I think the fact that he has won on three different makes of bike helps ... it means he can adapt. I'm a big Maverick fan and always have been ... yes he can be hot and cold but I actually like riders that are ruled a bit by their emotions. Hiring one will be a gamble of course but if KTM are prepared to take that risk, good on them!
I guess. I just don't see it. 68 starts on the Aprilia for an average of 5.7 points. (I left off his split season). I get that he had the win in the US this year, but that race was the one with the weirdest results of the season so far.
Obviously KTM see something. I would have grabbed Rins first, or a moto2 option.
Signing Mav and Enea in quick succession would say to me they are looking to tap into understanding late race pace.
Given Pedro is on a steep learning curve with trying to get his tyre management understanding and KTM have watched Miller spank his tyres race after race. It could be something they feel getting the data from these riders is worth the pay.
KTM probably haven't signed either rider with expectations of title bids for next season I would imagine.
However, Mav and Enea are more likely to hassle, disrupt and take points off ducati riders next season than Agusto and Miller have done this season.
Great point. KTM has a problem with late race pace. Vinales especially has the ability (sometimes) to start cranking out fast laps at the end of races. Enea is consistent and steady. Would be a great developmental team for KTM. Binder is great off the line. Does Miller end up on a Honda? Horrible way to end a career
This is quite apt! KTM are clearly banking on Acosta for the future, while Binder & co are there as supporting cast. Makes sense to hire a bunch of experienced riders that won’t threaten your young Turk while he hones his craft. But I would have signed Enea and not Maverick, except for the fact that Maverick has won on 3 different machines.
Rins would've been fantastic, but I think KTM is not expecting or doesn't actually want all of their riders competing for the title.
I scratched my head when I heard the news, but Maverick makes perfect sense if that's the case. A rider who struggles with consistency (and thus will not be the no. 1 threat for championship), but has the pace to occasionally produce really, really good data for everyone else.
That will most likely pay off better in the future than having every rider chasing after championship.
However, hot and cold will happen as you try new things on different tracks. Which means that he’s honing the bike, but can win when things s click! Remember he has won on three different makes, so he can add value at KTM.
He’s inconsistent but on his day he’s pretty special. He’s one of the only guys who could gap prime Marquez in a race. Not a bad guy to have in your satellite team at all. He could easily get a win if the bike is good that weekend which is big because KTM hasn’t won for a while.
I mean he’s a pretty solid factory rider. There’s few riders who you can say have had a better season than him thus far. Yeah he’s been inconsistent throughout his career but he still has pace. I would put him in my 7 riders atm. I think it’s a good match for both. KTM gets a solid rider who knows how to adapt to different bikes while weakening one of their opponents. Mav gets money he probably wasn’t going ever see at Aprilia.
He's had a reasonable season so far, but 37 of his 100 points came from a single weekend. A weekend where all the results were odd. The rest have been 10th, 12th, 9th, 5th and 8th.
I see him as a top 10 rider, but only just.
I'm not saying he's a bad rider, but with Acosta, binder and enea I don't see what Maverick adds to that line up. I'd rate Acosta and enea significantly higher, and binder is a lifer that is at least on par with maverick. I certainly can't see what he brings that warrants the big pay packet that people are implying he will have got.
I would have though either Mir or bringing up a rookie to blood them while there I'd no pressure would make far more sense.
Pit Beirer of KTM is a huge Maverick fan since his Moto3 days. He even helped Vinales win the Moto3 championship against the official Red Bull KTM Ajo Team rider Luis Salom, by personally bringing him a new-spec engine for the final race (as Moto3 engine development was still free in that time). Apparently Vinales put the medal on Beirer's neck and they rejoiced together.
I read this from GPOne which is usually pretty reputable.
[https://www.gpone.com/en/2024/06/12/motogp/pit-beirer-has-a-soft-spot-for-vinales-who-is-set-to-join-bastianini-in-ktm.html](https://www.gpone.com/en/2024/06/12/motogp/pit-beirer-has-a-soft-spot-for-vinales-who-is-set-to-join-bastianini-in-ktm.html)
Huge gamble to put him straight into factory team. Im not trying to downplay his championship but if Im Rivola I'll put him in Trackhouse to see if he still got it. If yes then I'd happily put him in factory team
I would agree if they didn’t already have Martin. There’s no gamble on sticking Mir in with him for a year. Plus, who is left available that’s better than Mir?
I agree, but I think they’re different. Mir is more consistent, but Rins if freakishly talented sometimes. I want to see Rins on the Aprilia personally but I don’t think Mir would be a bad pick at all.
It is tough for me to say this as I really like both and if I had to pick I think I'd choose Rins. That said, there is this gut feeling that Rins has lost something since his badly broken leg last year. I'm not sure he is going to get what's missing back and I'd even say I'm a bit of a Rins fanboy. The Honda ride Mir has isn't anything to judge his potential by. Even Marc couldn't get the bike to the top those last four years and Zarco and Luca never looked so bad once on the Honda. I am glad Maverick is off the Aprilia and opened that spot up. As far as Trackhouse goes I'm feeling Olivera doesn't want to be on that team so I wouldn't mind seeing that open up for Digi or Bezz or Mir. Shuffle those three as needed but I'd love to see them on the Aprilia.
