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 six with the latest announcement that Fabio Quartararo has signed on with Yamaha for two more years.
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: TBC
Ducati has a number of options available to it for its second factory team seat, with Pramac’s Jorge Martin, Gresini’s Marc Marquez and current rider Enea Bastianini the frontrunners.
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: TBC
Binder’s current team-mate Jack Miller is out of contract at the end of 2024 and looks vulnerable with KTM’s rookie sensation Pedro Acosta making waves at Tech3 already this season.
Autosport understands that a clause in Acosta’s contract makes him a free agent if KTM does not promote him to its factory team in 2025.
Aprilia
Rider 1: TBC
Rider 2: TBC
Both Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro are out of contract at the end of the current year, but both are strong contenders to remain put with news that Fabio Quartararo is staying at Yamaha.
While coming into the 2023 season Espargaro felt that this would be his last contract, he noted at the end of 2023 that he still felt competitive and was erring more on continuing if he could than retiring.
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: TBC
Current Yamaha rider Alex Rins is only contracted to the end of 2024 after breaking out of his two-year Honda deal at the end of 2023.
While a strong option for Yamaha to continue with in 2025, a number of potential free agents could take his seat.
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: TBC
Joan Mir’s current Honda deal expires at the end of 2024 and his time with the Japanese marque has so far been fruitless. But a lack of stronger alternatives for HRC puts the 2020 world champion in an advantageous position, assuming he doesn’t walk away to another team.
Pramac Ducati
Rider 1: TBC
Rider 2: TBC
Pramac’s current line-up of Jorge Martin and Franco Morbidelli are both out of contract at the end of the year.
Team boss Gino Borsoi has already told Autosport that he thinks Martin is racing his last season with the satellite Ducati squad, as he looks to make the step to a factory outfit.
Moto2 star Fermin Aldeguer is thought to be getting one of those Pramac Ducatis next year, after signing a two-year deal with the Italian manufacturer. But Pramac could partner with another manufacturer, making Aldeguer’s placement not a guarantee.
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 providing Honda doesn’t have an alternate option.
Gresini Ducati
Rider 1: TBC
Rider 2: TBC
Neither of the Marquez brothers have contracts in place with Gresini Racing beyond this year.
Gresini has another year left on its current Ducati deal.
VR46 Ducati
Rider 1: TBC
Rider 2: TBC
Like Gresini, neither of the VR46 riders have contracts beyond the current year.
Marco Bezzecchi elected to remain with VR46 instead of stepping up to the factory-supported Pramac team for 2024 – a move that has so far backfired as he struggles to adapt to the 2023-spec Ducati.
A VR46 Academy rider, should no factory team alternative come forth for Bezzecchi, it’s unlikely VR46 will part ways with him.
Fabio Di Giannantonio was offered a career lifeline by VR46 late last year after he lost his Gresini ride to Marc Marquez before going on to win his first grand prix in Qatar. With no strong VR46 Academy candidates waiting in the wings, strong showings from Di Giannantonio will go a long way to securing a place for 2025.
VR46 is also in the process of deciding whether to continue with Ducati or potentially partner up with Yamaha for 2025. The latter coming to pass would likely have big ramifications on which riders it would field.
Trackhouse Racing
Rider 1: TBC
Rider 2: TBC
Both Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez signed two-year deals with Aprilia in 2023 to race with the RNF squad, which was taken over by Trackhouse Racing for 2024 after the former collapsed due to irreparable problems with majority owner CryptoDATA.
Those contracts have been honoured by Trackhouse, but it will be keeping a keen eye on the rider market.
A strong showing from US racer Joe Roberts in Moto2 this year could earn him a step to MotoGP with Trackhouse next year – something new series owner Liberty Media would likely be keen to see as it looks to boost MotoGP’s presence in America.
Tech3 GasGas
Rider 1: TBC
Rider 2: TBC
The KTM satellite team’s line-up for 2025 is unclear at the moment.
Augusto Fernandez was chosen over Pol Espargaro to continue with Tech3 for 2024, but has struggled so far.
Team-mate Acosta has shone, with the 19-year-old scoring a maiden podium at the Portuguese GP. As previously mentioned, Acosta looks destined to make a factory KTM team step for 2025.
