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Has KTM hit a ceiling with its MotoGP bike in 2024?

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KTM’s early season run of three consecutive podium finishes now seems like a distant memory. To think that Brad Binder was able to finish just 1.239s behind race winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) in Qatar just four months ago is almost hard to believe, considering where KTM is in the pecking order at present.

Take last fortnight’s German GP for comparison. The top RC16 of GasGas rider Pedro Acosta finished only seventh and more than 14s behind the leader, a week after Binder had taken the chequered flag 16s down in sixth. In fact, since Acosta finished second in the Americas GP in April, a KTM rider has only been able to finish inside the top five just once in a grand prix. Those statistics make for a pretty grim reading.

Factory rider Jack Miller made a poignant revelation at the Sachsenring that could explain why KTM’s form has suddenly disappeared.

“We are on the same package in terms of base stuff, we have the same stuff as Misano last year,” he said.

“There’s always going to be a roof and you need to develop and make things better to improve that and move the roof further. 

“We are on a similar chassis that we have been on since Misano last year, the first addition of the carbon fibre frame, but we haven’t made any adjustments or done anything to that. 

“There are areas we can work on the bike to try to set the bar higher.”

Jack Miller, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Jack Miller, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

KTM, of course, shook the MotoGP paddock in September last when test rider Dani Pedrosa debuted a chassis made entirely out of carbon fibre at Misano.

Both Miller and Binder switched to the same frame later that month, marking a major leap for the Austrian manufacturer in its pursuit of catching the all-conquering Ducatis.

But the fact that the KTM hasn’t been able to improve that chassis in the next 10 months goes to show just how behind it has dropped behind in the development race since then. From bringing new innovations to not introducing any major updates, it’s quite a departure for the Pierer Mobility Group.

Of course, throwing new parts on the bike every weekend doesn’t always bring forward a step in performance. What KTM needs is a methodical plan, as Binder explained during the Sachsenring weekend.

“We haven’t had an update for a long time, for sure,” he said. “More than anything [what] we need a clear understanding of which direction to go in. 

“We have been playing a lot with the balances this weekend [at Sachsenring] and finally we did things we had never done before which don’t really make sense but it makes the bike a bit better. 

“Clearly we need to understand things a little bit better and then we can bring the parts to help us.”

Jack Miller, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Jack Miller, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

To help find a clear direction, KTM must also fully understand where exactly the RC16 is lagging behind its rivals. While the engine powering the bike has proved to be reliable and quick, there are a number of other areas that require additional focus.

“We need a little bit more grip, a little bit more turning,” said Miller. “[With top] speed we are alright, the engine is strong and the aero package is pretty strong. We can understand where we are on the front end of the bike. 

“It’s just a matter of what we need to do to get a little bit more turning, a bit more grip both on the front and the rear to go faster and brake later, get on the gas earlier and hopefully carry more corner speed.”

After the German GP, Acosta bought a ‘one-way ticket’ to Austria to meet the top brass at KTM, understand how its MotoGP programme is run on the inside and help the marque in fixing the weaknesses of the RC16.

He is being accompanied on the trip by technical chief Paul Trevathan and head of suspensions Miguel Olivenza.

Acosta had originally planned to speak to KTM’s head of technology Fabiano Sterlacchini on his visit to Austria, but Gigi Dall’Igna’s former right-hand man split with the team after the Sachsenring weekend.

Nevertheless, the Spaniard will be keeping himself busy with a series of meetings with other members of the factory team. The visit is not only important for KTM but Acosta himself, as it could help him find out if he is in the right place to fight for a MotoGP title in the near future.

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«The first thing I’m going to do when I arrive is meet the people and see what happens on the first day, how everything works and what each one does,” he explained.

“When I go to sleep and I understand all the roles and who is in charge in one place and who is in charge in the other, and who is the head of the chassis and the one on the other side, why do things get done [in a particular way]. Because now it is very easy to criticise, ask or demand things that I, for the moment, do not know how they are going.

“I prefer to first find out how everything is going and why things are not done or why they are, or who gives power to one or takes it away from the other, to know which path has to be taken.”

KTM is incredibly lucky to have a top rider like Acosta in its wings and has rightly offered him an early contract for the factory squad for 2025. The addition of race winners Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales will also be a major boost for the marque, especially as they replace two weak links in the line-up — Miller and Augusto Fernandez.

But with Ducati being in a “league of its own” according to Binder, KTM now must work on bringing meaningful updates to ensure its bike can match its riding talent.

