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Question becomes, would MM take the 'demotion' to a satellite team, rather than a full factory ride?
YTTV didn't record India, for some odd reason. GP doesn't have consistency in race 'names' for the guide, so it misses them occasionally. No idea why. Will have to go back to manually confirming it's set to record.
Question becomes, would MM take the 'demotion' to a satellite team, rather than a full factory ride?
I think MM93 just wants the opportunity to win races and another championship. He finished 7th in the sprint today and seemed unhappy in his media debrief. Worse, is that he was unimpressed with the updates Honda brought to the post-Misano test.
Honda pays MM93 major $$,$$$,$$$ and is supposedly making significant changes to the HRC leadership/engineering. Not sure that will be enough keep MM93 for another season. The announcers said that members of the Italian press claim MM93 to Gresini is a done deal. He may not have to pay to break contract with Honda, because they want him to consider coming back. Still no idea as to what his 3rd option is.
Question becomes, would MM take the 'demotion' to a satellite team, rather than a full factory ride?
As Ducati is showing this year, there really is not much difference between a factory and satellite Ducati this year. I'm sure if Marquez wants to be on a Ducati next year, Ducati S.p.A. will get him a factory bike with factory support regardless of which Ducati team he's on.
I can't believe Bagnaia is crashing away his locked-in title!
With all the injuries MM has had over the last few years, he may only have a few years left at the top now that he's 30. He's probably thinking that he can't spend anymore time trying to develop a bike.
With all the injuries MM has had over the last few years, he may only have a few years left at the top now that he's 30. He's probably thinking that he can't spend anymore time trying to develop a bike.
This. I am surprised how lost Honda are with regards to development the past few years.
There will be so much hype around the post-Valencia test in November if Honda lets MM93 ride for his new team then. If I recall correctly, Honda denied Rossi that opportunity when he left at the end of 2003.
What's interesting in MM last four championships (2016-2019), none of his teammates or other Honda riders came anywhere close to his number of points and win. Closest was 2017 when Pedrosa was #4, it makes me wonder looking at some of the other factory teams where the two riders were much closer in copetition if Honda has naturally taylored their HRC bikes toward MM which makes sense. However now that process has been lost with Ducati's phenomial Luigi Dall'Igna being able to revitilize and reengineering that team into championship contenders.
What's interesting in MM last four championships (2016-2019), none of his teammates or other Honda riders came anywhere close to his number of points and win. Closest was 2017 when Pedrosa was #4, it makes me wonder looking at some of the other factory teams where the two riders were much closer in copetition if Honda has naturally taylored their HRC bikes toward MM which makes sense. However now that process has been lost with Ducati's phenomial Luigi Dall'Igna being able to revitilize and reengineering that team into championship contenders.
Several ways to look at it.
1) The Honda was suitable only to MM. Marquez was always miles ahead from him teammates. He'd always crush them by a lot. This was very stark when a high performer from another bike becomes his teammate (example Mir), and they would be completely lost. And on reverse, a rider that struggles on the Honda becomes much more competitive after leaving to go to another bike (Alex Marquez).
2) The Honda always had serious deficiencies, but Marquez's riding style masked those. This gave Honda a false sense of security. However, eventually the Ducati's advantage became too great, forcing Marques to take too many risks to keep up, hence all the crashes recently.
The Gresini Family is pleased to announce the arrival of Marc Marquez for the 2024 season. The Spanish rider, a multi-time World Champion, recently announced his separation from Honda and starting next season, he will be the new standard bearer of Gresini Racing MotoGP™ alongside his brother Alex.
The Marquez brothers make a dream pairing, with Marc joining a satellite team that has already shown it belongs with the best since the squad’s return to the status of independent team in the premier class.
Well, the novelty factor for next year is going to go through the roof.
I watched the pre-event press conferences this evening. They usually have two with different groups of riders. One had Bagnaia, Martin, and MM93. The second had Bastianini, Alex Marquez, Augusto Fernandez, and Moto 2 Championship leader Pedro Acosta. Acosta is an impressive rider and will be moving up to the Gas Gas team next season, replacing Pol Espargaro.
