This weekend served to remind us why we love MotoGP and why Formula One has become so boring; the word is unpredictability. It is frequently said that Hollywood scriptwriters couldn’t come up with anything to match a MotoGP weekend and, on the evidence of Jerez, they’re right. If Liberty Media had trouble convincing the board that spending $4 billion buying the rights to MotoGP was a good idea, then surely any doubts were dispelled once and for all after both the American and Spanish rounds.

Before the Spanish weekend, there were thousands of permutations of possible events; during the Sprint race, a thousand more were added and then, if the Main race was slightly processional by comparison to the Sprint race, it was still a thrilling, nail-biting fight to the line, with more action than in a season’s-worth of Formula One.

In these reports, I try to avoid giving a blow-by-blow account of what happened, because you all will have watched it, so there’s not much point. If you missed it, there are a hundred other websites you can visit to get the lap-by-lap action.

But a race weekend such as this gets me so fired up and excited that it’s hard not to try and re-live every moment by writing about it. In my previous post, I talked about all the off-track action which can sometimes overshadow what is happening on track. Not this weekend. For once, all the who-will-ride-where shenanigans were pushed firmly to the background as two incredible races unfolded.

The Sprint race was the full embodiment of why we love MotoGP, even if it led to disappointment for fans of many of the riders. Even joy at Fabio Quarataro’s incredible podium finish – from 23rd on the grid to 3rd at the flag, including overtaking eleven riders on the first lap! – was barely dented by his demotion after he became the first of several riders to suffer at the hands of the tyre-pressure rule; incredibly, the first time this has happened all season. At least the penalty is now time added to the rider’s race time – eight seconds in a Sprint race and 16 seconds in the Main race – rather than an outright disqualification from the race results. It’s still terribly unfair and we can only hope that saner heads will prevail in the future and the low-pressure rule rescinded.

Yes, Quartararo’s result was aided hugely by the carnage ahead of him but, by any account, it was a brilliant ride. That it resulted in Daniel Pedrosa’s (apparently, he wants to be called Daniel now, not Dani…) promotion to the podium was a result that no one could be unhappy about. Why he is not still racing is beyond me and, I’m sure, many other onlookers. There can be no doubt that KTM’s current form has a lot to do with Pedrosa’s input; you only have to look at other test riders’ wild card race performances to understand that. They can barely get into the points, let alone challenge for a podium and, yet, Pedrosa was looking as if he’d never been away.

The sight of three riders crashing at the same corner, in line astern on the same lap, was astonishing, especially as many other riders on multiple laps, managed not to crash. If it had been oil on the track, then it would be understandable but it seems it was ground water seeping up from the sub-surface that created a damp patch that could be missed by millimetres, or ridden over with disastrous results. Binder fell into the latter category and it must have been galling.

Binder got a rocket launch, as he always seems to do in Jerez, to lead into the first corner before being overtaken by Jorge Martin, and ran strongly up to his balletic crash in company with Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi. Really bad luck and no blame should be attached to the riders; when you’re pushing as hard as these guys are, then even an inch off line can affect drive onto the following straight; one kilometre an hour into a corner can be too fast; a foot later in braking can mean running wide. And unexpected water on the track can spell disaster.

The main race might have seemed processional from the outside, as is always the case when there are few changes for the lead but, in fact, it was a mesmerising battle between Bagnaia and Marc Marquez. Once Jorge Martin had thrown away the victory – and a potentially huge lead in the championship – then the race gave all the indications of being a straight run to the flag. But that prediction failed to take into account Marc Marquez. Once he had despatched Marco Bezzecchi, Marquez wasn’t permitting Bagnaia any relaxation time as he relentlessly pursued the factory Ducati on his year-old model.

Catching the leader was never a given but Marquez dug deep and reeled Bagnaia in, before we had a few corners of argy-bargy. To be honest, it looked like it would always be difficult for Marquez to make not only the move stick but also for him to get away once in front. Bagnaia might have been patchy this season but his performance in Jerez showed that, when he is on form, there is very little chance of beating him. It also showed that he is not afraid to get his elbows out and meet Marquez’ challenge on equal terms which, of course, he is going to have to do more often as Marquez continues to get up to speed on the Ducati.

Marquez’ rivals have every right to be worried about him. He’s not yet found the limits of the Ducati, as he himself said post-race; “I am smooth, the lap times are coming – this brings me confidence and more confidence. Still, I’m not having crashes through over-riding, so I still have some margin to understand where’s the limit.” Picture the other 21 MotoGP riders holding their heads in their hands, wondering just how they are going to beat the six-time world champion.

What was even more impressive was how fired up both Bagnaia and Marquez were by their battle. Of course, it could all have been so different had they taken each other out; then the boxing gloves would have been laced up but, to our advantage, it was a tough but clean fight between two of the best riders on the grid. Bagnaia has rarely had to fight tooth and nail with another rider for the lead of a race, leading to some onlookers to put him down as boring to watch but there can be no doubt that he is as brave as anyone. His tyres must have been shot towards the end of the race but that didn’t stop him from setting his fastest race lap by two-tenths of a second on lap 23, with only two laps left to run.

An interesting statistic about Marquez is that no other Ducati rider, either in pre-season testing or any race this season, has been faster in left-hand corners than Marquez. Through turns seven and eight at Jerez – the scarily fast left-handers – Marquez was mighty, which enabled him to attack at the turn nine right-hander. It would have been interesting to see, if he made the move stick, whether he could have resisted what would undoubtedly have been a strong response from Bagnaia but we will never know as Bagnaia fought fire with fire and came out on top.