Additional reporting by German Garcia Casanova and Sebastian Franzschky

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Yamaha having more MotoGP bikes in 2025 will push Honda to improve

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


LCR rider Johann Zarco hopes Yamaha’s expansion to four bikes in MotoGP next year will provide an extra incentive for Honda to close the gap to the front.

The French rider believes the decision of his former team Pramac to become a satellite squad for Yamaha from 2025 will benefit both Japanese manufacturers, as they seek to level the field with their European counterparts.

Both Yamaha and Honda have fallen further behind the competition this year despite changing their philosophies over the last 12 months, with MotoGP’s new concession system also proving insufficient to help them make any meaningful progress in the middle of the season.

Yamaha’s position in the last few years has been weakened due to the absence of a satellite team, but it will get to have four bikes on the grid for the first time since 2022 as Pramac ends a 20-year partnership with Ducati in favour of a move to the Iwata-based brand.

Asked for his opinion on the switch, Zarco — who scored one victory and 14 podiums during his three-year spell with Pramac — said: «It will be good for the Yamaha project. They need more bikes to develop and get more information. 

«It’s good to get more Japanese bikes in the championship because now the European bikes, the Ducati, [they] get too much advantage so it finds a little bit better balance. And I hope that the Japanese will reduce the gap with the Ducati.

«[With] Marc and Pecco for next year in the top team, they will be impossible to reach and they will fly all year. 

Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda

Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«But at least from third position to the 10th position, there will be some changes and that will be good. 

«And I think Yamaha doing improvements and getting more bikes on the grid will push Honda also to make the changes or push themselves to find solutions.»

With a best finish of just 12th in the opening nine grands prix of the season, Honda has scored only 24 points in the manufacturers’ standings — half as many as its nearest rival Yamaha. By contrast, all three European manufacturers have scored over 150 points, with Ducati taking its total over 300 with its latest triumph in the German Grand Prix.

Zarco firmly believes there is not much more pace that can be extracted out of the current version of the RC213V and Honda needs a new bike in order to have any chance of taking the fight against its rivals.

«[We are] still too far. The bike is still not competitive enough to make a step in the top 10,» the 33-year-old said. 

«I look forward to a new bike that will give this performance. I try at the moment to improve myself and this [Sachsenring] weekend I could try to use the strong points of the bike because there are some areas where the bike is not too bad and I tried to use it to the maximum.

«I don’t know [when the new bike will arrive]. But I wait. I don’t want to know [when it will it arrive] because it will not change my concentration for all the races. But at least I would like to [do] as well as possible over what I have control.» 

Additional reporting by Bjorn Smit and Sebastian Franzschky

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Ducati admits reaction to Marquez MotoGP decision has been «divisive»

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Ducati says its decision to sign Marc Marquez for its factory MotoGP team in 2025 has garnered a “divisive” response in Italy.

The marque has admitted that it has received a bit of criticism for choosing six-time champion Marquez over Jorge Martin as Francesco Bagania’s team-mate for next season.

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Ducati had initially zeroed in on last year’s runner-up Martin to replace Enea Bastianini as part of a wider plan that included placing Marquez at Pramac on a factory-spec bike. But the latter’s reluctance to join Paolo Campinoti’s squad turned matters on its head, forcing Ducati to go back on its original decision and promote Marquez from Gresini instead.

While the addition of the 31-year-old is a massive boost for the squad, from both a marketing and competitive standpoint, it has come at the cost of its long-term relationships with both Martin and Pramac.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali is aware that its choice hasn’t received unanimous support, with Martin having been overlooked for the seat despite having proven his worth time and again with Pramac since his MotoGP debut in 2021.

«It was a very difficult choice for us, because we love Jorge very much,» he said.

«So the choice was Jorge or Marc. Jorge has been with us for a long time, he is very strong. It was very difficult. Time will tell if it was the right choice or not.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“Marc’s choice is very divisive, much more in Italy than in the rest of the world because of his story and what happened in the past.

“From what I read, no one questions his talent, but several have very characterised opinions about his story.”

While there is no denying that signing Marquez is a big coup for Ducati, it will arguably be in a weaker position relative to rivals next year.

Firstly, it will have two fewer bikes on the grid, with Pramac ending a 20-year-old partnership to become a Yamaha satellite team in 2025. Secondly, current VR46 rider Marco Bezzecchi will join Martin at Aprilia next year, while Bastianini will also leave the Ducati fold completely in favour of a move to Tech3 KTM.

