The rider market in MotoGP has been buzzing with activity during the unexpected break between the Catalan and Dutch Grands Prix. Many notable transfers have taken place, including Marc Marquez moving from Gresini to the works Ducati team, Jorge Martin joining Aprilia, and KTM acquiring Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini for Tech3. Aprilia has also made moves, filling the Vinales gap with Marco Bezzecchi from VR46. Pramac has even decided to switch from Ducati to Yamaha. These changes have left much to be settled, but Thursday at Assen provided some clarity on the future of nine riders who are currently out of contract.
One rider who seems determined to stay put is Joan Mir, the 2020 world champion. Despite a challenging season with Honda, Mir has expressed a strong desire to remain with the team for another two years. He believes in Honda’s developments and is hopeful that things will improve in the future. Mir also feels that leaving Honda now would be a personal failure, as he hasn’t achieved the desired results with the team.
Alex Rins, Mir’s former Suzuki teammate, shares a similar sentiment. He is currently in talks for a 2025 contract and has faith in Yamaha’s recent progress. Rins is impressed with the effort Yamaha is putting into development and has no intention of leaving the team.
Another rider facing uncertainty is Taka Nakagami, who has been with Honda’s LCR team. Nakagami wants to stay with the team, but he needs to see signs of improvement in the bike. As he is not young anymore at 32 years old, Nakagami is considering his future and wants to ensure that he is making the right decision.
Miguel Oliveira, currently racing for Trackhouse Aprilia, is unhappy with the rider market moves and believes that factors beyond on-track results have affected him. He feels that his nationality, Portuguese, played a role in him being overlooked for the factory Aprilia ride in favor of an Italian rider. Despite this, Oliveira is committed to giving his best this season and is keeping his options open.
Trackhouse team boss Davide Brivio will play a significant role in determining Oliveira’s future. Massimo Rivola, Aprilia’s boss, expressed his desire to keep Oliveira in the team for continuity. However, the final decision is not in Aprilia’s hands anymore.
Raul Fernandez, Oliveira’s teammate, is also uncertain about his future. While he appreciates Rivola’s support and respects him, Fernandez is focused on recovering from arm pump surgery and has left contract negotiations to his management.
In terms of Ducati’s satellite teams, Alex Marquez from Gresini and Fabio Di Giannantonio from VR46 are close to extending their contracts and staying where they are next season. Marquez has expressed his desire to continue with Gresini, and Di Giannantonio strongly hinted at remaining with Valentino Rossi’s squad. The allocation of the 2025-spec Desmosedicis between VR46 and Gresini will determine the future of Franco Morbidelli, who is expected to join Rossi’s team.
Jack Miller, who was surprised by KTM’s decision to let him go, is not considering top World Superbike seats and believes there are good options for him in MotoGP. He is interested in returning to Ducati and is confident in his ability to perform well on the bike. However, Miller is also open to working on a long-term project and finding a home to finish his MotoGP career.
These are just some of the developments in the rider market, and there is still much to be decided. The future of MotoGP is shaping up, and fans can expect more exciting announcements in the coming weeks.