Getting back to MM93's different options for next season. He said that taking a year off was one option, which isn't surprising. What is new, is that members of the press hinted MM93 was offered a two-year contact with the Factory Ducati team to replace Bastianini. MM93 didn't want a two-year deal. He only wanted a one-year contract. He implied that the difficult times with Honda over the past few seasons led to some self-doubt and lack of enjoyment with racing.
Of course, the press asked whether Honda will let MM93 participate in the post-Valencia test and ride the Ducati for the first time in November. He said that discussions are ongoing, but it seems likely they will.
I watched the pre-event press conferences this evening. They usually have two with different groups of riders. One had Bagnaia, Martin, and MM93. The second had Bastianini, Alex Marquez, Augusto Fernandez, and Moto 2 Championship leader Pedro Acosta. Acosta is an impressive rider and will be moving up to the Gas Gas team next season, replacing Pol Espargaro.
Getting back to MM93's different options for next season. He said that taking a year off was one option, which isn't surprising. What is new, is that members of the press hinted MM93 was offered a two-year contact with the Factory Ducati team to replace Bastianini. MM93 didn't want a two-year deal. He only wanted a one-year contract. He implied that the difficult times with Honda over the past few seasons led to some self-doubt and lack of enjoyment with racing.
Of course, the press asked whether Honda will let MM93 participate in the post-Valencia test and ride the Ducati for the first time in November. He said that discussions are ongoing, but it seems likely they will.
That's what I expected. I knew that Ducati wanted to sign him with a factory ride. I still expect some kind of semi-factory support for his bike next year.
Seems like Honda is trying their best to entice him back after a year.
I'm a little surprised MM didn't go with the two year factory deal, since it would be the latest/greatest, allow more time to adapt and refine the bike to his liking. Realize his health issues but he's only 30, if he woulda been mid-30's I could understand the single year satellite team deal.
Also read that he may have taken the 1 year with Gresini to have the option of going elsewhere after, either up to a factory seat if the Duc suits him, or over to maybe KTM.
Also read that he may have taken the 1 year with Gresini to have the option of going elsewhere after, either up to a factory seat if the Duc suits him, or over to maybe KTM.
The rough patch for Bagnaia continues. He failed to make it into Q2, being beaten in Q1 by fellow Ducati riders Marini and Bastianini.
I suspect KTM was another option for MM93 next season. The reporters tried to get MM93 to explain what all of his options were for next year, and he indicated that teams were interested but wouldn't say which ones. The fact that KTM waited until last week to finalize their line up for next season indicates that they may have been trying to get MM93. Just happened to be the same week MM93 made his decision.
I would also be surprised if Ducati doesn't let MM93 at least test out their latest spec bike next season. From a development standpoint, they're getting input from a rider of his experience and caliber.
Last weekend's race was a crash fest. Mandalika is a dirty and hot track.
It appears the riders are going to form a union with former WSBK and Moto GP rider Sylvian Guintoli as the rider rep. There have been rumors about this for a while, with riders unhappy that sprint races were added without consulting them first. The following article discusses other reasons like pay for satellite riders.
In 2027, MotoGP engines are set to have their displacement reduced from 1,000 cubic centimeters to 850cc. The rules have specified the current displacement since 2012.
During the summer of this year, the General Manager of Ducati Corse, Gigi Dall’Igna, told SPEEDWEEK.com that only two manufacturers were not in favor of this change. Now, the KTM motorsports director, Pit Beirer, revealed to the same website that there is now an agreement: ‘We agree with the reduction to 850cc. We believe that this is a relatively sensible reduction. Because if you take away 150cc, you take away torque and power from the class. You can work with very cool MotoGP regulations with 850cc. There is now a stable majority in favor of 850cc’.
Aprilia was initially against this change, but according to Beirer, the Noale-based manufacturer has also come around: ‘Aprilia would have liked to stick with the 1,000cc engine in principle. That was our original idea. But after many discussions, we moved in the direction of 850cc, which has many positive aspects. Of course, there is also a cost factor for us not to make such radical changes to the engine because it would have been cheaper to continue working on the basis of an existing engine. And it’s not just Aprilia that is concerned about costs, it’s all of us’.
Maverick Vinales lamented on Thursday at the Malaysian Grand Prix that he could no longer use the latest starting system introduced by the Noale brand.
"That is hurting us. But I can't say anything more," the Spaniard limited himself to saying.