Asked if the rider market shuffle instigated by Ducati had strengthened the opposition too much, Domenicali said: “We hope not, in the sense that we need the riders, the bike, the technique. You have to dose your energy well.”

Referring to Ducati tightening its purse at a time when rival manufacturers have offered big-money contracts to lure its riders, Domenicali added: “There is also a general problem of sustainability of this environment, several manufacturers are making choices that are not sustainable in my opinion, but it is my opinion.

“We pay great attention to ensuring that the company is one, the races, the company, the families in Borgo Panigale. Balancing what we spend to develop the bike with what we spend on the riders.”

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Vinales can’t «comprehend» Aprilia’s disappearing MotoGP practice pace

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Maverick Vinales has conceded he can’t «comprehend» how Aprilia goes from running at the front in Friday practice to being 10 seconds off the pace over the course of a MotoGP race weekend.

Since Vinales’s emphatic victory in the Americas Grand Prix in April, Aprilia is yet to add another podium finish to its tally and is fighting to remain second in the manufacturers’ standings with KTM.

In last weekend’s German Grand Prix, the RS-GP looked rapid on Friday as Vinales broke the Sachsenring lap record in FP2, but come race day it was a completely different story for the Noale-based brand as the Spaniard could only salvage a 12th-place finish after running off the track in the early laps.

Trackhouse duo Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez also slipped down the order after qualifying on the front row behind polesitter Jorge Martin (Pramac), ending up sixth and 10th respectively after the 30-lap race.

Speaking afterwards, Vinales expressed his disappointment at Aprilia’s lack of race pace, as his mistake on lap 7 didn’t account for the entire 18s deficit he faced to race winner Francesco Bagnaia on the factory Ducati.

«It’s a few races that we are not on the level where we want to be and somehow, on Fridays, we are able to arrive on the limit and then it’s hard to go over it. It’s very hard. It’s very difficult. We need to understand why,» said Vinales, who was the only factory Aprilia rider in action after Aleix Espargaro’s withdrawal.

«On Friday it looks like you can fight in the race and then you are 10 seconds away in the race.

Maverick Vinales, Aprilia Racing Team

Maverick Vinales, Aprilia Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«I lose at least 12 seconds or more with all the problems, but still I would be six seconds [behind], not fighting with them. It’s interesting to understand.

«I see Miguel’s race also. It looks to me that Miguel had the chance to fight to win the race, also in the morning[warm-up, he was quick]. Then you see [he finished] 10 seconds [behind]. It’s hard to understand, to comprehend.»

Vinales noted that the RS-GP has been struggling to replicate its sheer pace while running in a pack of bikes, saying: «It’s just that the behaviour of the bike is very different when you are in a group and when you are alone.

«I don’t know if we need to approach the weekend in a different way, try to understand more the bike when I’m riding with the group.»

Vinales revealed that the behaviour of the RS-GP varies lap by lap and a software issue could explain why he is lacking the consistency he needs in order to feel confident on the bike.

«It’s the electronics that change a little bit, we don’t understand why,» he said.

«The tyres were very constant, they were working well. [On Saturday] I had a few more issues but no, no, when I was alone, I could do low 1[m]21[s laps] on the rhythm which I think was quite competitive.

«Then suddenly the rear breaks, suddenly I have a lot of wheelie, so we need to try to understand why the bike has this behaviour — one lap, yes, one lap, no. It makes it really unpredictable what you are gonna find out.

«So we need to understand why it’s working one lap one way, then another lap another way and, when I try to attack on brakes, it works a little bit different. so we really need to understand this.»

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Has Martin given Ducati another reason to bet everything on Bagnaia in MotoGP?

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«If anyone thinks that a factory is going to allow a satellite team rider to win the world championship, they don’t have a clue where they are,» a former rider and current team manager of a MotoGP told this writer on the condition of anonymity.

And that was before Jorge Martin found out that Ducati had picked Marc Marquez over him for the second factory seat for 2025, prompting him to switch to Aprilia.

«They will never let him take the #1 to another factory, let alone an Italian one,» added people who have been a part of the grand prix paddock for a number of years.

However, despite all these arguments, no one has ever been able to say — and much less prove — that Ducati has not given Martin the same weapons as the rest of its factory riders. All related parties have maintained that nothing would change and that Martin would continue to receive the Italian manufacturer’s full support until the last race.