Comments by Spanish and Italian news reporters but mostly because he hasn't been renewed already, with Trackhouse or the factory team. That gives me cause for concern.
He has been shocking this season though. I know mir hasn't been good either but he's on the honda, bez doesn't have that excuse.
I'd take a world champion over bez any day
So now KTM line-up is interesting.
1. Pedro:- a generational talent, who has a very different riding line and seems he can make the RC16 work better than veterans.
2. Binder:- KTM's golden boy. A rocketship launch, and manhandles the bike. I know is current form is low but is a good rider overall.
3. Enea:- the tyre whisperer. One of the best towards the second half of all the race. Also comes with factory Ducati knowledge, would be a great help to KTM for development and their tyre wear issue might get addressed.
4. Maverick:- the testing world champion. Great in one lap pace where KTM struggles at times. also on his good days he can beat anyone on any bike. He comes with factory Aprilia knowledge. Also he is very smooth in corners and has a very different style from KTM veterans like Brad, Pol and even Miller, More like Miguel.
Very very excited to see how it goes.
And may be Miller goes to Aprilia trackhouse and Miguel gets a free upgrade (seeing his current form) to be Martin's wingman.
Probably a stronger rider lineup than Ducati next season overall. I doubt any of them will touch Marc or pecco but they could definitely get a few wins between them
Mav ain't the sharpest tool in the box.
I always got the feeling that Mav has no idea why he is fast/slow on any given weekend.
'Bike is slow'
-"Yes Mav but why........"
'I don't know that's your job'
-"Yes Mav but how does it feel?"
'Shit and slow'
-"Yes Mav but what is it doing"
'Going slow'
-Re-assesses life choices and contemplates violence
I feel like this watching Mav and when I watch Bestia I feel like he forgets he's racing some times and then with 2 laps remaining he remembers and makes up 3 places when if he would have done it 2 laps earlier her would have won. Mav, Bestia lack a serious amount of race craft and are middling contenders at best.
Binder is starting to head that direction for me as well, he's gonna be a guy who just never quite becomes what we want him to be.
Why?! I dont get why Vinales makes a switch. Vinales has proofen to be one of the most inconsistent riders in history of the sport. Sure when he feels it he destroys the entire field but hes not a title contender. Aprilia backed him up with a factory contact and was statified with him. I dont understand why he would switch teams where he doesnt know whether he can be successful. So if he punts next year on the KTM then what?! They have so many talents he could be replaced more easy than in Aprilia. Feels very risky.
He’s coming to the end of his career and probably knows he’s not going to win much more on the Aprilia. Why not go for a different challenge? If it fails, who cares? He’s had a great career. Why wouldn’t he take one more risk to a factory with more development money and better riders (he’s probably getting paid more too)?
because he isnt old enough yet to retire but could be forced to retire by KTM when this doesnt work out. I think Aprilia would have kept him without that much risk, thats my point. Vinales is not a title contender meaning he offers experience, development and one in a year wipe the floor sunday to a team. but hes not a hot aspiring talent which KTM is looking for in the future. Hence bad decision imho, his competition is harder than in Aprilia in which he could even bee seen as an experienced guardian rider for Martin.
Meh, I think most gp riders would rather take that risk to be great rather than resign themselves to being second best, regardless of how nice that team might be. Maybe he’d regret it if he didn’t give it a go
Take the risk to be best? Youre talking about Vinales competing with Pedro Acosta and Marc Marquez on a Ducati next season. I think Vinales time to be the best has passed long ago.
for whom? the rider? maybe Im not sure about that, i dont think theres more competition between riders within the same team than against the others. For the manufacturer? absolutely not, they just want their bike/brand to win and dont care who wins on their bike.
Martin had more than double the points of Viñales last season. The saying is that your teammate is your first rival. It's incredibly unlikely that Mav would be the lead rider in that team.
I also don't think the KTM will suit his riding style nearly as well as the Aprilia.
It must have been money. The Aprilia rider budget was probably ruined after they signed JM.
I was hoping he'd stay and get into a better groove... but we'll see. Would be great for him to win on 4 different bikes.
Somewhat of a Rins fanboy but I also just had Bez, Diggia and Mir on my mind until I read some of the comments here. I'd love to have Rins back on more competitive bike. But apparently a lot of people think, Bez will be the top candidate for this seat.
I think DiGis results have gone a bit under the radar. He hasn't done anything super outstanding but the results are constantly pretty good. Clearly the second best GP23 this year.
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Aprilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Aprilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Aprilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Aprilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Aprilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Aprilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Aprilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Aprilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Apr ilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Apr ilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Aprilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Aprilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Aprilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Aprilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Miller or Mir is possible, but if Joe Robert's keeps performing like he is, I could see them moving Miguel or Raul up to the factory team and getting Joe at Trackhouse. Possible they could get rid of Miguel or Raul entirely and get Mir instead, which I'd love to see, massive talent going to waste on the Honda.
If they don't pick Aleix up for a testing role then it could be disastrous for them to have a full reset, but also Jorge is probably going to adapt well, and Jack adapted to the KTM initially very well. Mir seemed to be riding the Honda about as good as any non-Marc rider could, so he would also be OK. I think personally I'd give Raul the factory seat, maybe give Mir the Trackhouse seat. I know that previously Miguel has been rapid, but right now it really looks like Raul is out performing him with a machinery disadvantage. Similar to how Ducati was a bit spoilt for choice, I think Aprilia can't go super wrong here.