You have to wonder whether Marquez was being a little cautious in the final laps, mindful of the fact that he was battling with Ducati’s factory superstar while also potentially seeking a seat at the top team in 2025. Another incident taking both of them out, as happened at Portimao, wouldn’t have pleased the Ducati hierarchy any. Of course, Marquez might have been settling for a safe second place but it certainly didn’t look like it, being a mere 0.4 seconds behind Bagnaia at the flag: that’s not a rider who has backed off…

As usual, both Honda and Yamaha had dire race weekends, Quartararo’s Sprint performance notwithstanding. Nor was there much to promote a sense of hope in the post-race test on Monday. Honda’s team riders tried a ‘new’ RC213V, as developed by test rider Stefan Bradl, but described it as ‘not the right direction’, while another development showed more promise for the future.

Yamaha tried a new aero and a new chassis, neither of which offered any significant gains, but at least both manufacturers are trying hard, rather than showing signs of throwing in the towel. Of course, spending big bucks on Quartararo’s new contract shows that Yamaha has no intention of giving up and we just have to hope that both Yamaha and Honda return to the front sooner rather than later, if only to spice up the already fantastic show.

Le Mans is up next and who would bet against it being another thriller? One factor to bear in mind is the Ducati GP24’s propensity to suspension chatter when track grip is high, as it is at Le Mans. Jerez is notoriously un-grippy, which is why Bagnaia was able to run at such a fast pace. Conversely, the KTMs were bothered by chatter in Jerez.

For goodness’ sake; it’s difficult to keep up with anything at the moment in MotoGP. No sooner have you written one thing about what’s going on in the paddock, than it’s completely out of date and yet more news, supposition, rumour, conjecture and mere tittle-tattle emerges, giving a completely different picture. Perhaps this should become a daily column rather than a once-in-a-while feature!?

So, what’s new? Well, it seems that Pedro Acosta might have been offered a two-year deal by KTM from 2025, taking him to 2027, rather than to the end of 2025 as per his current rumoured agreement. This is a big statement from KTM, meaning that they want to keep him locked in for as long as possible and stall losing him to a rival manufacturer, on whose radars he must inevitably be.

Then, there are the satellite team shenanigans. Pramac is loudly being touted as moving to Yamaha; negotiations are said to be at an ‘advanced stage.’ Pramac’s current contract with Ducati comes to a close at the end of this year but there is an option to extend that for a further two years, an arrangement that would guarantee the team the use of current bikes, which they enjoy in 2024, and means factory-spec GP25s next year. There is no hint of dissatisfaction on either side of the Ducati/Pramac relationship and, given the success the team enjoyed in 2023 and are currently enjoying in 2024, it would seem a strange move to swap to Yamaha for 2025. Maybe the money on offer is too tempting?

Whatever bikes Pramac is running in 2025, it seems as if Jorge Martin will not be a part of it, as he has stated that, unless he is promoted to the factory Ducati team, he will go wherever a factory bike is on offer. Currently, that realistically means Aprilia or Yamaha, with the factory Ducati team a possibility if Bastianini is moved aside which, on current form, seems unlikely. It seems strange that Martin would quit Pramac and factory-spec Ducatis – and Ducati completely if there is no factory bike – where he has had so much success, narrowly missing out on the championship in 2023 and currently leading in 2024. But he obviously has a high opinion of his talent – and rightly so – and believes only a factory seat will do justice to it.

VR46 would like to stay with Ducati in 2025 and beyond, but only if they can use factory-spec current bikes. If Pramac exercises its option, then GP25s would not be available for VR46, so would that push VR46 into Yamaha’s hands, despite the team allegedly having rebuffed an approach? Possibly not if Pramac move to Yamaha.

Gresini would also like a GP25 in 2025 in order to keep Marc Marquez but that won’t happen if Pramac…. etc, etc. So, if you haven’t already worked it out, the key team here is Pramac; once they have made a decision, then there are either factory spec bikes or the crumbs of year-old bikes to be divided out.

But, hang on; according to Italian magazine, Motosprint, Pramac is also making a bid for Marquez’ services but that all revolves around Pramac staying with Ducati and getting 2025 bikes. With Martin definitely going, no matter what, there would be a space for Marquez, who has a one-year contract with Gresini.

There’s an added complication with the arrival of Fermin Aldeguer from Moto2, who has been snapped up by Ducati and, while his destination is unconfirmed, it is expected to be Pramac….if the team stays with Ducati and doesn’t go to Yamaha. Confused yet?

As for Honda, well, its satellite team LCR is out of contract with the Japanese manufacturer for 2025. Having been with Honda for 18 years, the team has Honda writ large through its entire structure and it is unlikely that the connection will not continue. If LCR chooses to jump ship to KTM, who have made a “friendly phone call” to team owner Lucio Cecchinello, then that would mean that Johann Zarco, who is on a two-year contract with Honda, would have to be moved to the factory Repsol Honda team alongside Luca Marini, who is also contracted for 2025, leaving Joan Mir searching for a ride with another team.

It also appears as if Maverick Viñales is on Honda’s wish list. Viñales is out of contract with Aprilia at the end of this season and, should the team and rider not be able to agree on terms, then could a Viñales/Honda partnership be on the cards?

It’s better than a soap opera!

In the meantime, there is the relatively mundane prospect of a race this weekend to get in the way. Normal service will be resumed on Monday…

It would be fair to say that Pedro Acosta is setting the cat among the pigeons in the MotoGP firmament. Mind you, a resurgent Marc Marquez is doing exactly the same thing; both are upsetting the pecking order and, in the case of the rookie, it is a question of when and not if he wins a race.