Asked afterwards by Aleix Espargaro, his team-mate, put his foot in his mouth: "Did Maverick say that? We can't talk about this subject," he replied when asked by Motorsport.com.
The answer given by all Aprilia sources consulted was the same: "We have been forbidden to talk about this".
However, Motorsport.com can confirm that a complaint from a competing manufacturer has forced Aprilia to stop using, since the Australian Grand Prix, the latest clutch specification incorporated into the RS-GP.
This system helped improve the Aprilia's starting capabilities, after both Vinales and Espargaro struggled off the line earlier in the season.
Several of the sources consulted suspect that the complaint came from KTM, which believes that the version of the clutch in question is in breach of the technical regulations, given that its operation depends too much on the electronic control unit.
In fact, this is an area of the regulations that is currently under review, as it has some grey areas.
At first, the championship's technical managers gave the go-ahead to the component, considering that it did not work fully automatically, but required the rider's input.
"You only have to see the video of how the Aprilia's come out, to understand that it is an automatic clutch, like the one used by Formula 1," a track engineer in the Sepang paddock explained to Motorsport.com.
The most amazing thing about the case is that, since the beginning of the season, KTM had developed a new starting system on its RC16 that had allowed it to make a huge step forward.
At Mugello, Jack Miller had time to move from fifth on the grid to first in half a straight, and show the 'V' for victory sign to poleman Francesco Bagnaia by raising his hand from the left fist of his bike's handlebars.
The system, introduced by KTM in June, allowed the RC16 to be the best starting bike on the grid.
"It's unbelievable that Binder starts from the fourth row and in the first corner he's leading the race, that really needs to be investigated," a veteran technician from Aprilia told Motorsport.com.
Following complaints from its riders about problems when starting on the grid, Aprilia designed a clutch that, theoretically, is not automatic but works as if it was, which led to the aforementioned complaint and the withdrawal.
KTM, in addition to the complaint about Aprilia's clutch, asked the technical commission for a modification of the current regulations in order to get its own clutch homologated, which works very similarly to Aprilia's clutch.
For the time being, the Austrian manufacturer voluntarily removed the system from its bikes at the last race in Thailand, awaiting a possible modification of the regulations that would allow them to use it again.
With Aprilia and KTM unable to use their new clutches, Ducati, which is the manufacturer that three years ago started to work with carbon and electronic assistance in its friction system, has, right now, the best and fastest starting device of the MotoGP grid.
I'm a little surprised with the 850cc proposed engine size. It doesn't necessarily translate well to consumer motorcycle engine sizes which IIRC at one point was considered by the manufacturers to increase the displacement from 800cc back to 1000cc. Woulda thought they'd go all the way down to 750cc yet those engine size but at the same time there are fewer and fewer 750's out there.
Also read that Marini may take the empty HRC seat. Quite a jump to go from a competitive Ducati to the extremely difficult Honda.
I think it is interesting that Red Bull may no longer be a sponsor for Repsol Honda. The rumor is that MM93 is bringing their sponsorship budget to Gresini. MM93 has always been a Red Bull rider, so it isn't a surprise.
Marini would get a substantial bump in pay, and it would be a chance to break away from his half-brother VR46. Marini's path to a factory Ducati seat would likely be difficult with Bagnaia, Martin, Bezzecchi, and possibly MM93 as options.
There will be a FIM Women's Motorcycle World Championship next season. They will be integrated within the World Superbike Championship, racing at 6 rounds. The Yamaha YZF-R7 will be used by all riders. There have been a couple of female riders, Maria Herrera (Moto E) and Ana Carrasco (Moto 3), in the Moto GP paddock over the years. I expect they'll race in the new championship.
I read similar, that the HRC factory seat is a big 'promotion' from the satellite Ducati.
Hopefully they can rein the bike in once 93 moves on.
We'll see what a female championship does. It didn't fare well on the F1 side. W-Series only lasted 3 seasons before folding. But I'm sure a fleet of race prepped R7s is easier to maintain [barring destructive incidents] than a fleet of F3 cars.
Fabio Di Giannantonio will complete the line up of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team for the 2024 season. The young rider, born in 1998, will share the garage with Marco Bezzecchi riding the Ducati Desmosedici GP.