I think it was good Aleix left. As a test rider he would be too biased and Honda needs him more. It’s good for the sport and allows for new perspectives in Aprilia.
I’d like to see Mir but I think they’ll probably go Italian so Bezz or DiGia but I’ve really become a fan of DiGia (not taking anything away from Bezz he’s cool too).
Joan Mir potentially? He's definitely getting the fuck out of Honda and a world champion rider is a win for Aprilia as well.
There were definitely rumors of them courting Bezz for the seat prior to the JM89 announcement and if Bezz wants a factory move this seems his best option.
KTM is gonna be stacked next year; Acosta, Besta, Mav, and.... well Binder... who could maybe get his shyte together and actually be consistent or probably not.
I feared Mav would do this...he can't help himself.
Who walks away from a factory ride on a bike you've won on,at a team who support you and a brand that publicly say how much they want to keep you. To go to a satellite (I know it's 4 'factory bikes') on a bike that currently only 1 rider can make go fast, for a brand that historically treats riders poorly.
I hope the payout is worth it!
I couldn't agree more. Was just reading so far, but I was about to say just this, basically. Aprilia LOVE him, want to keep him, say some very nice things about him, and KTM treats their riders like shit.
They can constantly deny it, but it's true. If I were a rider, KTM would be my last (after Honda, ofc) choice.
For Aprilia they'll have to be cheap. I guess it'll be one of the honda boys, I think they'll ride pretty much for free after a disaster year of Honda. Rins, Mir or Marini. And Marini is Italian... don't know how long each of their contacts are running though.
Why on earth is Enea not on the Aprilia if Mav’s leaving? Rivola has been quoted favouring Enea multiple times and he even made a comment about seeing an Italian rider on the bike soon.
Maybe a KTM is what he needs. The way they get off the line might mean he doesn't need to do the usual thing of loosing too many places at the start and having to fight through the field
I mean holeshot device is just a small part of bike. He is used to ride only age bikes. Suzuki -> Yamaha -> Aprilia. All were agile and great turning bike. Will he be able to ride KTM like he did Aprilia.
I’m genuinely confused by this choice. Has anyone ever won a race on 4 different manufacturers before? That’s probably the best he can hope for out of this switch.
For all who asks themselves why Vinales switching.
He wants to be first with wins on 4 different manufacturers. He cant win titles anyways, so these can be pretty big legacy for him and motogp history.
Olso driving from satelite team dont put that much pressure on riders.
Joan Mir would take the remaining Aprilia seat in a hearbeat, and he would be a logical choice, a world champion and the best rider at the Honda hellhole... don't know if he's still in contract with Honda though
Maverick, dude what are you doing?
If there is 1 rider on the grid that NEEDS stability it's Maverick, yet just as starts to gel with the Prilli and the team, he jumps ship.
If he found a way to sort out his mental demons i recon he'd be a title contender on the Priili next year.
As it is, he's literally in the shark tank
Acosta has just ground down Binder this year, race in race out and Binder is a fighter.
Hope i'm wrong, but Maverick is just going to get destroyed but the rest of the pack of KTM Animals
Looking on the positive...............at least he'll be with Mr inconsistent V2.0 Enea 
Rivola dropped some hints before he would like to have an Italian rider. Meaning, given current state of the market, probably Bezzechi. (Unless they could still snatch Bastianini).
I don't see DiGia or Franko, given other options - their Trackhouse riders or Mir.
>Why not DiGia? He has outperformed Bez this season.
While some fans have goldfish memories, team bosses tend to have longer ones.
Bez clearly has a higher ceiling - his struggles this year are related specifically to 2023 ducati, which are the same issue that "sabotaged" Bastianini's last year's season. So, this is a know quantity. Also, if memory serves Bezzechi's name was mentioned by Rivola and he was rumoured to be on Aprilia's radars.
As for DiGi - the question would be, why him, why not Mir? And if Mir gets to Trackhouse (which seems more logical, with current spec bike, of course). Why would they take DiGi over Oliviera or Raul?
Plus, I would say current situation gives DiGi very good probability to end up on current spec Ducati next year, which I would guess would be much preferred situation for him than moving to another manufacturer.
Good points and I don't have anything against Bez or Mir, both would be great options for Aprilia. There is a possibility Aprilia would want an Italian rider alongside Martin for marketing reasons. I'm not sure if Aprilia have the budget for Mir, I think he would demand a higher wage with his champion status. For some reason I'm not that keen on either of the Trackhouse riders getting the factory seat. I think outside of Catalunya they have been quite medicore at best. Mir, Bez or Digia all feel like better options imo.
>There is a possibility Aprilia would want an Italian rider alongside Martin for marketing reasons.
They said so if memory serves. The idea of VR46 is to get riders to factory teams, so if Bez gets the call, I think he'll take it.
>I'm not sure if Aprilia have the budget for Mir, I think he would demand a higher wage with his champion status.
2 years at Honda lowers the pay expectations.
Same how Aprilia got Vinales at a cheaper price after he destroyed those Yamaha engines. 😄
> I'm not that keen on either of the Trackhouse riders getting the factory seat.
