Written by Finn Glover, Edited by Hugh W
After one of the silliest silly seasons we have seen in MotoGP, the grid has been turned upside down, starting completely afresh in 2024. New teams, riders and more, here is your gigantic grid guide for MotoGP 2024.
Prima Pramac Racing
The first satellite team champions in MotoGP, Prima Pramac racing, were able to keep hold of Jorge Martin, for now. The 25-year-old Spaniard was superior in the second half of the 2023 season, and will look to continue that momentum and challenge for the title again in 2024.
Joining Martin will be Franco Morbidelli, the 29-year-old Italian signed from the Monster Yamaha Squad. He replaces Johann Zarco. Two disappointing seasons at Monster Yamaha saw the Italian, who challenged for the title in 2020, slump to a disappointing p19 and p13 in the 2022 and 2023 championships, his best result being a 4th place finish in the Argentine Grand Prix this year.
However, on Ducati machinery, his chances will surely be greater than ever. He is certainly a dark horse going into this season.
Ducati Lenovo Team
One of only four teams to retain the same lineup going into 2024, Ducati Lenovo will be looking for a fresh start after a campaign blighted by injuries in 2023. Francesco Bagnaia will be looking to defend his crown in his 4th season with the team, while Enea Bastiannini will be looking for a clean, untroubled season.
The Italian missed nine races after two heavy crashes in Portugal and Catalunya, and took a while to get momentum back, being replaced by riders such as Michele Pirro and Danilo Petrucci. But, his speed that he showed so well in 2022 was proven in Sepang, a dominant victory undermining what the Italian can truly do.
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team
New year, new name and a new rider for the VR46 crew. Marco Bezzechi remains with the team after a successful 2023, with 3 victories and overall 3rd in the rider’s championship. Joining him is Fabio Di Giannantonio, replacing Honda-bound Luca Marini.
Marini expressed his desire to join a factory squad, leaving rumors circulating as to who will replace him. Ultimately, Di Giannantonio got the seat- after a superb end to 2023 with two podiums and a victory in Lusail. After one and a half years he truly showed his potential, and will be looking to continue that in 2024.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
KTM are another team sticking with the same lineup as 2023. Both Jack Miller and Brad Binder will look to improve on what was an up and down 2023, flashes of speed and potential but ultimately nothing to overly celebrate on, ultimately leading to 4th and 11th in the championship respectively. Although, KTM will be looking to help thwart dominant Ducati, and surely Miller and Binder would be the perfect duo to do so.
Aprilia Racing
The factory Aprilia squad are another who are sticking with the same lineup. 2 victories in Silverstone and Catalunya were the high points, in a season which showed so much potential after the Sepang test but failed to deliver.
Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales, veterans of MotoGP, are entrusted with using the promising machinery to battle their way into title potential, the question is, can they too stop Ducati?
Gresini Racing MotoGP
In perhaps the biggest move in MotoGP history, six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez will leave his beloved Honda squad to link up with his brother Alex Marquez at Gresini Racing, replacing Fabio Di Giannantonio.
He leaves Honda after 169 races, 59 wins and 11 seasons with the team. Stepping onto rival Ducati machinery will be a new endeavor for Marc, and we don’t know quite what to expect. But what we do know is he will be up for it.
Alex recorded his best ever season in MotoGP in 2023- 9th in the championship and 177 points despite missing three rounds due to an accident in India.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Yamaha will be looking for a fresh start in 2024 after an abysmal 2023 campaign- slumping to 7th in the standings. 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo will be looking to reignite his title ambitions in what looks like a promising season, and he will be joined by former LCR and Suzuki rider Alex Rins.
Rins will be looking for an injury-free campaign after missing heaps of rounds last year due to a serious accident during the sprint in Mugello. Despite all this, he recorded a sensational victory at COTA on a bike that should be nowhere near the front- and will look to carry this onto a Yamaha bike this year.
Trackhouse Racing MotoGP
Same riders, different name, the Trackhouse squad will look to hit the track running after a very promising season under Cryptodata RNF last year- their first in Aprillia machinery. Raul Fernandez and Miguel Oliviera will spearhead the American organization’s first year in MotoGP — especially after a season that had its moments of class.
Oliviera constantly punched above his weight despite numerous injury setbacks, and Fernandez really grew in the second half of the season.
Repsol Honda Team
It will be a weird feeling imagining Marc Marquez not on a Honda next year. But unfortunately, all love stories have to come to an end, and new ones are always born. In Luca Marini, they might have struck gold as the perfect replacement.
The young, lively Italian shone in two years in the VR46 camp and might be all Honda needed to reignite their desire and passion. He will be alongside Joan Mir, the 2020 world champion.
Mir’s talent was emphasized in the Indian Grand Prix — a remarkable 5th. However. in a season bruised by only six race finishes in 20 races, he will be looking for a fresh and fierce season in 2024.
LCR Honda
For the seventh consecutive year, Takaaki Nakagami will be riding the LCR Idemitsu bike. The Japanese rider will hope for a great season; having never taken a podium in his 6 seasons prior and a lowly 18th in the championship the past two seasons. Joining him on the Castrol bike will be Frenchman Johann Zarco.
The 33-year-old finally got his first ever MotoGP win in the Australian Grand Prix back in October, and will look to bring his speed and talent into a drained LCR camp. He will replace Rins, who was replaced by a mix of Stefan Bradl, Iker Lecuona and Takumi Takahasi in an injury hit 2023.
GasGas Factory Racing Tech3
GasGas will look to boost the gas after what was a promising first season in the MotoGP class. Augusto Fernandez went on a remarkable 11 race point scoring streak, as a rookie, with a high of 4th in Le Mans.
Joining Fernandez will be the only rookie for 2024, Pedro Acosta. Acosta’s talent was perfectly proven in 2023, smashing the Moto2 field and taking the championship by 83 points. Expectations are high, but will big pressure on young shoulders be too much for the 19-year-old Spaniard?
He replaced veteran Pol Espargaro, who struggled to get to grips with the GasGas machine after a horrific crash in the first round of the season in Portimao. For the first half of the season he was replaced by Jonas Folger, and only managed a best result of 6th in the Spielberg Sprint.
So that’s the grid set for MotoGP 2024. It will be a season of firsts and a season full of excitement. With the debut of the Kazakhstan Grand Prix and returning favorite Aragon, who knows what will happen? What do you think will happen? We can’t wait to find out.