Prior to last weekend’s German GP, Martin had shown that he is a solid rider who committed a few mistakes, such as the crash from the lead of the Jerez race and the tumble from lower down the order in the Misano sprint. However, these errors did not cost him the championship lead or weaken his position as a potential title contender.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

But after the Sachsenring blunder, things are quite different. While the 10-point deficit Martin now faces to Bagnaia may not sound a lot, especially when you consider that there are still 11 rounds to run in 2024 and a total of 370 points on offer, it’s clear that the tide has very much shifted in the MotoGP title battle.

Far from consolidating what was once a healthy 39-point lead, Martin has now dropped behind Bagnaia in the championship standings.

It’s clear that the Spaniard has not been able to manage the pressure of fighting for the crown, especially in the wake of Bagnaia’s improved form that has seen the Italian rack up four consecutive grand prix victories and two sprint successes in Mugello and Assen.

In fact, out of a maximum of 136 points that were available since his crash in the Barcelona sprint, Bagnaia has scored 131 points to overhaul Martin and claim the championship lead going into the summer break — dealing an important blow to his rival on a psychological level.

Ducati already has a champion

One may think that with Bagnaia being Italian, having a factory contract until 2026 and with two titles to his name already, why would Ducati support a Spaniard and a team that is due to move to the Yamaha fold next year?

But Ducati understood that its commitment to support Martin until the end is a duty that does not seem to jeopardise the chances of Bagnaia clinching a third straight championship.

In fact, cutting down its support for Martin could be counterproductive in terms of brand image. But Sunday’s mistake where Martin ‘handed’ victory to Bagnaia and gave a valid reason to Borgo Panigale to put all its weight behind the two-time champion.

Bagnaia, after all, has shown that he has the best form in MotoGP of all riders, if not being the absolute best in terms of speed and talent, and that he is ready to face the arrival of Marquez at the factory team.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Nobody at Ducati is going to give Martin a broken part or reduce the engine power of his GP24, that’s obvious, but the executives at the marque are already convinced that they made the right decision to snub him for Marquez and that they now must focus on their own riders. That makes Martin more of a satellite rider, waiting for the season to end before he can start a new life at Aprilia.

Martin has admitted that Sunday’s crash was so significant that he will be viewing things «before and after» the incident separately. While there was a different meaning behind it, it was also likely in reference to the support he and Pramac would receive in the final four months of the campaign as the team nears the end of its 20-year relationship with Ducati.

He also said: «It’s very frustrating. I’ve had a hard time in the truck and it’s not easy to take these things in. You often don’t know how to deal with it. You can throw a punch, which I did, you can start crying, but it doesn’t help either.

«In the end, you have to let it go, it has to come out. You have to accept it and look forward, and that’s it. I will focus a lot on improving and correcting these mistakes and I will get back to where I need to be. I will win again and all this will be an anecdote.

«It is an opportunity to continue working and to see the reality as it really is.»

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Has Morbidelli found his MotoGP mojo again after years of struggles at Yamaha?

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Pramac rider Franco Morbidelli showed glimpses of his former self as he battled team-mate Jorge Martin and reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia for a podium in last weekend’s German GP.

While his strategy to play aggressively early on ultimately dropped him to fifth at the finish, there were only positives to take for a rider who is rebuilding his career after going from fighting for the championship in 2020 to becoming an occasional top-10 scorer in MotoGP.

In fact, Morbidelli’s results over the last few years with Yamaha were so underwhelming that many questioned how he managed to land a top seat with Pramac on a factory-spec Ducati GP24.

The criticism wasn’t completely invalid when you look at how easily he was overshadowed by team-mate and 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo during their time together at the factory team.

Even after showcasing a major improvement in his speed last year on an underpowered Yamaha M1, he still finished three places and 70 points behind Quartaro in the standings — and without a single podium to his name. It was perhaps no surprise that the Japanese marque made a decision not to renew his contract and poached Alex Rins from LCR Honda instead.

While it was unfortunate that Morbidelli could never turn around his performances at Yamaha, despite the Japanese manufacturer publicly supporting him for the longest of times, the Italian has now been given a new lease of life at Pramac and he must take full advantage of it. If the Sachsenring race was any indicator, one can see him delivering on his promise again after years in the doldrums.

«A version of me that we haven’t seen in a while. I’m glad it came back out,» Morbidelli said of his showing on Sunday. «I’ve been there for a few races now, seeing the podium and getting closer — but this one a little bit more. At one point I thought I had to win! So, good. It was a positive weekend that everyone needed.»

Franco Morbidelli, Pramac Racing

Franco Morbidelli, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

It was clear that Morbidelli was going to face a challenging first half of the year when a training accident at Portimao prevented him from riding the GP24 during the official pre-season testing. Adapting from the M1 he has raced since his debut in 2018 to the Desmosedici was always going to be a tough task, but he then had to complete the transition during race weekends.

