With most places on the 2025 MotoGP grid up for grabs, this year’s rider market silly season is already in full swing
Coming into 2024, only three riders had contracts in their back pockets which guaranteed them a place on the 2025 grid.
That number has now jumped to 15 following the latest announcement that Alex Rins will continue with Yamaha for another two seasons.
Here is how the grid is shaping up for the 2025 season.
Ducati Corse
Rider 1: #1 Francesco Bagnaia – The reigning double world champion signed a new two-year contract with Ducati ahead of the 2024 campaign, taking him to the end of 2026.
Rider 2: #93 Marc Marquez – in a bombshell U-turn from Ducati management, the eight-time world champion is now set to step up to its factory squad instead of Jorge Martin
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
KTM
Rider 1: #33 Brad Binder – The South African already had a deal in place that ran until 2025, but a new contract penned last year extended this to the end of 2026.
Rider 2: #31 Pedro Acosta – The 20-year-old has stunned in his rookie season, scoring two GP podiums on the Tech3 GasGas, and has signed a multi-year deal to step up to KTM’s factory team in 2025
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Aprilia
Rider 1: #89 Jorge Martin – After Ducati’s decision to promote Marc Marquez to its factory team instead of Martin, the Spaniard has signed a multi-year deal with Aprilia.
Rider 2: #72 Marco Bezzecchi – Aprilia will have two current Ducati riders joining the team next year, with Marco Bezzecchi being recruited from VR46. His appointment also means Aprilia will finally have an Italian in its line-up.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Yamaha
Rider 1: #20 Fabio Quartararo – The 2021 world champion was a key figure in the 2025 rider market and had been in contact with rival teams, as Yamaha’s lack of competitiveness forced him to think about alternate rides for his future. But a blockbuster €12m per year offer from Yamaha – as well as confidence in the direction it was heading – has convinced Quartararo to put pen to paper with the Japanese marque.
Rider 2: #42 Alex Rins – Current Yamaha rider Alex Rins was only contracted to the end of 2024 after breaking out of his two-year Honda deal at the end of 2023, but the Iwata-based brand has retained him for a further two years as part of a new contract.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Honda
Rider 1: #10 Luca Marini – The Italian has struggled to get to grips with the difficult Honda so far in 2024, but Marini is in it for the long haul after signing a two-year deal with HRC, which was a stipulation of him leaving VR46 Ducati.
Rider 2: #36 Joan Mir – Despite admitted that he conisdered an early retirement from MotoGP in the wake of his persistent struggles on the troubled Honda, Joan Mir has agreed a new term with the Japanese marque through to 2026.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Pramac Yamaha
Rider 1: TBC
Rider 2: TBC
Pramac is expected to field an all-new line-up in 2025 as it leaves a two-decade partnership with Ducati to join forces with Yamaha.
Miguel Oliveira has been tipped to join the squad from Trackhouse, while the second seat is set to be occupied by a rookie from Moto2.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
LCR Honda
Rider 1: #5 Johann Zarco – The Frenchman gave up the best bike of the grid at Pramac Ducati to take a ride with LCR Honda, but the job security offered by his two-year deal proved too attractive for him to pass up.
Rider 2: TBC
The second seat at LCR has been specifically set up around an Asian rider since Takaaki Nakagami made his debut in 2018. Should this continue into next year, the Japanese rider will likely remain put, especially with Ai Ogura now seemingly headed for Trackhouse.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Gresini Ducati
Rider 1: #73 Alex Marquez – Alex Marquez will remain with Gresini next year after penning a new two-year deal prior to Sachsenring, where he returned to the podium alongside his elder brother and team-mate Marc.
Rider 2: TBC
Fermin Aldeguer, who signed a contract directly with Ducati at the start of the year, is likely to be placed at Gresini next year.
VR46 Ducati
Rider 1: TBC
Rider 2: TBC
VR46 is yet to sign a rider for the 2025 season, when it is expected to receive one GP25 as part of an elevated status within Ducati’s satellite roster.
Motorsport.com understands the factory-spec bike will be ridden by Fabio Di Giannantonio, who has put in some stellar performances this year to get Ducati to add him directly to its payroll – pending official confirmation.
It appears Franco Morbidelli will get the second seat at VR46, with team owner Valentino Rossi keen to give his protege a lifeline after his expected departure from Pramac.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Trackhouse Racing
Rider 1: #25 Raul Fernandez – After some impressive results in the first part of the season on an year-old Aprilia, Raul Fernandez has secured a new contract with Trackhouse that includes the 2025 season.
Rider 2: TBC
Miguel Oliveira is not expected to continue with the team formerly operated by RNF Racing and Moto2 frontrunner Ai Ogura has emerged as a surprise contender to take his place at the team.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Tech3 GasGas
Rider 1: Maverick Vinales – Maverick Vinales will have an opportunity to win on four different bikes in MotoGP as he leaves Aprilia to join Tech3, which will receive identical bikes to KTM next year.
Rider 2: Enea Bastianini – Having been dropped by Ducati, Bastianini will join Tech3 as part of an all-new line-up that leaves Jack Miller out in the cold.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