A member of the prestigious club of MotoGP™ race winners after his success at the Qatar Grand Prix, Fabio will wear the neon yellow of the Tavullia Team for his third season in the premeir class. In addition to his MotoGP™ win, Diggia has also earned a podium at the 2023 Australian GP, a Tissot Sprint podium at the 2023 Qatar GP and a pole position at Mugello in 2022. For one of the most promising riders in the Italian nursery, thanks to a second place in the Moto3™ Championship in 2018 and eight podiums in the intermediate class, including a victory at the 2021 Spanish GP, the goal is to continue to grow in this category and be among the chief contenders.
For Fabio, the first appointment with the new team is on Tuesday, when he will be on track for the first day of testing in 2024.
Watched the Valencia finale last night. What a race. Not a MM fan, but it sucked to see him get launched like that.
Drop after drop after that, wasn't really sure who was going to actually finish. Really thought Digia would take it on the last lap.
Drop after drop after that, wasn't really sure who was going to actually finish. Really thought Digia would take it on the last lap.
I believe they moved the race a little later in the afternoon to avoid overlap with F1. The race was also three weeks later compared to last year. Lower temperatures/cold tires/new asphalt probably contributed to some of the crashes.
The CryptoDATA RNF Team are out next season. Rumors are that they weren't paying bills. I am shocked that some crypto bros weren't paying their bills. Trackhouse Racing owned by former NASCAR driver Justin Marks might take over the team. Oliveira and Fernandez have contracts with Aprilia and the team staff will likely remain the same.
The new manufacturer concession system was announced. KTM and Aprilia will be in group C. Honda and Yamaha in group D, for disaster.
Some interesting bits in that concession article. I guess GP doesn't track team standings like F1 does.
Interesting way to attempt to reign in Ducati. Unlimited testing, extra engines & engine development allowance for group D could be a huge boost, if I'm reading that correctly.
I believe they moved the race a little later in the afternoon to avoid overlap with F1. The race was also three weeks later compared to last year. Lower temperatures/cold tires/new asphalt probably contributed to some of the crashes.
The CryptoDATA RNF Team are out next season. Rumors are that they weren't paying bills. I am shocked that some crypto bros weren't paying their bills. Trackhouse Racing owned by former NASCAR driver Justin Marks might take over the team. Oliveira and Fernandez have contracts with Aprilia and the team staff will likely remain the same.
The new manufacturer concession system was announced. KTM and Aprilia will be in group C. Honda and Yamaha in group D, for disaster.
MotoGP has unveiled a complicated new four-tier concession system that will take effect in 2024, after a concerted push to help the premier class's struggling manufacturers - namely Honda and Yamaha.
The two Japanese firms both accrued less than 200 points in the constructors' standings (in which every marque scores points on the basis of the tally brought in by its highest-scoring rider at each round) this year, while the dominant Ducati squad took home precisely 700.
It was known for a while that series promoter Dorna was trying to figure out a pathway to create competitive breaks for the two firms, and that, requiring unanimous approval, it would be able to get the European manufacturers - Ducati, KTM and Aprilia - to agree to measures in some capacity, despite the latter two firms' vocal opposition.
A much simpler factory concession system had already been in place in MotoGP, based on podiums scored over a two-year period, but none of the manufacturers qualified.
Fabio Quartararo was a title contender for Yamaha in 2022 and still recorded three grand prix podiums in 2023 despite a massive year-on-year decline, while Honda went as far as to win at COTA with 'one-year rental' Alex Rins.
The new system - which has four tiers rather than just having on/off concession status - is built on how many points a factory has scored in the manufacturers' championship relative to the total amount of points available.
In 2023, this was 728 points - it should've been 740 but for the cancellation of the sprint race at Phillip Island.
CONCESSION SYSTEM RANKS
A (Ducati): 85% or more of total points available B: Between 60% and 85% of total points available C (KTM, Aprilia): Between 35% and 60% of total points available D (Yamaha, Honda): Fewer than 35% of the total points available
Ducati's 700-point tally means it is over 80 points clear of the threshold for A rank, and its dominance in 2023 was such that none of the other brands qualify for B rank.
A-rank status means Ducati will have a significantly reduced test tyre allocation in 2024 (85 tyre sets, 15 fewer than currently available, as opposed to 130 for D-rank) and zero wildcards allowed.
