable to commit to a Yamaha aligned Pramac ride over the Ducati link he has enjoyed his success with him. I do feel sorry for him that in effect he has been shafted by Marquez and Ducati combined. I hope he continues his. early season run, tis up the Championship and takes the coveted #1 with him to Aprilia. I also hope for him that Aprilia can mount a successful challenge to the Ducati domination we have seen over the past couple of years.

No doubt it wont be long until confirmation of Marquez to the works Ducati team is made.

[Vassago]

I have to say the Ducati Cup has cooled off my MotoGP interest sometime last season. Jack Miller getting the boot in favor of Acosta was expected, I said like three years ago that Miller should never be considered a title challenger and well, his slide down the ladder continues.

I'm more satisfied that David Alonso seems to be doing quite well in Moto3. With more luck he could have won the title last year already.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Miller out of KTM Completely. KTM confirm Bastianini and Vinales into Tech 3.

Also Tech 3 confirm it will ditch the Gas Gas association and all 4 bikes will enter 2025 running under the Red Bull Banner, the Tech 3 pairing to be known as Red Bull KTM Tech 3. Bastianini and Vinales have been given "multi year" deals.

Binder and Acosta will be part of what will be known as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

Tech 3 will receive the full works bikes of the same spec as the factory bikes.

If nothing else it shows KTM are going into 2025 full bore with a quartet of good riders including Pedro Acosta, the guy who seems every bit to be the next generational talent, the next Marquez.

Hopefully KTM (and others) can upset the Ducati Freight train and make Moto GP less of the Ducati Cup it has become of late..

As for Miller, he has been on a bit of a MotoGP lifeline for some years now, his performances seemingly more erratic every year. It seems many years ago (c2016?) he thrust himself into the limelight. with that win in the wet at Assen on a Satellite Honda IIRC. The birth of the now equally tired Shoey ritual he introduced us to.

Likely his MotoGP days might be done now.

[Fulton]

Jorge Martin won the Indonesian GP and he is now leading by 21 points in the riders' championship with five races to go in the season.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Jorge Martin won the Indonesian GP and he is now leading by 21 points in the riders' championship with five races to go in the season.

Yep and I am hoping Jorge takes the title.... if only to see the upset on Ducati's pissed off faces when he lines up next year on an Aprilia sporting the #1 plate for the 2025 "Ducati Cup" that Moto GP has become.. Great way to payback the treatment Jorge got over not getting the works ride at Ducati in favour of the past his use by date Marc Marquez.

**Make it happen noises**

Back to the weekend a great race from Pedro Acosta to make it a Spanish 1-2. Brilliant race from the rookie.