But after surviving the madness that was the Spanish GP sprint to take his first points of the year, there have been clear signs of progress. Since then, Morbidelli has been able to qualify and finish inside the top 10 on a regular basis — and a performance like his in the German GP was a long time coming.

«It’s three races that I [feel I] could reach the podium — since Barcelona,» he said. «It’s not getting there but yet I’ll keep working. I can do it. I was out of the battle for top five in Assen. That was a difficult track for us but since Barcelona [I feel] I can do it. «If I can’t do it [in the second half then] I’m missing something but I’ll work, I’ll chase.»

Morbidelli’s fifth place at the Sachsenring was his best result since he took fourth at the Argentine GP with Yamaha more than 12 months ago — an outlier of a result given it was a wet race and he failed to crack the top six in any other race in 2023. But, if his recent form is to go by, he is likely to build on that result in the second half of the season and return to the podium for the first time since the 2021 Spanish GP, when he was still riding for the now-defunct Petronas SRT team.

«It feels great, it feels amazing, being there in such an attack position,» he said. «I’ve been there last years, just once. But when I have been there in the past two years it was always in defensive mode while today was in attack mode. It’s much nicer, much more my style.»

Morbidelli’s 2020 campaign on what was then a year-old Yamaha was no fluke and there is genuine reason to believe that he can deliver the results, now that he has a competitive bike and a healthy environment around him.

The Italian has already leapfrogged VR46 rider Marco Bezzecchi in the championship for 11th and is now on the cusp of the top 10. With rumours linking him with a move to the squad run by his mentor Valentino Rossi to replace Aprilia-bound Bezzecchi, now is the time for the 29-year-old to up his game and challenge the other three riders equipped with the GP24.

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First half of rookie MotoGP season «4.5/10»

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KTM protege Pedro Acosta has given himself a 4.5 grade out of 10 after the opening half of his rookie MotoGP season.

Tech3 GasGas rider Acosta made a storming debut in MotoGP at the start of the year, as he outperformed all his KTM compatriots and finished on the podium in only his second grand prix at Portimao. Another trip to the rostrum at Austin only cemented the belief that he is a once-in-a-generation talent and that KTM has hit a jackpot by signing him under its wings. 

But the last few races have proved to be much tougher for the 20-year-old, partly due to the RC16 falling behind the opposition due to a lack of developments. Acosta himself has made a few unforced errors, with crashes out of points-paying positions at Le Mans, Barcelona and Assen seen as the low points of his campaign.

While one could say Acosta has done a fine job overall, considering he is still sixth in the championship and two points clear of Brad Binder on the factory KTM, the Spaniard himself is “not happy enough” with his results so far.

He said: «We have to look for an average, we have to be realistic, we could have done much better for sure, but also much worse.

“I screwed up, crashed at Le Mans, Barcelona and last week at Assen, I don’t know how many points I would have scored. “[At Sachsenring] it was a new [issue].

“If you multiply by three that’s a lot of points and I think Marc Marquez has 166 [56 more], that’s a lot of points we have lost. 
Pedro Acosta, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3

Pedro Acosta, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“Having grown up a little bit with the Austrian mentality that we are better than what we are doing, it makes me think that we can always go better. I’m not looking for excuses, I’m looking for the solution. 4.5/10.”

The German GP marked the last chance for Acosta to eclipse Marquez’s record and become the youngest rider in the premier class. The Tech3 GasGas rider turned 20 years and 43 days old on Sunday, but would surpass the age with which Marquez won his first grand prix in Austin in 2013 (20 years, 63 days) when MotoGP reconvenes at Silverstone next month for the British Grand Prix.

But Acosta says it’s only a positive thing, as he won’t have to dodge questions about beating Marquez’s record any longer.

“It’s better, so you [media] don’t give me any more of a hard time about it. You guys get a bit heavy with these issues,” he said.

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Alex Marquez would’ve ‘traded 42 podiums for one with Marc’ before German GP

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Gresini MotoGP rider Alex Marquez says he would have traded all his previous 42 grand prix podiums for the one he achieved in last weekend’s German Grand Prix with elder brother Marc.

Alex and Marc Marquez shared a podium in MotoGP for the first time in Sunday’s race at the Sachsenring after finishing third and second respectively behind race winner Francesco Bagnaia (factory Ducati team).