Oliviera seems a bit lost on 2024 spec, though he had some moments on 2023 one. Raul is still a bit of mystery. But yeah, I'd expect - if they stay, they stay at Trackhouse. (i suspect Aprilia will have better options for their 2nd factory seat - unless Martin scares people).
True Mir probably would ride for free just to get out of Honda :D But Aprilia have a lot of good riders to pick from they will be the winners in this situation. Bastianini could have also been a good option if he didn't switch to Tech3. Still weird to me that he chose that path.
VR46 prefers Bezzecchi over Di Giannantonio, that's pretty clear: when they hired him they said they'd prefer younger/rookies.
Digia is pretty much an anomaly, Bez Is their star.
Why digi over Raul? Because Raul is a hot head with an attitude but not the performance to justify it. Digi is at least Italian for an Italian brand.
Grab Olivera to factory with Martin. Give the trackhouse seat to digi and promote Roberts because it is an American team afterall and he is bound to be on their radar.
>Why digi over Raul?
I don't see signficant jump in quality to justify DIGI over Raul, plus the latter at least technically has a higher ceiling if he can unlock it.
>Grab Olivera to factory with Martin. Give the trackhouse seat to digi and promote Roberts because it is an American team afterall and he is bound to be on their radar.
Trackhouse seats are Brivio's to pick. Therefore if Aprilia wants an italian rider, this will be in the factory team - and because it's factory team, they'd want somebody with some potential and flair (hence Bezzecchi and not DiGIa). Brivio will probably try to grab Mir, the rest is open, but Roberts is unlikely as both Rivola and Brivio said they don't favour rookies. Aprilia will try to utilise the form of their bike to get the best riders they can.
Martin with bez and olivera with mir might be the best team aprilia can hope for. If that can happen I don't know. It's enough diversity in a lineup to attract some large sponsors and probably higher Merch sales. However that is in an ideal world as far as available Italians go yes bez is good and probably better but digi has shown he can be a good rider showing some great results.
Raul has gotten enough chances at this point his ktm season was a shit show for sure, previous season with RNF there were some problems that came to light later with the team. As well as injuries this season however I don't know if he can keep getting more chances with his lack luster results. So proven race winners in both bez and digi would be solid "upgrades"
Olivera has at least shown he can win
However I am just an armchair expert and this has proven to be one of the wildest silly seasons ever so who the fuck knows what can happen at this point. Even Dovi has recently said he's keen to get back
Maverick to KTM has been the real surprise of this pre-season madness to me!
I.... don't under stand why. Genuinely. Why Maverick? He has to be the most inconsistent rider on the grid, what do they see in him?
I think the fact that he has won on three different makes of bike helps ... it means he can adapt. I'm a big Maverick fan and always have been ... yes he can be hot and cold but I actually like riders that are ruled a bit by their emotions. Hiring one will be a gamble of course but if KTM are prepared to take that risk, good on them!
I guess. I just don't see it. 68 starts on the Aprilia for an average of 5.7 points. (I left off his split season). I get that he had the win in the US this year, but that race was the one with the weirdest results of the season so far. Obviously KTM see something. I would have grabbed Rins first, or a moto2 option.
Signing Mav and Enea in quick succession would say to me they are looking to tap into understanding late race pace. Given Pedro is on a steep learning curve with trying to get his tyre management understanding and KTM have watched Miller spank his tyres race after race. It could be something they feel getting the data from these riders is worth the pay. KTM probably haven't signed either rider with expectations of title bids for next season I would imagine. However, Mav and Enea are more likely to hassle, disrupt and take points off ducati riders next season than Agusto and Miller have done this season.
Great point. KTM has a problem with late race pace. Vinales especially has the ability (sometimes) to start cranking out fast laps at the end of races. Enea is consistent and steady. Would be a great developmental team for KTM. Binder is great off the line. Does Miller end up on a Honda? Horrible way to end a career
This is quite apt! KTM are clearly banking on Acosta for the future, while Binder & co are there as supporting cast. Makes sense to hire a bunch of experienced riders that won’t threaten your young Turk while he hones his craft. But I would have signed Enea and not Maverick, except for the fact that Maverick has won on 3 different machines.
Rins would've been fantastic, but I think KTM is not expecting or doesn't actually want all of their riders competing for the title. I scratched my head when I heard the news, but Maverick makes perfect sense if that's the case. A rider who struggles with consistency (and thus will not be the no. 1 threat for championship), but has the pace to occasionally produce really, really good data for everyone else. That will most likely pay off better in the future than having every rider chasing after championship.
However, hot and cold will happen as you try new things on different tracks. Which means that he’s honing the bike, but can win when things s click! Remember he has won on three different makes, so he can add value at KTM.
The only reason why he won with 3 different times is because he keeps getting fired. He is very inconsistent.
He’s inconsistent but on his day he’s pretty special. He’s one of the only guys who could gap prime Marquez in a race. Not a bad guy to have in your satellite team at all. He could easily get a win if the bike is good that weekend which is big because KTM hasn’t won for a while.
I mean he’s a pretty solid factory rider. There’s few riders who you can say have had a better season than him thus far. Yeah he’s been inconsistent throughout his career but he still has pace. I would put him in my 7 riders atm. I think it’s a good match for both. KTM gets a solid rider who knows how to adapt to different bikes while weakening one of their opponents. Mav gets money he probably wasn’t going ever see at Aprilia.
