MotoGP Silly Season: A look at the 2024 grid...so far

Silly season is upon us! Below is where we currently stand for the 2024 MotoGP grid, this will be updated as news breaks.

WHO'S LOCKED IN

There are a number of riders who are already on contracts to cover 2024, so it's best to start there.

Currently, Enea Bastianini and Francesco Bagnaia will stay with Ducati Lenovo for 2024, likewise CryptoDATA RNF will continue their two year deals with Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez. Also with unchanged line-ups we have Aprilia Racing with Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales, Red Bull KTM with Brad Binder and Jack Miller, and HRC Honda with Joan Mir and (for now) Marc Márquez - more on MM93 below.

LATEST NEWS

The below is the latest graphic from MotoGP.

Alex Márquez is the latest rider to be announced, confirming he will be staying with Gresini Racing for 2024.

APRILIA

Aprilia Racing

As mentioned above, continuing with their solid rider line up, the Aprilia factory team will remain as is with Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales for 2024. Which brings strong championship hopes for the team next year.

CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team

Much like their factory counterpart, RNF will see no change in riders for 2024, seeing out the two year contracts signed by both Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez just last year.

DUCATI

Ducati Lenovo Team

Alongside Pecco at Ducati will more than likely be Enea Bastianini. Bestia does have a contract for 2024 with Ducati but it must be noted that it is not directly with the factory team. However, there is no reason or current speculation that we should see someone other than Enea in that second seat.

Gresini Racing MotoGP

With Alex Marquez now confirmed for 2024, that leaves a vacant seat that is currently occupied by Fabio Di Giannantonio, who's contract is up at the end of 2023. There are a few Moto2 names flying around at the moment for seats in MotoGP for next year, for this particular open seat at Gresini the two to watch are Tony Arbolino and Jake Dixon who are respectively 2nd and 3rd in the Moto2 Championship standings as of writing this.

Mooney VR46 Racing Team

Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi have been the line up for Mooney VR46 since the team made their MotoGP debut in 2022. Bezz has recently been rumoured to be eyeing a seat elsewhere in the Ducati outfit, somewhere he would be on a more current bike, which at present will only be available to him via a seat at Pramac. Reportedly, Marini wants a seat in the factory team, however that looks like something to be for beyond 2024 and for now he will stay with VR46 - pending confirmation from the team.

Prima Pramac Racing

Earlier in the year there were rumours that Jorge Martìn was looking for a seat elsewhere, however speaking in Assen recently he seemingly put those rumours to rest. Speaking to MotoGP journalists during a press conference Martìn said "I'm happy where I am, I don't see a reason to change. I have a factory bike, an amazing team that is pushing for me. I feel like 2024 will be the same."

On the other side of the garage, Johann Zarco does not currently have a contract for 2024. He has been linked to LCR Honda, who have a vacant seat for 2024 courtesy of Alex Rins' move to Yamaha. Upon return from MotoGP summer break, Zarco said "It's good to have the interest of Honda.". However it does seem his focus is still with Ducati to move forward, "My target is Ducati…We’re leading the Championship with Pramac. Jorge and I are good together so why not continue?". What will it be for the French rider Ducati or Honda? We'll soon find out.

HONDA

Repsol Honda Team

There has been a lot of talk recently about the big question mark over Márquez's future with HRC. The last two years have been unarguably the toughest time in Marc's career with over 60 races missed, repeat surgeries, several crashes since his return resulting in more minor injuries and a Honda that is no longer up to his standard. Márquez does have a 2024 contract in place with HRC but as we are well aware, à la Viñales 2021, if a rider wants out of their contract they will find a way out, it's certainly not easy but it can be done.

If Márquez were to make an early exit from Honda, where would he go? Would he take a break from racing? Or will another factory team snap him up and bump a rider of their own?

For Joan Mir it's quite simple, he has a 2024 contract in place and that is where he will remain. Something very interesting to note here too, is that GPOne reported that Mir's manager, Paco Sanchez, said he may be looking into taking a year away from racing. Whether he is referring to 2024 or after is not clear.

LCR Honda Idemitsu

With Alex Rins' move to Yamaha already announced we are left with the long standing pioneer for LCR, Takaaki Nakagami. With his contract up at the end of the season, will his sixth season in MotoGP be his last? Early talks of his replacement being that of Moto2 talent and fellow Idemitsu representative, Ai Ogura have been dismissed due to the ongoing complications with an injury he acquired early on in the season.

What we do know is that, according to Speedweek, there were talks between Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsport Director and Lucio Cecchinello, LCR Honda boss that revealed LCR do have a team contract in place with Honda for 2024. The question is who will be riding for them?

KTM

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

As mentioned early on, the factory team will see no changes with Brad Binder and Jack Miller set to continue their charge for KTM glory.

GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3

Pol Espargaró already has a contract in place for 2024, that’s one seat gone. Over the summer break it was confirmed to Speedweek by Stefan Pierer, CEO of Pierer Mobility AG aka the company group that KTM and GASGAS fall under, that they had indeed renewed Augusto Fernandez's contract for 2024.

For KTM this is where the headache begins…key contender and current Moto2 Championship leader, Pedro Acosta along with his team openly stated that another season in Moto2 was not an option, providing KTM with a deadline of the 30th of June to offer him a seat in the MotoGP class. For KTM that means finding a seat for one of, if not, the most promising rider in their ranks when in reality they don't have one to offer up without ruffling some feathers amongst the riders already contracted.

The outcome of this situation should be revealed at KTM's home grand prix at the Red Bull Ring in Austria this weekend.

YAMAHA

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP

In the lead up to the British GP it was confirmed by Yamaha that at the end of the 2023 season they would be parting ways with Franco Morbidelli. This was later followed by the announcement that Álex Rins would be joining the team in his place, alongside Fabio Quartararo.

There is currently no confirmation on what will be next for Morbidelli.

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