It was a landmark result for the Gresini duo, as no two siblings have stood together on the rostrum in the premier class since Nubautsu and Takuma Aoki in 1997 Imola Grand Prix. Much like the Marquez brothers, they were also riding for the same manufacturer — Honda — albeit for different teams.

The third-place finish for the younger Marquez marked his 43rd podium across all three classes and came just days after he signed a new two-year contract with Gresini that will keep him at the Italian squad until the end of the current rules cycle in 2026.

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the race, the 28-year-old didn’t hide the fact that he has been dreaming about celebrating a double podium result with his brother for a very long time.

«It’s a strange feeling, we are very lucky in life, we have lived many happy days, many more than we could have imagined, days when we both won in different categories, or won the title in the same year,” said Alex Marquez, a one-time champion in both Moto3 and Moto2.

“This was the next dream, I had imagined it many, many times. I would change my forty-odd podiums I have in the World Championship for this one. It is much more special to be on a podium with your brother than the previous forty without him.

Mick Doohan, Nobuatsu Aoki and Takuma Aoki

Mick Doohan, Nobuatsu Aoki and Takuma Aoki

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I hope I can repeat it and if possible with a victory and a second place. But we know it will be difficult, so, as he said, we have to celebrate and enjoy the moment, because what the World Championship has taught me and being here, above all, is that what you have today, you don’t know if you’ll have tomorrow.”

A second-place at Sachsenring was equally special for the elder Marquez, especially after having broken a finger and bruised his ribs during a high-side crash on Friday at the start of the weekend.

But the 31-year-old warned that a repeat of the result is “impossible” in 2024, with their 2023-spec GP23 bikes looking increasingly weaker against the latest-spec Desmosedicis raced by the factory and Pramac teams.

The double podium in Germany was only made possible after Pramac’s Jorge Martin crashed out of the race with two laps to go while leading from Bagnaia.

“To share the podium with my brother, we will enjoy it a lot,” said the six-time champion. “This is a day we will never forget because it will be difficult to repeat in the future.

“Honestly speaking this season it will be impossible. Why? For me it’s difficult to be on the podium, for him it’s difficult to be on the podium. So to find the same Sunday on the podium was a bit unreal.

«But in a dry race, in a very fast race, [Alex]is a very talented rider and today he showed. «The fact that he already has two more years with Gresini, [it] feels more relaxed to him and this weekend he rode in a very good way.”

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Nine things we learned from the 2024 MotoGP German Grand Prix

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Francesco Bagnaia’s victory at the Sachsenring on Sunday elevated him to the top of the standings by 10 points over Pramac Ducati rival Jorge Martin, who had things under control until his surprise crash on the penultimate lap.
Marc Marquez couldn’t add another win to his Sachsenring tally, but was delighted with second place after a horrible weekend — especially after brother and Gresini team-mate Alex joined him on the podium. 

As MotoGP enters a three-week summer break, it’s the perfect opportunity to sit back and analyse the recent trends. Here are nine things we learned from the German Grand Prix.

1. Beating Bagnaia to a third straight title won’t be easy

Bagnaia is on course to score a third consecutive title

Bagnaia is on course to score a third consecutive title

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

With Jorge Martin building on his 2023 title challenge and stepping up a gear this year, it appeared that Francesco Bagnaia had a fight on his hands to remain MotoGP’s top dog. A 39-point lead after the Catalan GP sprint meant Martin was considered an overwhelming early favourite for the title. 

However, if the last few rounds have shown anything, it’s that Bagnaia is still head and shoulders clear of the field after winning the last four races in a row.

From his utter domination of Assen to his strategic gameplay at the Sachsenring, Bagnaia has exuded all the qualities of a worthy double champion. It’s not that Martin has been doing a poor job, but Bagnaia has simply been outstanding since he picked himself up after a last-lap crash in the Barcelona sprint race. 

While he may be playing down the importance of taking the points lead just before the summer break, there is no denying that he has gained an upper hand in the title fight in more ways than one.

Apart from the obvious sporting advantage he enjoys, having that 10-point buffer over Martin gives him that sense of relief as he takes time away from work and begins preparation for his impending wedding.

2. Martin has to address one major weakness to become a complete rider

Martin has the pace, but also an unhealthy habit of crashing

Martin has the pace, but also an unhealthy habit of crashing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

No one could have seen Martin lose such a healthy lead in the championship in such a short space of time. All signs suggested that the Pramac rider was going to enter the summer break at the very top of the points standings.