According to many sources, not least of which is Jorge Lorenzo, Jerez will be the first track of the season where Acosta will have a good chance of winning, being very familiar with his home track, having scored a podium there in 2023 when he was still in Moto2. In addition, both factory KTMs finished on the podium in the MotoGP main race at the circuit in 2023. Could we see a KTM podium lock-out in 2024?

Acosta’s other advantage is that there is absolutely no pressure on him although, that will inevitably come if he continues to challenge the top of the championship table; “I have no pressure, what I have is the desire to go out on the track in front of what are probably the best fans in the world.

“Our objectives for this weekend remain the same as always, to enjoy ourselves to the fullest and try to continue with this work dynamic. It is true that Jerez is one of my favourite circuits, and in addition, our test team has trained here a lot so I am sure that the bike will do well. We also know for a fact that the RC16 does well in Jerez looking at 2023 results, and it motivates me even more to go out and give it my all since Friday in the first session.”

What is even more remarkable is that there is another rider who is already looking at Acosta’s data to try and improve his own performance. Acosta’s team-mate Augusto Fernandez has revealed he plans to study Acosta’s set-up and riding style to try and improve his own performances around a track he also knows well. That doesn’t happen every day with a rookie!

The other big talking point – and it will remain so until all available seats for 2025 are filled – is where will Marc Marquez be riding in 2025. His main focus at the moment is to post good and consistent results that will put him firmly on the radar of every team on the grid – “If you are fast on the race track, more doors are open. So this is my target,” he said – as if a rider of his talented achievements needs any help; he is still a rider whose value is at 100% but the question remains, where could he go?

Surely KTM’s focus will be to retain Acosta, either keeping him in the GasGas satellite team or promoting him to the factory squad alongside Brad Binder? It’s not inconceivable that Binder could be moved aside to the GasGas team, his contract to the end of 2026 notwithstanding but more likely is that Jack Miller would be the one to make the move. Of course, there is always the possibility that KTM might be granted a further two spots on the grid, opening the way to pairing Acosta and Marquez in a team running works bikes. Now, that would produce fireworks!

Marquez is already looking comfortable on the GP23 Ducati so a move up to the factory squad on a GP25 would be an opportunity he would grab with both hands but there will be strong competition from Bastianini and Jorge Martin; the former doing a good job convincing his bosses that he deserves to retain his seat and the latter who is widely believed to be willing to leave Ducati if he is not promoted to the factory team, potentially taking a prime spot away from Marquez.

When Marquez left Honda, it was put forward that he might return to the team in 2025 or 2026 if it showed that it was making big strides back to competitiveness. It is quite clear, however, that this is not the case, as 2024’s dreadful season continues, with no sign that anything will change as the season progresses. Marquez is hungry for an eighth MotoGP title and he will do anything to put himself into a position.

What could be a key event is Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro deciding to call time on his MotoGP career which, Aprilia’s current form notwithstanding, could be on the cards, leaving an opening for Marquez. Whether Aprilia is consistently good enough for Marquez to mount a serious challenge is open to debate but it would be a move to a factory team for Marquez, so perhaps that is a factor that could influence his decision.

One of the big talking points in recent weeks has been Liberty Media’s takeover of MotoGP. Having seen the benefits Liberty’s ownership has brought to Formula One, in terms of increased interest around the world and, especially, America, largely through the medium of television and the Drive to Survive series, would Liberty go down the same route for MotoGP?

It’s not inconceivable, but a questioning voice has been heard, not from inside the paddock but from the world of custom motorcycles. Roland Sands, the legendary high-performance custom bike designer has given his two cents of opinion and it is an interesting and insightful opinion; “Americans aren’t going to care about Europeans going around in circles on motorcycles until there’s a reason for it,” Sands told CNN.

“You’ve really got to build up characters, and you want this feeling of knowing who’s behind the helmet, and Liberty has done a fantastic job of not just doing that (with F1), but also telling the backstory of the teams. Now you feel like you’re in the know. If you’re going to do it for America the show’s gotta be in English, number one,” he said. Because nobody here wants to watch subtitles.

“You need character development, and you gotta make it a party, you gotta get it to a point where people are watching it in a bar. I mean now people will watch soccer here. They get up early in the morning and they go to bars, and they drink beer.”

Sands has identified the need for MotoGP to find a hero character, in the guise of a new Valentino Rossi, to drive its growth in the US. He asked: “What did Rossi bring to the sport? And why was he so fantastic and why did he help MotoGP grow the way it grew? It’s like, people cared about him, he was personable, he was funny, he celebrated, he gave people visual reasons to like him.”

Sands added: “We have to get the riders out there and get people introduced to them and explain why they should care about them, and then why the sport is so gnarly. It’s beautiful to watch, and it’s incredibly intellectually deep, the reasons why the bikes work the way they work, and why they don’t. It’s way more technical than any motorsport, right? And it’s also way more visible than F1 cars because you’ve got rider style, it’s got all the makings for something incredibly interesting.”

Whether the ‘Americanisation’ of MotoGP is something that all fans will appreciate is open to question, but the commercialisation of sport has been going on for so long that it’s too late to stop now. Maybe MotoGP could go the way of the old Grand National series, in which riders competed on dirt ovals, the ‘TT’ courses on dirt, complete with jumps, and circuit races! That could be interesting…!

No race report from the Circuit of the Americas could ever do justice to the spectacle we were privileged to witness: multiple leaders, overtakes, crashes, near-misses, defensive riding, get-out-of-my-way-I’m-coming-through moves and the seeming inevitability of an Aprilia victory cannot be relegated to the written word: you’ll just have to watch it for yourself.

Sheene, Roberts, Rossi, Stoner and Marquez; were riders who made an immediate impact on their sport and went on to become legends because of their achievements. They just had that something extra.

