Signed, sealed and delivered
Let’s start with who has been signed, sealed and delivered for 2025. Brad Binder struck a new deal with KTM at the tail end of the 2023 season, which will see the South African remain until 2026 with the Austrian brand. Early in the 2024 season, Ducati tied down the services of defending World Champion Francesco Bagnaia until 2026, while they also secured the future of Moto2™ starlet Fermin Aldeguer, who will join Gresini Racing in 2025 and 2026.
At Yamaha, 2021 World Champion Fabio Quartararo committed his future to the Iwata factory for a further two years as the Japanese brand continue their rebuilding project. Whilst Honda have both Luca Marini and Johann Zarco locked in until the end of the 2025 season.
At the Italian GP, the Pierer Mobility Group then confirmed star rookie Pedro Acosta would make the jump across from the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 garage to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing box. Then, less than two weeks later, KTM confirmed that Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales would be joining the rebranded Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad in 2025, as the Italian and Spaniard make the switch from Ducati and Aprilia.
Before that, the post-GP Mugello Test saw a bombshell announcement arrive as Aprilia Racing confirmed Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) would join them on a multi-year deal in 2025, replacing the retiring Aleix Espargaro. A huge, first piece of the silly season jigsaw now in place. It didn't take long for another major piece to fall into place, as eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez was announced as a factory Ducati rider just two days later.
On Monday before the Dutch TT, Aprilia Racing then announced that Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) will be Martin's teammate in 2025 and beyond, with the Noale factory confirming their all-new factory line-up. During our visit to Assen, Prima Pramac Racing and Yamaha announced they would join forces in 2025, bringing the Iwata factory their much sought-after Independent Team. Then, just after the Dutch TT, we had another piece fall into place, with Gresini Racing MotoGP™ renewing Alex Marquez' deal for a further two years.
Meanwhile, during the summer break, Trackhouse Racing announced that Raul Fernandez would renew his deal with the American team for a further two years. Shortly after, Joan Mir announced that he would remain with HRC, extending his contract and keeping the factory Honda squad unchanged for 2025.
The announcements did not stop there, as Alex Rins signed a new two-year deal with Yamaha on Thursday ahead of the British GP. This extension will see the #42 remain as Fabio Quartararo’s teammate at Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ for 2025 and 2026.
Fabio Di Giannantonio was confirmed to be a Ducati factory contracted rider ahead of the Austrian GP, with the Italian set to race a latest-spec Desmosedici in the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team from 2025.
Then as the paddock landed at the Red Bull Ring, Ai Ogura was announced as a Trackhouse Racing rider on a two-year deal, seeing the Japanese rider join the American team for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Then after FP1 at the Austrian GP, Franco Morbidelli was confirmed to join the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team for 2025.
The IDEMITSU Honda LCR seat was then finalised on Thursday in Aragon, as Thailand's Somkiat Chantra was announced to be taking the place of the departing Takaaki Nakagami, with the latter moving into a development rider role with HRC in 2025.
Just two seats remained for 2025, and that quickly became one as Miguel Oliveira was announced as a Prima Pramac Yamaha rider on Thursday at the San Marino GP.
The 2025 MotoGP™ grid was then completed on Thursday at the Emilia-Romagna GP after Jack Miller was announced as the second Prima Pramac Yamaha rider. The Australian inked a one-year deal, joining Oliveira to complete a new look for the team.