But while Martin has some bigger things to worry about, including Bagnaia’s superior recent form and how Ducati will support a rider whose long-term future is at Aprilia, he must work on one key weakness that was first exposed during his unsuccessful 2023 title bid.

Having just taken the lead of the championship with victory in the sprint race at Mandalika, Martin blew it all away in the grand prix the following day after crashing out on lap 13 with a three-second lead in hand. As it turned out, the Spaniard would never lead the championship again, with Bagnaia capitalising on his rival’s troubles to charge to a second straight title.

While it’s not uncommon to see riders crashing out of the lead of the race, especially in the modern era where tyres play an even bigger role, it’s the timing of these two crashes that dealt the biggest blows. So if the 26-year-old wants to get the better of Bagnaia this season, he needs to figure out why he falters when things are heading his way.

3. Marquez still a potent threat despite widening gulf between factory and year-old Ducatis

Marquez remains a threat to Bagnaia

Marquez remains a threat to Bagnaia

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

With Ducati making such a big leap with its Desmosedici this year, it’s been clear for some time that riders on last year’s GP23 will have a tough time against rivals with more modern machinery. In fact, the gulf between this year’s GP24 and the 2023-spec model has only widened since the season began.

From the very beginning, only one rider has regularly breached the podium places on GP23. But even Gresini star Marc Marquez has been finding it hard to consistently challenge at the front. Only the previous week at Assen, the podium was locked out by three of the four riders racing this year’s GP24 — Bagnaia, Martin and Enea Bastianini.

But, at a Sachsenring track where the straightline and acceleration advantage of the latest-spec Desmosedici was negated, Marquez was able to show what he is capable of with an impressive charge from 13th to second. True, he has always been incredibly strong around the German venue as proved by an unbeatable record between 2011-2019 across the three classes. But the Spaniard also had the machinery under his belt, which allowed Marquez to pick through his rivals with relative ease and grab an unlikely podium. 

While a win in 2024 may seem unlikely, barring exceptional circumstances, one can continue to count on Marquez to pull something special out of the bag in the second half of the year.

4. Aprilia still struggling to capitalise on a competitive RS-GP

Aprilia is the only manufacturer to defeat Ducati this season, but this is not reflected in the standings

Aprilia is the only manufacturer to defeat Ducati this season, but this is not reflected in the standings

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Aprilia is the only manufacturer to have prevented Ducati from scoring a complete sweep of nine grand prix wins out of nine in the first part of the 2024 season. And yet, it only sits 10 points clear of KTM in the manufacturers’ standings, while the factory team has now fallen well behind Gresini in fourth in the teams’ table.

Clearly, something isn’t clicking for the Noale-based brand that only recently made a statement of intent by signing Martin to lead a potential title challenge in 2025.

While the satellite Trackhouse team shone with both Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez qualifying on the front row, and the latter picking up a podium in the sprint, Aprilia’s factory squad came away with just seven points from the German GP weekend.
The team was already down one rider after Aleix Espargaro’s withdrawal, but team-mate Maverick Vinales was also unable to capitalise on his record-breaking FP2 speed and crashed in qualifying, leaving him eighth on the grid. Seventh place was all he could achieve in the sprint, while an early trip through the gravel consigned him to 12th in the grand prix.

With a fully-fit Espargaro and a less error-prone Vinales, it could have been a very different weekend for a marque with the potential to end Ducati’s hegemony in MotoGP.

5. Still a long road ahead for Yamaha and Honda

Honda and Yamaha are failing to show signs of progress

Honda and Yamaha are failing to show signs of progress

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

When Yamaha and Honda started the year even further behind the opposition than at the end of 2023, there was still a sense of optimism that they would eventually find their way up. That was because MotoGP’s new system of concessions offered them virtually unlimited testing and engine development, giving them a chance to make rapid gains during the season. But instead of moving closer, both Honda and Yamaha have conceded that they have only lost ground since the Qatar season opener in March.

It’s not that Yamaha and Honda haven’t been trying their best to close the gap, but so far there is nothing to show for their progress. It’s incredible to think that Honda’s new recruit Luca Marini only just scored his first points finish of the year at the Sachsenring last weekend — and that too after Tech3 GasGas rider Augusto Fernandez was penalised for infringing the tyre pressure rule.

Yamaha and Honda will resume developing their bikes at a rapid rate once the summer shutdown is over, but it’s now becoming increasingly likely that their work won’t yield the desired results until 2025 at the earliest.