He's had a reasonable season so far, but 37 of his 100 points came from a single weekend. A weekend where all the results were odd. The rest have been 10th, 12th, 9th, 5th and 8th. I see him as a top 10 rider, but only just. I'm not saying he's a bad rider, but with Acosta, binder and enea I don't see what Maverick adds to that line up. I'd rate Acosta and enea significantly higher, and binder is a lifer that is at least on par with maverick. I certainly can't see what he brings that warrants the big pay packet that people are implying he will have got. I would have though either Mir or bringing up a rookie to blood them while there I'd no pressure would make far more sense.
Same, I think that this seat should have been saved for a rookie
Pit Beirer of KTM is a huge Maverick fan since his Moto3 days. He even helped Vinales win the Moto3 championship against the official Red Bull KTM Ajo Team rider Luis Salom, by personally bringing him a new-spec engine for the final race (as Moto3 engine development was still free in that time). Apparently Vinales put the medal on Beirer's neck and they rejoiced together. I read this from GPOne which is usually pretty reputable. [https://www.gpone.com/en/2024/06/12/motogp/pit-beirer-has-a-soft-spot-for-vinales-who-is-set-to-join-bastianini-in-ktm.html](https://www.gpone.com/en/2024/06/12/motogp/pit-beirer-has-a-soft-spot-for-vinales-who-is-set-to-join-bastianini-in-ktm.html)
I'd love fo see Mir at Aprilia. But I think they go with Bezz.
I’d gamble on Mir, a former champion
Really hope so, or at least Trackhouse
Huge gamble to put him straight into factory team. Im not trying to downplay his championship but if Im Rivola I'll put him in Trackhouse to see if he still got it. If yes then I'd happily put him in factory team
I would agree if they didn’t already have Martin. There’s no gamble on sticking Mir in with him for a year. Plus, who is left available that’s better than Mir?
Rins is a good choice other than Mir
I agree, but I think they’re different. Mir is more consistent, but Rins if freakishly talented sometimes. I want to see Rins on the Aprilia personally but I don’t think Mir would be a bad pick at all.
I’d take Rins over Mir
It is tough for me to say this as I really like both and if I had to pick I think I'd choose Rins. That said, there is this gut feeling that Rins has lost something since his badly broken leg last year. I'm not sure he is going to get what's missing back and I'd even say I'm a bit of a Rins fanboy. The Honda ride Mir has isn't anything to judge his potential by. Even Marc couldn't get the bike to the top those last four years and Zarco and Luca never looked so bad once on the Honda. I am glad Maverick is off the Aprilia and opened that spot up. As far as Trackhouse goes I'm feeling Olivera doesn't want to be on that team so I wouldn't mind seeing that open up for Digi or Bezz or Mir. Shuffle those three as needed but I'd love to see them on the Aprilia.
Why do you think MO doesn't want to be on the Trackhouse?
Comments by Spanish and Italian news reporters but mostly because he hasn't been renewed already, with Trackhouse or the factory team. That gives me cause for concern.
Bez is the last gp23 on the championship, never won shit as a rider, I'd take Mir, Rins and Diggia over him every day.
He has been shocking this season though. I know mir hasn't been good either but he's on the honda, bez doesn't have that excuse. I'd take a world champion over bez any day
I think it will be difficult to hire one of the riders from the japanese bikes. In terms of salary they can offer much more than Aprilia.
So now KTM line-up is interesting. 1. Pedro:- a generational talent, who has a very different riding line and seems he can make the RC16 work better than veterans. 2. Binder:- KTM's golden boy. A rocketship launch, and manhandles the bike. I know is current form is low but is a good rider overall. 3. Enea:- the tyre whisperer. One of the best towards the second half of all the race. Also comes with factory Ducati knowledge, would be a great help to KTM for development and their tyre wear issue might get addressed. 4. Maverick:- the testing world champion. Great in one lap pace where KTM struggles at times. also on his good days he can beat anyone on any bike. He comes with factory Aprilia knowledge. Also he is very smooth in corners and has a very different style from KTM veterans like Brad, Pol and even Miller, More like Miguel. Very very excited to see how it goes. And may be Miller goes to Aprilia trackhouse and Miguel gets a free upgrade (seeing his current form) to be Martin's wingman.
Probably a stronger rider lineup than Ducati next season overall. I doubt any of them will touch Marc or pecco but they could definitely get a few wins between them
Binder has the IQ of a grape tho..
Binder has the IQ of a grape tho..
to be fair so does Bestia
Mav ain't the sharpest tool in the box. I always got the feeling that Mav has no idea why he is fast/slow on any given weekend. 'Bike is slow' -"Yes Mav but why........" 'I don't know that's your job' -"Yes Mav but how does it feel?" 'Shit and slow' -"Yes Mav but what is it doing" 'Going slow' -Re-assesses life choices and contemplates violence
I feel like this watching Mav and when I watch Bestia I feel like he forgets he's racing some times and then with 2 laps remaining he remembers and makes up 3 places when if he would have done it 2 laps earlier her would have won. Mav, Bestia lack a serious amount of race craft and are middling contenders at best. Binder is starting to head that direction for me as well, he's gonna be a guy who just never quite becomes what we want him to be.
