2024 silly season!

Barbedwirebikerr said:

IF ktm manage to get two more bikes on the grid who will be the second rider? Acosta is first obviously.

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Folger to warm Marc's future seat

Binders contract extended

Barbedwirebikerr said:

IF ktm manage to get two more bikes on the grid who will be the second rider? Acosta is first obviously.

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They could snag Zarco if LCR doesn't have him. More likely would be grabbing a Moto2 rider

#22 said:

Gobert, Obviously...

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Last seen being arrested for bag snatching. Don't take drugs....

mikesbytes said:

Last seen being arrested for bag snatching. Don't take drugs....

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*to many

mikesbytes said:

Honda would do well to get Zarco, as we have been saying he will be great for development.

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At 33 years of age he should go to Honda for the money, nothing left to prove. And who knows, maybe Honda will quickly get things sorted out, if not that will provide lots of excuses if he does not do well !

Go for the bucks JZ, help Honda turn it around !

mikesbytes said:

They could snag Zarco if LCR doesn't have him.

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Because Zarco's first go around with KTM was so brilliant?

PRS717 said:

Because Zarco's first go around with KTM was so brilliant?

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History. The French and the Austrians were enemies back in the day....

Anyway its looking like Zarco is considering an offer from HRC and an offer from Ducati

Speedweek says Jake is going to Gresini next year.
Zarco has confirmed he'll leave Ducati.
The SAG Moto2 team has confirmed Masia and Bendsneyder for 2024.

Zarco confirmed for LCR Honda

mikesbytes said:

Zarco confirmed for LCR Honda

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he better start investing in extra sets of leathers

JFM01 said:

Speedweek says Jake is going to Gresini next year.

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So what is Gresini getting out of this? I find it difficult to believe they really wanted Jake. I'm not exactly sold on Arbolino but given the choice between the two, I'd take Tony.

From Crashnet.​

Now it's a showdown between Pol and Augusto as to who will be the test rider next season.

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KTM bid for fifth bike rejected - this is the new plan to solve rider headache​

KTM’s hope to have a fifth bike on the 2024 MotoGP grid has been extinguished.
Dorna executives Carmelo and Carlos Ezpeleta told KTM bosses, in a meeting on Friday at the Austrian MotoGP, that they would not allow them to add an extra bike next season.

They must now solve their issue of having five contracted riders for only four bikes - Jack Miller and Brad Binder are their factory duo, Pol Espargaro and Augusto Fernandez are their Tech3 GASGAS pair, and Pedro Acosta has been promised a promotion from Moto2.

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KTM CEO Stefan Pierer told Speedweek: “We still have a lot of grands prix ahead of us this year. You can see how many injuries happen all the time.
“The next topic: As usual, there will be an elimination race. We will find a solution."
KTM board member Hubert Trunkenpolz said: "The second half of the season counts now. We're not making a decision for the time being.


“Because what do we do when Pol finishes on the podium in Misano, for example? He doesn't look unmotivated. That's why we don't want to retire Pol now."
Asked if Espargaro and Fernandez are in direct competition over one seat, Trunkenpolz replied: "We're still looking at a few races.”
KTM believe they will benefit from an extra rider of MotoGP quality in their ranks.
"With a total of 42 or even 44 races, we will always need replacement riders in the coming season,"Trunkenpolz said.





“With so many competitions, the risk of failure increases. And if we can offer a test rider six wildcards and there is also the option of being used as a substitute rider, those are lucrative incentives.”
The option exists to use Espargaro or Fernandez as a test rider who can step in as a reserve for either the KTM factory team or Tech3 GASGAS in the event of an injury.
"In today's MotoGP format, there are more and more injuries,” Peirer said.
“But few teams have test or reserve riders who can score points.
“We've seen how difficult Jonas Folger found it to replace Pol from Texas to Assen. We were happy that he stepped in, but it wasn't really a [like-for-like replacement].
"We have agreed with Dorna that the status of test and reserve riders will be upgraded and that higher-quality riders can be committed to this task.”






Trunkenpolz added: "Next year in MotoGP, six instead of three wildcards will probably be allowed per manufacturer.”
Pierer confirmed: “Yes, that's being discussed now. We discussed with Dorna: 'How do we get competitive replacement riders in the future?'


“[Lorenzo Savadori] and whatever their name is, they don't ride at the level of regular riders.


“We also need a fast second test rider alongside Dani Pedrosa. Because when it comes to further development, only a rider who is fast and good will help us.”
KTM are keeping one eye on 2025 when they hope to have more than four bikes on the grid.
For now, they must assess Espargaro’s recovery from terrible injuries which kept him sidelined until the ninth round. In Austria, he showed a glimpse of his ability.
Rookie Fernandez has also impressed enough to warrant a longer stay.
“Augusto Fernandez is in his first year in MotoGP and is showing promise,” KTM confirmed.
“We've made the mistake of writing off a rookie too soon. We don't want to make that mistake a second time.


“Augusto is Moto2 World Champion. He deserves a fair MotoGP chance. We definitely don't want to lose him.
“Because who knows how many MotoGP bikes we will have on the grid in 2025.”

I've only started following MotoGP 4 years ago, so don't know all the history. But this whole saga makes me suspicious of Dorna. It has the same stink as the FIA and Ferrari in the 00's F1, where Ferrari could basically get away with murder, only this is the bike equivalent... There is no logical reason they can give for not wanting more grid slots filled.

I feel sorry for both Pol and Augusto

Speedweek was wrong for once, Arbolino and Jake have both extended their Moto2 contracts.
Marc to Pramac getting more likely now?

Ducati having the rules bent for them goes way back to World Superbike at a time when they were having their ..... handed to them by the Japanese. Lo and behold, all of a sudden they could run a twin with higher and higher displacement to compete with, and ultimately edge out, the Japanese fours limited to 750cc.

Today the rule bending is the same, even if the entities lobbied are not. Though ownership at Ducati has changed, the culture of entitlement regarding following the rules has not changed.

So, today we have the Ducati cup!

To be fair, I think it has always been this way regarding rules and how to get around them. Creativity is an interesting thing in motor racing.

#22 said:

2 People have a lot of sway in MotoGP. Ducati and Valentino Rossi. Politics are present in every top level sport sadly. The problem is Ducati were .... for years and threatened to pull out so Dorna changes to rules to help them which now seems to be a thing.

Interesting! Sadly I think this still means Franco will get the Pramac seat.

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Yes, rossi’s continued outsize legacy continuing to influence rules and choices of riders.

I find it mildly amusing to read Marcy’s comments on how much he likes his boss. So much so, that he is apparently willing to not jump ship to a better bike for next year?

To me, this proves MB is maybe just a little bit better than the average VR46 rider, with the average VR46 rider being pretty average when it comes to ability. See Franky.

It also proves to me why I should have my head examined for continuing to have an interest the farce that MotoGP currently is.

But honestly, has it ever been any different? Manufacturers and riders all angling for an advantage of some sort.

Saffa said:

I've only started following MotoGP 4 years ago, so don't know all the history. But this whole saga makes me suspicious of Dorna. It has the same stink as the FIA and Ferrari in the 00's F1, where Ferrari could basically get away with murder, only this is the bike equivalent... There is no logical reason they can give for not wanting more grid slots filled.

I feel sorry for both Pol and Augusto

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Dorna provide money to Satellite teams and extra Satellite team means more expense for Dorna, probably without providing an avenue for extra earnings. Dorna doesn't give money to factory teams.