6. The rider market continues to take shape

Pramac's decision to switch to Yamaha for 2025 has shaken up the rider market

Pramac’s decision to switch to Yamaha for 2025 has shaken up the rider market

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The 2025 grid is filling up quickly and there aren’t many seats left. Pramac’s announcement during the Dutch GP weekend that it will become a works-supported Yamaha team next year came with an immediate list of links.

Fabio di Giannantonio initially emerged as a serious contender for one of the two Pramac seats, and his namesake Fabio Quartararo openly vouched for him during the pre-event press conference on Thursday.

Since then, di Giannantonio is understood to have rejected Pramac’s offer in favour of an extended stay at VR46. Interestingly, the Italian’s new two-year contract will be signed directly with Ducati, meaning he will become a factory rider next year and have access to the latest-spec GP25. Considering Ducati is cutting back the supply of factory bikes to just three in 2025, that is a huge honour for di Giannantonio and the perfect reward for the upward trend he has shown this year.

Di Giannantonio’s decision to stay put will also have consequences elsewhere, with current Trackhouse rider Miguel Oliveira now being seen as Pramac’s prime target. A front-row start and a second-place finish sprint on the satellite Aprilia couldn’t have come at a better time for the Portuguese, who also has five victories to his name from his time with KTM. 

7. Kazakhstan mess deepens to embarrassment

Kazakhstan's MotoGP embarrassment has continued to deepen

Kazakhstan’s MotoGP embarrassment has continued to deepen

Photo by: MotoGP

Ahead of the German GP, Motorsport.com reported that the contingency plans to replace the already postponed Kazakhstan GP in September with Qatar have hit a snag.

When India was cancelled, its 20-22 September slot was given to Kazakhstan. But once again the event is in doubt and a back-up plan to stage a second Qatar round instead in its place was drawn up.

But amid concerns over the temperatures in the region at that time of the year and the fact no deal has been reached yet, an alternate event to Losail is now being looked at.

A return to Brno has been touted, but this seems unlikely for several reasons. Resurfacing is needed and it’s not clear whether the circuit has the funds for that. To boot, the timeframe to get that sorted in time for its September slot is tight. Then there is the logistical problems of going from the Czech Republic to Lombok in Indonesia in just a few days.

Arriving at the summer break without a final 2024 calendar firmed up is an embarrassing situation for MotoGP and one incoming owner Liberty Media won’t look favourably upon.

8. KTM loses key hire amid its retooling

KTM is growing in strength but is losing a key hire

KTM is growing in strength but is losing a key hire

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

KTM’s altered approach for 2025 will see it field essentially four factory-branded bikes for Brad Binder, Pedro Acosta, Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini in a stable that is easily the strongest the Austrian marque has ever had.

But its 2025 aspirations have already been dealt a blow as motorsport boss Pit Beirer confirmed that Head of Technology Fabiano Sterlacchini will not be continuing with the brand.

Sterlacchini was poached two years ago by KTM from Ducati in a move that was seen as a real statement of intent for the Pierer Mobility Group’s push to become MotoGP champions.

The split was amicable, according to Beirer, and came as negotiations to renew Sterlacchini’s contract came to nought.

Rival marques will be silly not to get on the phone to Sterlacchini, who will be a big loss to a project that isn’t moving forward at the rate it should be.

9. F1 star Hamilton not ruling out future MotoGP involvement

Hamilton has been linked with a takeover of the Gresini team

Hamilton has been linked with a takeover of the Gresini team

Photo by: Erik Junius

Lewis Hamilton is a big MotoGP fan and looked quite handy in 2019 in Valencia when he had a go on Valentino Rossi’s Yamaha.

Visiting the paddock on occasion, Hamilton was even in one bizarre story in an unfavourable UK tabloid in 2015 linked to a change of career which would have seen him ditch Mercedes in Formula 1 for… MV Agusta in MotoGP. Not unsurprisingly, that never happened.

But the Briton has been linked to a team recently in an ownership role. While reports of a Gresini buyout are, according to Hamilton’s management, wide of the mark Motorsport.com understands he has shown interest in a number of teams.

And asked about it at the British GP, Hamilton didn’t shoot down the possibility of him one day getting involved in MotoGP.

“I’m interested in the potential growth of the sport, but I haven’t looked that far into it just yet,” he said. “But anything is possible. I’m definitely interested, as I said before, about equity and the [NFL team Denver] Broncos was already a first step into team ownership. And so, I think over the next five to ten years there will be a little bit more. We’ll see.”

Can anyone catch Bagnaia once MotoGP resumes after its summer break?

Can anyone catch Bagnaia once MotoGP resumes after its summer break?

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images



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