Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin, Enea Bastianini, Maverick Vinales, Marco Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez and the Pramac switch from Ducati to Yamaha. The MotoGP starting field for the upcoming 2025 season has been taking shape in recent weeks. With the upcoming summer break in mind, further decisions are likely to follow soon. One such – rather surprising – decision emerged on media Thursday on the sidelines of the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. Motorsport-Magazin.com informs about the current situation on the driver market.
“Having a full factory team as a new customer team will help us enormously. That is extremely important for our project and the improvement of our bike,” Yamaha star Fabio Quartararo announced on Thursday, and then made people sit up and take notice of his preferred line-up for the two bikes in the Pramac team. “I would like the guy to my right,” he said at the official MotoGP press conference. Who did he mean? Fabio Di Giannantonio! He was also a guest at the second press conference of the day and was then treated to a veritable hymn of praise.
Di Giannantonio says: Wants a MotoGP factory contract in 2025
“Fabio can be the rider who does a great job for Yamaha. I hope he comes to us. We need a rider like him to drive our project forward.” Did he make a lasting impression on Di Giannantonio? Obviously, because on Thursday he made no secret of his interest in the Pramac project. “I want a project where I can make it to the very end. My decision will be based mainly on that,” he announced, adding meaningfully: “I want to have a factory contract, a factory motorcycle and factory support next season.” Something that VR46 and Ducati will probably not be able to offer him in 2025, as they will most likely be reduced to three factory machines.
So there is a lot to suggest that the one-time MotoGP winner will leave for Pramac Yamaha ahead of the German Grand Prix. In keeping with this, current Pramac rider Franco Morbidelli was very optimistic on Thursday that he would have his future sorted out soon. The Italian is unlikely to stay in Paolo Campinoti’s team after leaving Yamaha at the turn of the year. Instead, he is drawn to VR46 Racing, where he is likely to become a teammate of Moto2 newcomer Fermin Aldeguer. “Something will happen,” the VR46 Academy rider announced confidently with a view to the summer break.
Joan Mir and Raul Fernandez to stay with MotoGP team
The situation is similar for two other MotoGP riders. On the one hand, there is Joan Mir, who is somewhat surprisingly about to extend his contract with the Repsol Honda team. The 2020 MotoGP world champion has recently been openly flirting with the idea of changing teams or retiring, but now seems to have changed his mind.’Motorsport.com‘ had already reported in mid-June that a contract had been signed. It’s not quite that far yet, but it’s not far off. “I haven’t signed anything yet, but we’re close,” Mir revealed on Thursday in Germany. An announcement during the summer break seems realistic.
This means that six of the ten remaining MotoGP places for 2025 seem to be filled, as Alex Rins will probably also remain in the Yamaha factory team. It is not yet clear how the remaining four free motorcycles will be allocated. This will probably depend on who fills the second Pramac place. Quartararo would like to see a rookie there, by the way. “[Sergio] Garcia or [Alonso] Lopez are names that are fast in Moto2 and deserve a place in a team like Pramac,” said the Frenchman, revealing a contrary opinion to team boss Campinoti, who would rather sign two experienced riders to move the Yamaha project forward. In the spotlight: Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira. “They are on the list,” Campinoti revealed to ‘TNT Sports’ in Assen.
Miller or Oliveira: Who will be Di Giannantonio’s Pramac teammate
“The Pramac team could be interesting with the new bike and a factory contract,” Oliveira said on Thursday. The Portuguese seems to have two other options in addition to staying at Trackhouse for 2025 and must now weigh them up. “There [Pramac] you would have to accept that the bike doesn’t work right away,” he says, adding: “Then a Ducati could become available, which would of course be interesting too.” Oliveira is probably referring to the Gresini spot that is still free next to Alex Marquez. There is currently no clear favorite there, but with Miller at least one other driver is eyeing the Marc Marquez successor. “There’s nothing new, I’m waiting,” he said at the Sachsenring.
Augusto Fernandez, on the other hand, seems to have definitely been eliminated from the race for the second Pramac place. The 2022 Moto2 World Champion had already decided on Thursday that he would stay in MotoGP and is looking “into another paddock”. This will probably be the Superbike World Championship, where there are still numerous places available in good teams. Will he also meet Takaaki Nakagami there? The Japanese reported in Germany that negotiations with his employer HRC are ongoing. Honda would like to keep him in order to keep the project stable in 2025. “I don’t know yet whether I want to continue. But it’s not certain that I’ll stop either. I just don’t know yet,” said Nakagami, making a possible MotoGP exit dependent on high-quality alternatives: “I don’t have a plan B or C. Ultimately, it also depends on the bike.”
If Nakagami does indeed leave LCR after seven years, Ai Ogura, a rookie from Moto2, will be in pole position to succeed him. The Honda camp wants a Japanese rider from the second LCR machine with Idemitsu branding. It could also turn out to be a rookie at Trackhouse Racing if Oliveira decides not to stay there. There are rumors about the American Joe Roberts.
Now it’s your turn: How would you fill the remaining MotoGP places? Do you want to see Fabio Di Giannantonio at Pramac Yamaha? Let us know in the comments!