Another way of looking at Acosta’s success was given by Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsport director. The KTM boss insists that Binder can benefit from Acosta’s arrival and performance.

“That helps Brad massively,” Beirer said. “He was often our [only in-form rider] and it was not clear to him, us or anyone else to what extent this was due to the rider or the motorcycle. Now we have a second rider who is performing well. Then it is much easier to analyse where the weak points are and where we need to improve. So that will definitely make us a lot stronger. We will continue to gain momentum!”

This was one of the best races for a good while and, even when Maverick Viñales almost inevitably got to the front, we still couldn’t relax, because what had he done to his tyres to get there? Never mind the possibility that he might throw it all away by pushing too hard in order to stay ahead of that pesky Pedro Acosta, who certainly wasn’t giving up.

As if it needs repeating, this is only Acosta’s third premier-class Grand Prix but nothing about his race looked like anything other than the race of a seasoned champion. Many are the riders who have dreamed of leading a race but who have never managed it, despite being on the grid for more than a year, but Acosta made it look so easy and natural that it makes you wonder what the rest of the grid is doing.

Acosta is running basically the same set-up as he was in pre-season testing and has done little to develop the bike to his style, rather relying on learning the ropes from a stable base. If that is really the case, then his rivals need to watch out.

Another thing that Acosta’s performance has shown is that the KTM is in no way inferior to the Ducati or the Aprilia; the former has long been the yardstick and considered virtually unbeatable by its current rivals – even though it has been beaten on occasion – but it seems that the playing field is being levelled with every passing race.

What this does bring into question is the performances of Brad Binder and Jack Miller. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting down either of them, but even they must be wondering what on earth Acosta is doing with his GP16 that they aren’t consistently able to do.

COTA was a nightmare for both of the factory KTM riders; Miller qualified well enough but Binder had a dreadful time in Q1, ending up 17th on the grid. Tenth in the Sprint race was nothing to write home about, but his main race was hampered by losing aero add-ons at the beginning of the race;

“A tricky race for us even though I got the best launch of my life!” Binder said. “I think that was the highlight.

“In Turn 1, I tried to rail the outside to gain as many positions as I could and with the mess between riders there I unfortunately broke my rear wing and front left wing.

“20 laps around COTA with that missing wasn’t much fun.

“The bike pulled to one [side], especially on the straights. And it’s quite unstable so you have to counter-steer quite a lot. When we lose the whole rear wing you don’t have the downforce you set the bike up for. So it’s really tricky to manage after that.” Ninth place was a good result in the circumstances.

Miller, starting in 11th place, was going well at the beginning, but soon began his by-now familiar plummet through the field as his rear tyre lost all grip.

“I felt good in the group for the first six laps and very comfortable,” said Miller, who eventually finished in 13th.

“The bike was working better than yesterday but then from lap seven I ran into some grip issues immediately and it just got worse. I couldn’t carry corner speed.

“It was a bit confusing after we’d done ten laps and pushed so hard [on the same soft rear tyre compound] in the Sprint.

“We’ve got a fantastic package. I was able to fight there with the boys. But an unforeseen issue today. It is what it is.”

It may well be what it is, but it’s happening too often. Both factory KTM riders chose the soft rear tyre, while Acosta was on the medium although it will remain one of those unknowns whether Binder would have been able to follow Viñales through the pack had he not lost aero. Binder and Miller are both proven race-winners and championship contenders and it is frustrating to witness the inconsistency. But they and KTM will get it right, let there be no doubt about that.

What there can also be no doubt about is that, in Pedro Acosta, we have a huge star in the making, if he isn’t already. If we measure talent in race wins and championships, then, of course, he is a beginner with no record in the premier class. But if talent is measured in those indefinable qualities that sets one rider ahead of another, it is clear that, in Acosta, we have a new Hailwood, Agostini, Sheene, Roberts, Rossi, Stoner or Marquez; riders who made an immediate impact on their sport and went on to become legends because of their achievements. They just had that something extra.

What I would love to know is how an established rider, who obviously believes that he can win a championship, views the arrival of a rider who definitely will. Is it envy, a sense of defeat or a strengthening of the resolve? How do they process the inner admission that someone is better than they are, even though the challenger has been around for five minutes, while they are seasoned professionals? Ego plays a huge part in the make-up of any top class athlete, that and a towering self-belief, so how do they deal with the knowledge that someone is better? Would we even dare broach the subject with them?

But I digress. If we are talking about talent, then it is always great to be able to report that Marc Marquez has lost none of his, despite several woeful seasons. To see him fighting at the front with all his old bolshiness is just what we need, especially in light of the presence of the young pretender, who displays so many of Marquez’ traits; towering self-belief and talent, and a healthy disrespect for the reputations of those around him.

Like Acosta, Marquez is still learning how to ride the Ducati but he is learning fast and it is our misfortune that a front brake problem took him out at COTA just as he took the lead of the race. If it was inevitable that Viñales was coming through, no matter what, then it would have been interesting to have Marquez, Acosta and Viñales battling it out at the front.

And so to the man of the weekend, Maverick Viñales. As a demonstration of his renewed enthusiasm, he was perfection: pole position, Sprint and Main race victories. He seems to be one of those riders who needs to feel totally happy to give of his best and, at Aprilia, he is totally happy. While it would be a shame for Aleix Espargaro to be overshadowed by Viñales after putting in so much hard work to get the Aprilia to where it is, just to see Aprilia fighting at the front is enough. Nobody ever said MotoGP was fair on riders.