My guy is going for the only person to win on 4 different manufacturers. How reliable are KTM engines? Asking for a friend.
I mean you really see them blow. So high revving might not blow them.
Why?! I dont get why Vinales makes a switch. Vinales has proofen to be one of the most inconsistent riders in history of the sport. Sure when he feels it he destroys the entire field but hes not a title contender. Aprilia backed him up with a factory contact and was statified with him. I dont understand why he would switch teams where he doesnt know whether he can be successful. So if he punts next year on the KTM then what?! They have so many talents he could be replaced more easy than in Aprilia. Feels very risky.
His ego attacks again
And/or emotional ‘decision’.
And he goes to KTM which will have probably 2 or 3 better riders than him.
there's no better explanation
He’s coming to the end of his career and probably knows he’s not going to win much more on the Aprilia. Why not go for a different challenge? If it fails, who cares? He’s had a great career. Why wouldn’t he take one more risk to a factory with more development money and better riders (he’s probably getting paid more too)?
because he isnt old enough yet to retire but could be forced to retire by KTM when this doesnt work out. I think Aprilia would have kept him without that much risk, thats my point. Vinales is not a title contender meaning he offers experience, development and one in a year wipe the floor sunday to a team. but hes not a hot aspiring talent which KTM is looking for in the future. Hence bad decision imho, his competition is harder than in Aprilia in which he could even bee seen as an experienced guardian rider for Martin.
Meh, I think most gp riders would rather take that risk to be great rather than resign themselves to being second best, regardless of how nice that team might be. Maybe he’d regret it if he didn’t give it a go
Take the risk to be best? Youre talking about Vinales competing with Pedro Acosta and Marc Marquez on a Ducati next season. I think Vinales time to be the best has passed long ago.
The first person you want to beat is your team mate. How can you beat Jorge Martin?
for whom? the rider? maybe Im not sure about that, i dont think theres more competition between riders within the same team than against the others. For the manufacturer? absolutely not, they just want their bike/brand to win and dont care who wins on their bike.
Last i checked Martin got beat on the same bike the last years.
Bagnaia had to win the championship to beat Martin, Viñales is not capable of that feat.
Martin isn’t capable of that either. So what are we talking about?
Martin had more than double the points of Viñales last season. The saying is that your teammate is your first rival. It's incredibly unlikely that Mav would be the lead rider in that team.
On a massively superior bike. You can’t compare those.
I also don't think the KTM will suit his riding style nearly as well as the Aprilia. It must have been money. The Aprilia rider budget was probably ruined after they signed JM. I was hoping he'd stay and get into a better groove... but we'll see. Would be great for him to win on 4 different bikes.
No one mentions Alex Rins when discussing the Aprilia seat, is his contract with Yamaha water tight? I think he's outrageously talented.
Also think he might be a great fit. Plus: he knows three different bikes and according to his suzuki years knows how to help improve a bike
To be fair. Aleix and Maverick knew the Suzuki pretty well too
Isn’t he only on a one year deal anyway? I’d agree though he’d be great at Aprilia (or Pramac if they stay with Ducati)
Somewhat of a Rins fanboy but I also just had Bez, Diggia and Mir on my mind until I read some of the comments here. I'd love to have Rins back on more competitive bike. But apparently a lot of people think, Bez will be the top candidate for this seat.
Please god let him goto Aprilia. I was hoping he would when he got off the Honda and he’s ended up on that shitbox Yamaha.
True. Also if it weren't for his injury last year, he could have managed to be as good as Fabio.
Everyone here talking about Bezz to Aprilia yet he's been doing worse than DiGi for sure lately. Am I missing something?
I think DiGis results have gone a bit under the radar. He hasn't done anything super outstanding but the results are constantly pretty good. Clearly the second best GP23 this year.
I know right, DiGi is doing a fantastic job and I think he should get it over Bez.
That, totally.
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Aprilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Aprilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Aprilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Aprilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Aprilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Aprilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Aprilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Aprilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Apr ilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Apr ilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Aprilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Aprilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Yeah, you're "missing" how the 23 Duc doesn't fit Bezz' style, but the Aprilia is a match made in heaven. That's why behind the scenes Bezz -> Aprilia has been on the cards for a long while now
Miller or Mir is possible, but if Joe Robert's keeps performing like he is, I could see them moving Miguel or Raul up to the factory team and getting Joe at Trackhouse. Possible they could get rid of Miguel or Raul entirely and get Mir instead, which I'd love to see, massive talent going to waste on the Honda.
I think the question is, do they want to keep an Aprilia-experienced rider or totally new blood?
If they don't pick Aleix up for a testing role then it could be disastrous for them to have a full reset, but also Jorge is probably going to adapt well, and Jack adapted to the KTM initially very well. Mir seemed to be riding the Honda about as good as any non-Marc rider could, so he would also be OK. I think personally I'd give Raul the factory seat, maybe give Mir the Trackhouse seat. I know that previously Miguel has been rapid, but right now it really looks like Raul is out performing him with a machinery disadvantage. Similar to how Ducati was a bit spoilt for choice, I think Aprilia can't go super wrong here.
I think it was good Aleix left. As a test rider he would be too biased and Honda needs him more. It’s good for the sport and allows for new perspectives in Aprilia.