Ducati has made frequent use of wildcards with test rider Michele Pirro.
B-rank will have three wildcards available, while the remaining two - covering all four non-Ducati participants as it stands - will have six wildcard outings at their disposal.
But there are crucial differences between the concession status that will be enjoyed by Aprilia/KTM under the current points distribution and the one for Yamaha/Honda.
As D-rank manufacturers, they will be allowed to test at any circuit on the calendar - rather than a maximum of three that is required to be nominated - with their full-time riders rather than the testers.
They will also not be subject to a start-of-season freeze in engine spec, and will have an extra aero update available to them during the season in addition to the single one currently allowed - although they will have to "discard a previous aero specification" in doing so.
KTM and Aprilia are thus still bound by the engine spec freeze, but their wildcards will be permitted to run engines of a different spec.
Crucially, the concession calculations will not be a year-on-year matter but will take place in half-year increments.
In the 2024 summer break, ranks will be re-assessed as per the points accrued from the end of the 2023 summer break till then.
The new system is clearly intended to counter Ducati's current advantage of having four teams and eight riders on the grid, as its data-sharing policy means they are able to indirectly divide duties in terms of weekend preparation during the current reduced-practice sprint format much more effectively than all the other brands' riders.
The four-tier system, meanwhile, appears to have been a way to placate KTM and Aprilia, who had been fairly vocal in feeling Honda and Yamaha were too competitive to enjoy concessions.
Though the new system is in place from the 2024 season onwards, it effectively kicks in right away - as MotoGP's 2024 season (and the calculations of test days within it) officially begins with Tuesday's collective test at Valencia
Not a MM fan, but it sucked to see him get launched like that.
I watched the post-Valencia test. I did not know that the right side of a team garage, or left side if you're looking in, is typically reserved for the top rider within a team. Alex isn't cutting MM93 any slack. Alex will have the right side since he is the established Gresini rider and had a better season than MM93. If the test was any indication, that won't last.
The announcers discussed some pre-2025 silly season rumors. Fabio Quartararo is being tipped to take one of the Aprilia factory seats in 2025 if Yamaha cannot demonstrate meaningful progress. There are rumors that VR46/Rossi could become the satellite Yamaha team in 2025, with Ducati dropping to six bikes. All speculation at this time.
I don't see AM outclassing MM on the same bike, but we'll see when the seasons tarts.
With Rossi being a Yamaha ambassador, I wouldn't be surprised to see VR46 shift to Japan from Ducati. Having 8 bikes on the grid definitely didn't do them any favors re the new concessions program.
I could see FQ on an Aprilia, real hope would be that these new concessions give Yamaha & Honda a boost & we see some more competitiveness at the front.
Hopefully MM93 can be fit and remain that way next season. He had arm pump surgery yesterday, which seemed to come as a surprise to most.
When riders switch teams they aren't allowed to wear their new colors at the post-Valencia test, because they're typically still under contract with their old team through the end of the year. Red Bull have a video of MM93 at the test.
Did you hear? 2024 will see a new team land in MotoGP™: Trackhouse Racing. Trackhouse have already enjoyed impressive success in the NASCAR Cup series, and now the American team will take their racing ambition onto two wheels as they join MotoGP™ as an Independent Team, partnered with Aprilia to run their RS-GP MotoGP™ prototypes.
That special announcement we teased? It’s this! The presentation of the whole new team was made in Milan on Tuesday, with Trackhouse founder and owner Justin Marks joined on stage by Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola, Dorna Sports Chief Sporting Officer Carlos Ezpeleta and Dorna Chief Commercial Officer Dan Rossomondo. Check it out below!
Trackhouse Racing will run two Aprilia RS-GPs, ridden by multiple-MotoGP™ winner #88 Miguel Oliveira and rising talent #25 Raul Fernandez. The full 2024 livery will be revealed early next season but as part of the launch, the team unveiled a symbolic American flag-liveried bike, paying tribute to both previous testing colours used by Nicky Hayden and to the incredible motorcycle racing heritage of the USA.
Adding to that American heritage and writing a new chapter, with a new approach, is a key goal for Trackhouse and one MotoGP™ shares. The addition of an American team, representing one of the world’s largest markets, offers a wealth of opportunity to create an exciting new project from the ground up – built on foundations of established success.