Ducati, KTM and Aprilia fighting at the front; what’s missing from this picture? Oh, yes, the Japanese! Rarely has a manufacturer suffered such a precipitous fall from the top, let alone two manufacturers! Honda was so bad in America, it would have come as no surprise if the team announced its immediate withdrawal from the sport. Yamaha fared little better, which makes Fabio Quartararo’s re-commitment to the team all the more intriguing.

“…The decision was not as easy [as accepting an offer from Aprilia],” said Quartararo. “But in Portugal, we had a great meeting with the top management of Yamaha engineers about the project from now until the end of the year, and also 2025 and 2026.

“There are some really interesting things that are still confidential in Yamaha. New people. The project is going to be huge. So the decision was made in Portugal.

“It was great because in Portugal [Yamaha gave me] lots of information that made me want to stay. First of all for the project Yamaha is building for the future, starting from [this] January.

“And of course, like I said before, some confidential project for the future that is going to be huge.”

It would be easy to be cynical and assume that the huge salary, rumoured to be in the region of 12 million Euros annually, was the only factor in Quartararo’s decision but, while that must have helped, it can’t be the only reason he decided to stay; he wants to win and, with there being no possibility of a seat at Ducati or KTM, he was obviously swayed by Yamaha’s plans. A resurgent Yamaha will be great for the sport, even if it will be without long-time team principal, Lin Jarvis, who will step down from the rôle at the end of 2024, bringing to a close 25 years of service to the manufacturer.

So, interesting times are ahead at Yamaha. Before that, however, there is a season to run and the next round is in Spain, at Jerez. Will that be where Acosta takes his first win? Or Marquez, for that matter? Will Jorge Martin resume his winning ways? Can Viñales create a winning streak? Has Bastianini got the upper hand over Bagnaia? How much lower can Honda sink?

The questions are piling up.

Three whole weeks between races just as the season has started! What are they trying to do to us? Of course, the organisers of MotoGP could not have foreseen the cancellation of the Argentinian race, leading to the gap between the Portuguese and American races but it still sucks, especially as the opening pair of races gave a tantalising glimpse as to what we can expect for the rest of the season.

The lack of on-track action hasn’t meant that there is a lack of news, however: quite the opposite, in fact, with one hugely significant event taking place, not to mention ongoing speculation regarding who will ride where in 2025, fuelled by the majority of the grid being out of contract at the end of this year.

The biggest news by far is the buyout of Dorna, which owns the rights to MotoGP in all its forms, as well as World Superbikes, by the current ‘owners’ of Formula One, Liberty Media. Right now, it’s unclear what effect this will have on the championships, especially as Dorna remains to run them. Liberty’s acquisition should not influence what happens on track or with individual teams but its efforts will rather be focused on growing the following and influence of the sport, much as it has done with Formula One.

For anyone who was labouring under the misapprehension that MotoGP and World Superbikes are sports only need to look at the presentation literature accompanying the announcement of the takeover, describing MotoGP as having a “significant opportunity to grow, especially in underpenetrated (sic) markets”. In other words, motorcycle sport is a business just like any other.

So how exactly does Liberty plan to achieve such growth?

The answer comes under the heading of ‘Liberty Partnership to Accelerate MotoGP Growth’ which details the following six moves:

1. 1. Leverage Liberty’s Ability to Scale Leading Global Sports Assets
   2. Expansion Opportunity Especially in Key Growth Markets including the US
   3. Amplify Marketing Support and Storytelling Capabilities
   4. Broaden MotoGP Reach and Appeal to Drive Competition and Boost Commercial Partnerships
   5. Expose Sport to a Wider Fanbase and Fuel the Value of the Entire Ecosystem
   6. Improve Hospitality and Fan Experience

Liberty CEO Greg Maffei is quoted as saying: “(MotoGP) is an unbelievable product, we are not planning to change this sport. “Our goal is to open that up to a broader audience. Open it up to a broader set of commercial partners of all flavours. Those go hand in hand.”

So, there you have it. I hope that all it really means is that changes will take place everywhere other than the race track, although there are changes ahead with a major rule change coming in 2027, mandating 850cc engines, and a reduction in aero technology and shape-shifting suspension. But these are a matter for Dorna and the F.I.M. and Liberty should, by rights, have no say in that whatsoever. Time will tell.

“Silly Season”, that time of year when riders and teams jockey for position for the next season’s contracts, is well underway, with a huge amount of speculation being thrown around. All that is known at the moment is that Binder, Zarco, Bagnaia and Marini have confirmed seats for 2025. That leaves a lot of seats to be filled and it’s getting complicated.

At the factory Ducati team, Bastianini’s seat is under pressure, despite his good start to the season. Ducati will naturally be keen to snap up one of the big names for 2025 and this might happen before Bastianini has had time to prove his worth in 2024 after a torrid 2023, which was marred by injury, preventing him from showing his true potential. It would be galling for Bastianini to fight for – and potentially win – the championship in 2024, only to know that he would not be on that bike in 2025.

Ducati has already signed Fermin Aldeguer from Moto2 for 2025, but where he will be placed is another matter. Rumours have Marc Marquez as a target for the factory Ducati, although Ducati might baulk at his financial demands, stating that huge salaries are a thing of the past, Bagnaia’s rumoured 7 million Euros per year notwithstanding. How much Marquez would be willing to forego a large salary for a chance to fight for the title is another matter.

Jorge Martin is on record as stating that he will leave Ducati if he doesn’t get promoted to the factory squad in 2025 and you’d have to say that it is only KTM that could offer him the best chance of continuing his successful run. That wouldn’t be an entirely unhappy move, as it is widely acknowledged that the KTM is the bike most likely to challenge Ducati this year and it can only get better in 2025.