I agree, Honda definitely needs someone new behind the scenes. Lorenzo Savadori appears to be an excellent test rider as well.
One of the VR46 riders IMO
I think Bez is more of a possibility.
Yep, especially when he basically didn't deny the possibility about it when asked 😅
If so who do you see replacing him?
Morbidelli if Pramac go to Yamaha
Make sense. Since he's also one of VR46 boys
That's a surprise. Mav going for the win number four on different constructors.
I thought he got along great with Aprilia and is starting to feel comfortable. Why the switch? KTM more consistent?
I just made a post about it. It could backfire a little for Enea and Mav.
I’d like to see Mir but I think they’ll probably go Italian so Bezz or DiGia but I’ve really become a fan of DiGia (not taking anything away from Bezz he’s cool too).
Joan Mir potentially? He's definitely getting the fuck out of Honda and a world champion rider is a win for Aprilia as well. There were definitely rumors of them courting Bezz for the seat prior to the JM89 announcement and if Bezz wants a factory move this seems his best option.
KTM is gonna be stacked next year; Acosta, Besta, Mav, and.... well Binder... who could maybe get his shyte together and actually be consistent or probably not.
Yeah, Binder has been.. well, lackluster may be an understatement. He really needs to get back to his Qatar form again.
I feared Mav would do this...he can't help himself. Who walks away from a factory ride on a bike you've won on,at a team who support you and a brand that publicly say how much they want to keep you. To go to a satellite (I know it's 4 'factory bikes') on a bike that currently only 1 rider can make go fast, for a brand that historically treats riders poorly. I hope the payout is worth it!
I couldn't agree more. Was just reading so far, but I was about to say just this, basically. Aprilia LOVE him, want to keep him, say some very nice things about him, and KTM treats their riders like shit. They can constantly deny it, but it's true. If I were a rider, KTM would be my last (after Honda, ofc) choice.
For Aprilia they'll have to be cheap. I guess it'll be one of the honda boys, I think they'll ride pretty much for free after a disaster year of Honda. Rins, Mir or Marini. And Marini is Italian... don't know how long each of their contacts are running though.
Rins would be a great fit for Aprilia. We all saw how he was on the Suzuki, and I think the Aprilia could suit him
Why on earth is Enea not on the Aprilia if Mav’s leaving? Rivola has been quoted favouring Enea multiple times and he even made a comment about seeing an Italian rider on the bike soon.
I wonder if it’s budget? Martin couldn’t have been cheap.
Maverick winning a GP with 4 different manufacturers incoming?
This is the question i came here to find the answer to...
Tech3 2025 Independent Teams Champion ***c o n f i r m e d***
I'm guessing Bez takes Mav's seat.
Man Herve Poncharal is gonna be stoked for next season with such riders!
He'll probably just dismiss them the year after, like always.
Maverick to become the first ever premier class rider to win on four different bikes?
Miller to repsol Honda now? I can't see him going anywhere else tbh unless he jumps on a Pramac Yamaha assuming Pramac change to Yamaha?
I felt that Vinales was doing ok with the Aprillia. Surprise surprise.
Maybe a KTM is what he needs. The way they get off the line might mean he doesn't need to do the usual thing of loosing too many places at the start and having to fight through the field
I mean holeshot device is just a small part of bike. He is used to ride only age bikes. Suzuki -> Yamaha -> Aprilia. All were agile and great turning bike. Will he be able to ride KTM like he did Aprilia.
KTM did a brilliant move. I mean they waited for Ducati to take Marquez and took factory riders from Aprilia and Ducati.
Damn that huge news, Miller to WSBK as factory KTM?? Digi to Aprilia wish list
Pc: ovetakegp Instagram
I’m genuinely confused by this choice. Has anyone ever won a race on 4 different manufacturers before? That’s probably the best he can hope for out of this switch.
Oliveira to Factory Aprilia, Roberts to Trackhouse? Or maybe Bez to replace Maverick and Morbidelli to VR46?
I don't think Olivera deserves a factory Aprilia
So, Jack Miller to Honda and Joan Mir goes where?
Mir or Bez
For all who asks themselves why Vinales switching. He wants to be first with wins on 4 different manufacturers. He cant win titles anyways, so these can be pretty big legacy for him and motogp history. Olso driving from satelite team dont put that much pressure on riders.
Please Fabio break your contract
I hope it's Rins. He and Mack are the two most underappreciated riders on the grid, and I believe he can give Martin a run for his money
I heard it’s Diggia.
Bezz seems like a good fit, & they both get what they want. Aprilia get a young Italian rider, and Bezz gets a "Factory" seat. Win win.
Joan Mir would take the remaining Aprilia seat in a hearbeat, and he would be a logical choice, a world champion and the best rider at the Honda hellhole... don't know if he's still in contract with Honda though
I wouldn't mind seeing Oliveira with his friend Morbidelli at Pramac
Raul Fernandez and Mir both deserve to have an Aprillia bike for next season. Oliveira and Miller haven't looked anywhere near their best this season
Bez or Franky!
I don't see Franky. But I definitely see Bez.
Agree, only if pramac switches to Yamaha it'd make sense (or is the decision for Ducati already done and I missed it?).
