Now that Bastianini and Vinales have also made their positions official for 2025 we can say that the world championship seedings are in place.
From today, therefore, the hunt for the few remaining good saddles begins. And there aren’t many. Indeed, they are very few, they can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
There is Aprilia, with the place still vacant alongside Jorge Martin, the two RS-GPs of the satellite team Trackhouse and two Ducatior rather one given the agreement already signed with Aldeguer, in the Pramac team. However, as long as Campinoti remains where he is, for him to move to Yamaha, beyond the position of absolute prestige, from a performance point of view it would be a downsizing.
What other team is on the market? Well obviously the two teams still in possession of Ducati, obviously, then the Gresini team and VR46.
For the former, the position vacated by Marc Marquez is vacant, because we believe that Alex will remain. In the second we can think that one of the two could leave, to try to land… but where? Because everything will depend on the position that Pramac will take: if it chooses Yamaha, in fact, we think that Ducati will divide the two official bikes currently at its disposal between Gresini and VR46, and one of the two will go to Aldeguer.
But first let’s say who the pilots are looking for a new job.
At the head of everyone is Joan Mir, the 2020 world champion who, as happened to Marquez, is on the verge of a crisis and ready to leave Honda at all costs. Recently he also declared himself ready to follow Marquez’s decision, and therefore leave the status and economic benefits of an official rider to join a private team. We believe he would do anything to find himself in Gresini in 2025. Or maybe even go to zero parameter in Aprilia, since we think that Massimo Rivola you don’t have much to spend yet.
Then there are free Augusto Fernandez and Jack Millerdriven by KTM and again Raul Fernandez and Miguel Oliveira, waiting to know their fate within Trackhouse. We believe that both would like to stay, maybe Miguel also has a chance to upgrade. But the other will have to look for a saddle.
We were Massimo Rivolaand with sufficient economic availability, we will however think about one of those who are suspendedwho speaks little, but is not to be underestimated: Alex Rins. Often underestimated at the time of the twinning with Mir in Suzuki.
Rivola could also give you a little thought By Giannantonio or Bezzecchi. And in this case the starter between the two could be replaced in VR46 by Franco Morbidelli.
However, we do not see any changes in the LCR team, unless HRC decides to replace Nakagami, but given the sponsor Idemitsuit will have to be another Japanese. Ogura? He is third in the Moto2 world championship. Could be.
But which teams are really in trouble? Obviously in first place is Honda with the solo Luca Marini with a biennial. The vacant seat needs a fast rider, who is also a test rider, but above all patient. A pilot at the end of his career like Johann Zarco (who is fine where he is), but the ideal would be to bring him out of retirement Dani Pedrosa! Obviously it’s a joke.
The HRC is actually forced to make an out-of-the-box choice. Destiny that unites it to Yamaha, who also has the problem of finding a second team. So, if Rins doesn’t stay, there will be three drivers among those available on the market. Anything but a simple undertaking. Also for the betrothed Pramac who, like the frog in Aesop’s fable (the frog and the ox), after having dreamed, with Ducati, of beating the official team, by moving to Yamaha could find himself again in the second (or third) bracket. An inevitable downsizing even if, by remaining with Ducati, he will not be able to guarantee the Borgo Panigale company at least a first ride.
In the best of cases like this she seems destined for a supporting role, but it’s always possible to pull even seemingly senseless choices out of the hat like Andrea Iannone, fast and media-centric, if nothing else.
If you thought that the surprises ended with Ducati’s hiring of Marc Marquez, you were very wrong. We’re just getting started. Dominoes will still have some surprises in store for us.
Only one thing is certain: the choice of Borgo Panigale has incredibly strengthened KTM, but also partially Aprilia which is in the enviable position of being hungry. Who knows if she will be able to exploit the position favorable to her.