Fabio Quartararo has to be getting sick and tired of Yamaha’s lack of development speed, although the M1 is showing signs of improvement so far this season. As Quartararo said; “There’s definitely a choice to make and it’s not easy. I know I have to make it in a very short time, but on the one hand, you see Yamaha doing things that I’ve never seen in six years, they’re really making big changes. The other thing, there is the possibility of riding bikes that are already in front. It won’t be an easy choice. The atmosphere is very good and I would also say that it motivates Yamaha enormously.”

Aprilia could be an interesting destination for Quartararo, given that the V4-engined RS-GP is the closest in terms of handling to the inline four-cylinder Yamaha M1 he currently races. Regarding the possibility of leaving Yamaha, he said; “Money is an important factor for everyone, but I want a project that I like and allows me to achieve the results I want.” As a former World Champion, his worth is there for all to see so he wouldn’t be paid peanuts at Aprilia – or any other team, for that matter – but it is clear that results are the real currency he is concerned with.

There is no denying that Honda is in trouble, so would Joan Mir be looking for a get-out clause? Another top rider becoming available. Then again, Honda has to fight back, although that might only happen from 2027 onward: why spend millions developing a bike that will be outdated in three years’ time? If Honda can justify being on the grid with an uncompetitive bike for those years, they could well hit the ground running in 2027, having spent three years developing that bike.

It’s not just the riders who are in a state of flux; four teams could see change. VR46 has done great things with Ducati machinery but, thanks to Valentino Rossi’s relationship with Yamaha and that manufacturer’s desire to add two more bikes to the grid as soon as possible, it could be that VR46 becomes a Yamaha satellite team. Similarly, KTM is looking to add to its four-bike presence on the grid, having had to drop Pol Espargaro to accommodate Pedro Acosta in the GasGas team. KTM will be desperate to retain Acosta and he could likely only be satisfied with a factory KTM, in which case, Jack Miller will be out of a factory ride, which would be harsh for the Australian but there’s nothing fair about MotoGP!

LCR, long associated with Honda, would be an obvious target for KTM, given its experience but, so far, statements made by team boss Lucio Cecchinello have indicated no desire to change the status quo. Similarly, Pramac, out of contract with Ducati for 2025, could be a target for Yamaha, even though the close relationship between Pramac and Ducati would suggest that it was unlikely.

Gresini has a contract with Ducati to the end of 2025 but, given the desire by Yamaha or KTM to increase its presence, you’d have to think that an approach by either of those manufacturers to Gresini would be logical, given the team’s success.

Another tantalising development could be the arrival of BMW to MotoGP in 2027, coinciding with the new engine rules. “2027 could be the perfect time to get involved in MotoGP as this is when a new regulation will be introduced,” Markus Flasch, Head of BMW Motorrad, said. “We are in contact with Dorna and we are talking about the regulations. It is part of our evaluation. The 2027 season would be an obvious time to start.” This is one of those rumours that has done the rounds for years; perhaps 2027 might see it actually come to fruition.

At the time of writing, Pierer Mobility Group, owners of KTM, GasGas and Husqvarna, has bought a majority shareholding in MV Agusta: could this lead to KTM adding a third team and two more bikes to the grid in 2027 under the MV Agusta name? “I don’t rule out the possibility that we will enter MotoGP as a separate brand with MV Agusta in 2027,” Stefan Pierer is quoted as saying.

Regulations would mean that an MV Agusta entry would have to be in the form of a motorcycle developed and homologated separately from the KTM but another opinion floating around is that KTM would really like to have Marc Marquez on an MV Agusta from 2027 onwards! With Marquez on a single-year contract with Ducati, that’s not at all out of the question but there’s also the possibility that it could all be a lot of hot air.

On a less serious note, it was feared that the take-over by Liberty would result in MotoGP following Formula One by banning grid girls. The absence of scantily-clad women on the F1 grid was seen as being a positive move in terms of women’s rights but it appears that MotoGP will not be going down the route of excessive woke-ness.

Carmelo Ezpeleta, the CEO of Dorna, was quizzed about the future of ‘grid girls’; “I think it’s a matter of freedom,” he said. “We can’t tell anyone that they can’t be there. “Banning umbrella girls I think would be a gesture against women, not in their favour.”

Melissa James, a former F1 grid girl, said after losing her job on the grid: “I absolutely loved it. You want me to wear a super comfortable outfit and go to the VIP areas and watch what I was already going to pay to watch?

“Yeah, that’s fine by me. It was a dream job.” She added: “You’re not just standing there on the concrete. You’re meeting fans, you’re posing with photos and, because you’ve got the branding on your clothes, it’s going out on Instagram.

“Saying that we’re just a pretty face is absolutely ludicrous. We’re saleswomen at the end of the day. We need to learn how to talk to people and get people on board with the product.”

May sense prevail for a long time to come.

In the meantime, we can all look forward to the Circuit of the Americas on the weekend of the 14th of April; it will be refreshing to concentrate on the relatively simple on-track action for a change!

That was a lot of firsts! Maverick Viñales’ first victory on an Aprilia (although, sadly, it won’t be counted as a MotoGP victory as it occurred in a Sprint race, so he missed out on being the first rider to win for three different manufacturers even though, technically, he has done just that), Marc Marquez’ first podium on a Ducati, Pedro Acosta’s first podium (that happened a little sooner than we thought, no matter how inevitable a podium this year seemed) and the first time Jorge Martin will lead the championship for more than 24 hours!

The Portimao circuit has to be one of the best circuits on the calendar, thanks to the sharp elevation changes and the nature of the track with some real balls-out corners. In a way, it’s a little like Texas’ Circuit of the Americas, to which track we’ll be heading in three weeks, and the Sachsenring in Germany, both of which feature elevation changes.