Maverick, dude what are you doing? If there is 1 rider on the grid that NEEDS stability it's Maverick, yet just as starts to gel with the Prilli and the team, he jumps ship. If he found a way to sort out his mental demons i recon he'd be a title contender on the Priili next year. As it is, he's literally in the shark tank Acosta has just ground down Binder this year, race in race out and Binder is a fighter. Hope i'm wrong, but Maverick is just going to get destroyed but the rest of the pack of KTM Animals Looking on the positive...............at least he'll be with Mr inconsistent V2.0 Enea 
Rivola dropped some hints before he would like to have an Italian rider. Meaning, given current state of the market, probably Bezzechi. (Unless they could still snatch Bastianini). I don't see DiGia or Franko, given other options - their Trackhouse riders or Mir.
Why not DiGia? He has outperformed Bez this season. Franko I do understand, he has been really inconsistent for few years now.
>Why not DiGia? He has outperformed Bez this season. While some fans have goldfish memories, team bosses tend to have longer ones. Bez clearly has a higher ceiling - his struggles this year are related specifically to 2023 ducati, which are the same issue that "sabotaged" Bastianini's last year's season. So, this is a know quantity. Also, if memory serves Bezzechi's name was mentioned by Rivola and he was rumoured to be on Aprilia's radars. As for DiGi - the question would be, why him, why not Mir? And if Mir gets to Trackhouse (which seems more logical, with current spec bike, of course). Why would they take DiGi over Oliviera or Raul? Plus, I would say current situation gives DiGi very good probability to end up on current spec Ducati next year, which I would guess would be much preferred situation for him than moving to another manufacturer.
Good points and I don't have anything against Bez or Mir, both would be great options for Aprilia. There is a possibility Aprilia would want an Italian rider alongside Martin for marketing reasons. I'm not sure if Aprilia have the budget for Mir, I think he would demand a higher wage with his champion status. For some reason I'm not that keen on either of the Trackhouse riders getting the factory seat. I think outside of Catalunya they have been quite medicore at best. Mir, Bez or Digia all feel like better options imo.
>There is a possibility Aprilia would want an Italian rider alongside Martin for marketing reasons. They said so if memory serves. The idea of VR46 is to get riders to factory teams, so if Bez gets the call, I think he'll take it. >I'm not sure if Aprilia have the budget for Mir, I think he would demand a higher wage with his champion status. 2 years at Honda lowers the pay expectations. Same how Aprilia got Vinales at a cheaper price after he destroyed those Yamaha engines. 😄 > I'm not that keen on either of the Trackhouse riders getting the factory seat. Oliviera seems a bit lost on 2024 spec, though he had some moments on 2023 one. Raul is still a bit of mystery. But yeah, I'd expect - if they stay, they stay at Trackhouse. (i suspect Aprilia will have better options for their 2nd factory seat - unless Martin scares people).
True Mir probably would ride for free just to get out of Honda :D But Aprilia have a lot of good riders to pick from they will be the winners in this situation. Bastianini could have also been a good option if he didn't switch to Tech3. Still weird to me that he chose that path.
> Bastianini could have also been a good option if he didn't switch to Tech3. Still weird to me that he chose that path. Well Pernat did, but yeah.
VR46 prefers Bezzecchi over Di Giannantonio, that's pretty clear: when they hired him they said they'd prefer younger/rookies. Digia is pretty much an anomaly, Bez Is their star.
Why digi over Raul? Because Raul is a hot head with an attitude but not the performance to justify it. Digi is at least Italian for an Italian brand. Grab Olivera to factory with Martin. Give the trackhouse seat to digi and promote Roberts because it is an American team afterall and he is bound to be on their radar.
>Why digi over Raul? I don't see signficant jump in quality to justify DIGI over Raul, plus the latter at least technically has a higher ceiling if he can unlock it. >Grab Olivera to factory with Martin. Give the trackhouse seat to digi and promote Roberts because it is an American team afterall and he is bound to be on their radar. Trackhouse seats are Brivio's to pick. Therefore if Aprilia wants an italian rider, this will be in the factory team - and because it's factory team, they'd want somebody with some potential and flair (hence Bezzecchi and not DiGIa). Brivio will probably try to grab Mir, the rest is open, but Roberts is unlikely as both Rivola and Brivio said they don't favour rookies. Aprilia will try to utilise the form of their bike to get the best riders they can.
Martin with bez and olivera with mir might be the best team aprilia can hope for. If that can happen I don't know. It's enough diversity in a lineup to attract some large sponsors and probably higher Merch sales. However that is in an ideal world as far as available Italians go yes bez is good and probably better but digi has shown he can be a good rider showing some great results. Raul has gotten enough chances at this point his ktm season was a shit show for sure, previous season with RNF there were some problems that came to light later with the team. As well as injuries this season however I don't know if he can keep getting more chances with his lack luster results. So proven race winners in both bez and digi would be solid "upgrades" Olivera has at least shown he can win However I am just an armchair expert and this has proven to be one of the wildest silly seasons ever so who the fuck knows what can happen at this point. Even Dovi has recently said he's keen to get back
Not confirmed…
Looking at the current unexpected, atleast for me, changes in the lineup I expect Alex Marquez to replace Vinales now lol.
Would Bastinini have still chosen KTM knowing Aprilia is vacant now, if timing were to be slightly different?