It was a weekend of real upsets, involving many of the riders, from qualifying right through the Sprint and Main races. No one predicted Bastianini taking pole, nor Viñales joining him on the front row, especially when Aleix Espargaro on the second factory Aprilia couldn’t make it out of Q1. With Martin and Bagnaia lining up third and fourth, it seemed as if it would be business as usual come lights out. Jack Miller burst through to take the lead on the first lap but there was the nagging doubt that he would be there come the end of the race and so it panned out, although he was spared the indignity of dropping like a stone through the field, ending the Sprint race in fifth, repeating the result in the Main race.

Binder, starting only tenth after a qualifying tumble, was obviously looking forward to a strong showing but that was not to be as he slid ingloriously out on lap five: Sunday would be another day for the South African.

Meanwhile, Bagnaia was looking ominously comfortable at the front but Viñales, Martin and Marquez weren’t letting him get too far ahead and, it has to be said, it was great to see both Viñales and Marquez fighting at the sharp end. It was a fight that was worth having as, with one mistake under braking by Bagnaia, he was wide at turn one and Viñales, Martin and Marquez swept by. It’s those mistakes that have made both of Bagnaia’s titles a real fight to the very end as he loses points unnecessarily. If he thought that was bad, however, worse was to come in the Main race.

Normally, in this situation, Martin would be past Viñales and away but, for whatever reason, he simply did not have the confidence in the tyres to attack although, ironically, Marquez did, or else it was just sheer balls, and he dived through to take second, which he held to the finish, Martin rounding out the podium. Bagnaia salvaged fourth, which kept him on top of the championship table, but not by much, while Wunderkind Acosta was seventh; neither result could have prepared us for Sunday’s action.

Sunday’s Main race could have been a procession, with Martin leading from start to finish and never looking as if he would be seriously challenged from behind. It was behind, however, that all the drama was unfolding.

Once again, Viñales ran a strong second, keeping Bastianini at bay but little did we know that the Aprilia rider was nursing a gearbox problem, which finally did for him as they crossed the line to start the last lap. Bastianini swept past before the first corner, while Viñales ran wide before the gearbox seemed to seize and throw him off. That was really poor reward for a brilliant ride and it wasn’t entirely out of the question that the Aprilia could have snatched the lead, no matter how comfortable Martin was looking up front.

But that wasn’t it! That pesky kid Acosta was making a real nuisance of himself. He despatched Binder for sixth on lap seven and made quick work of getting past Marquez, with Bagnaia next in his sights. He found the reigning World Champion a harder nut to crack and had a couple of attempts to pass thrown back in his face but, as if any reminder was needed, Acosta is no respecter of reputations.

Eventually, he made the move stick, taking fourth, but a podium was surely out of the question, as Bastianini in third was a couple of seconds up the road. Viñales’ misfortune, however, was just the luck that potential champions have handed to them on a plate, and the podium was his.

Still, we weren’t done. Marquez was really hounding Bagnaia coming into the final laps and then, almost inevitably, it happened. Marquez dived down the inside and was past, but he was a little wide having carried too much speed into the corner. Bagnaia saw an opportunity and went to dive back inside before they had even reached the apex of the corner but he too was carrying a little too much speed and rode into the side of a recovering Marquez, taking them both out.

They both remounted but the chance of any points was gone. Quite rightly, the race stewards ruled it a racing incident. It’s far too early for this to be a disaster for Bagnaia’s hopes of retaining the championship but this certainly wasn’t the weekend he was wanting this early in the season.

The incident and, indeed, the whole weekend, was a warning that Bagnaia is really going to have his work cut out in 2024; Marquez remains as dangerous as ever now that he is on a competitive bike; Acosta has the ability to really upset the apple cart; Martin has lost none of his speed; the factory KTMs are giving very little away to the Ducatis and Aprilia will be right up there, although perhaps more susceptible to suiting some circuits more than others. Binder needs to find a bit of consistency in qualifying but he too will be a threat over the course of a full season.

If anything, 2024 is shaping up to be the most unpredictable season for a while, even if Yamaha and Honda have taken themselves out of the picture. It hardly matters: Ducati, KTM and Aprilia are providing more than enough entertainment and, if the smart money would be on Martin or Bagnaia to take the title, there’s nothing to say that any of the other riders on those bikes can’t mount a challenge through consistent points-scoring finishes. What a tantalising prospect.

For the second race weekend in a row, there was little or nothing said about tyre pressures, which is a relief for anyone who thought that it was going to ruin the racing.

Also, for the second time, Yamaha and Honda had nothing to write home about. Quartararo at least managed to finish the Sprint race in seventh, “only” eight seconds off the winner and took points, while he was ninth in the Main race, albeit 20 seconds behind the winner. At least that was better than Honda, the best-placed being Joan Mir in 12th in the Main race and 14th in the Sprint. Oh dear!

There’s an interminable three-week wait to the next round in Austin, Texas, the Argentinian round having been cancelled, apparently due to political issues in that country. At least it gives us time to catch our breath!

We all have a favourite circuit, one that appeals because of its historical significance, or because of a particular race and result or simply because it appeals to our aesthetic sense. There are obvious ones – Spa Francorchamps, the Nurburgring, Silverstone, Monza, Suzuka – and there are others that mean nothing to us apart from the fact that a race in our favourite racing series takes place there.

It’s doubtful that Qatar registers very highly on anyone’s list of all-time great race tracks but, as a venue for the opening race of a season, it’s hard to beat, for one very simple reason: the race is run at night, under millions of watts of illumination. Here, for the first time, we get to really look at the bikes and they never look better than under artificial light. It’s a breathtaking debut and perfectly sets the scene for the season ahead.

The first race of the season has another special quality, for it is here that we get the first indications of the pecking order and, even if it is obviously too early to tell, an idea of how the championship is going to pan out. With that in mind, Qatar gave us nothing that we didn’t already suspect would happen and plenty to get excited about.

It was no surprise to see Ducati, KTM and Aprilia at the top of the time sheets and, sadly, it was equally no surprise to see Yamaha and Honda struggling. It’s nothing we haven’t become used to over the past two seasons, of course, but it is still incredible how far they have fallen: 13th on the grid for Zarco’s Honda was the highest Japanese grid position, the first Japanese bike in the Sprint race being Quartararo’s Yamaha, which also headed the Oriental contingent in the main race, finishing 11th. The balance of power has definitely swung to Europe and, if this continues, how long will Honda and Yamaha top brass continue to pour money into MotoGP? We’ve said before that there is a lot of strength in depth in both teams and they can’t be written off but, unless the results start coming, expect the worst.

The Sprint race was a little processional, if not an enticing glimpse into the future. Jorge Martin, Brad Binder and Aleix Espargaro filled the podium, with Bagnaia fourth. A close fifth was Marc Marquez, giving hope that, with more races under his belt, he will be challenging for wins. Of more interest was the performance of the new Wonder Kid, Pedro Acosta. Eighth in qualifying and eighth in the Sprint race was a debut that many had predicted but no one could have done so with any certainty, other than taking into account the fact that he is a phenomenal and precocious talent.

If Acosta’s Sprint race was relatively low-key, he really made people sit up and take notice in the Main race. Belying his rookie status, he casually picked off Aleix Espargaro, Jack Miller, Enea Bastianini and Alex Marquez before sitting behind Marc Marquez for a couple of laps. A clean move at turn one took him past the six-time MotoGP champion into fourth and, all of a sudden, it wasn’t out of the question for a podium finish as the top three certainly hadn’t made a break at the front.

Perhaps it was inexperience managing tyres over a race distance, but Acosta then started to drop back down the order as his rear tyre went off, eventually finishing ninth. It didn’t matter: by any measure, it was an impressive debut and, if any confirmation was needed, it would be a brave person who would bet against him ending the season with several podiums and perhaps even a race win.

Up front, no one could do anything about Bagnaia, who had the bike underneath him that he hadn’t had in the Sprint race. Binder and Martin might have been able to do something about it and, certainly, Bagnaia wasn’t getting away at the front, but a strong battle for second place between Binder and Martin distracted them from catching the flying factory Ducati. After the Sprint race, Martin had joked that it would be good to lead the championship for more than 24 hours (all he managed in 2023) but it was not to be and the day ran out with Bagnaia heading the championship table, with Binder two points behind and Martin a single point behind Binder.

It was a particularly heartening performance for Binder, who has always gone well in the Sprints but largely struggled to match it in the main race. To finish second to Bagnaia – not very far behind at all – will give the team a huge boost, especially in light of Miller’s pretty awful race, where he crashed out very early on, remounted and finished dead last. Miller’s contribution to the team cannot be understated and he is very well-liked but he’s going to have to up his game in the races if he is not to lose his seat to Acosta in 2025 (which might already be a done deal).

We all know that championships are won just as often on percentages as on outright victories. If that is the case, then Martin and Binder could very well launch a bid for the title by winning Sprint races – something they are both very good at doing – and placing well in the main races, especially if Bagnaia is inconsistent, although that looks like optimistic thinking right now. Both Bagnaia and the GP24 Ducati seem to have everything well under control, which is ominous for the chasing pack.

After the Sprint race, Aprilia had hopes of doing even better in the Main race, after Espargaro had finished on the podium in the Sprint, having started from second on the grid. The RS-GP had no vices whatsoever, other than a slight lack of straight-line speed, while the Ducatis suffered from chatter and Binder wanted more edge grip to improve acceleration out of corners. But Aprilia’s expected challenge for victory in the Main race failed to materialise, no doubt much to the frustration of the team and its riders. Espargaro had a poor start and, when things had settled down, he simply could make no impression on the Ducatis and KTMs ahead of him. If consistency wins championships then Aprilia need to generate some.

There were several interesting things to take away from Qatar. The first and most astonishing was the fact that the total race time for the Sprint race was 11 seconds faster than four months ago when the circus was last at the Lusail track. That’s a huge improvement, especially when the bikes are largely the same, with no significant rule change in the interim.

Here’s another thing: did you hear anyone mention tyre pressures? It was a huge talking point last year but there was barely a whisper about it this weekend in both Sprint and Main races. Before the weekend, Michelin announced that the minimum permitted pressure for the front tyre would be lowered to 1.80 bar, from 1.88 bar; not as much as some riders wanted but still a step in the right direction. In addition, it was announced that disqualification from the results due to running under pressure for too long during the race would be ditched, with a 16-second penalty replacing it. While that would be pretty devastating in itself, it’s not the tragedy a full disqualification would be.

Finally, a word about the artistic merits of the livery designs. It’s purely subjective, of course, but the Prima Pramac Ducatis looked spectacular, with a darker version of last year’s red and purple colour scheme. The LCR Hondas brought back a lot of memories with the green and white Castrol livery while the Pertamina VR46 Ducatis wore striking Day-Glo yellow paint that really made them stand out. The Gresini Ducatis looked positively drab by comparison, although it might be that their colours aren’t at their best under artificial light. No one knows what the factory Yamahas and Hondas look like as we barely saw them the whole weekend…!

Portugal coming up next, in two weeks’ time but then Argentina has been cancelled so there will be a three-week gap before we’re in the U.S. of A.