As we reach the halfway point of the season, it is time to look at the duels within the teams themselves. In MotoGP, as in other motor sports, it is often said that the teammate is the first rider to beat, before even thinking about placing well overall. For you, I calculated the gap between all teammates and there are some surprises. Are you ready? Here we go!
To do this, I will briefly present each duo, with a short comment each time, in descending order of the points that separate them.
1) Martin vs Morbidelli – 197 points
We expected to see a gap between the two Pramac Racing thieves, of course, but personally, seeing almost 200 units shocked me. Yes, Morbidelli missed the pre-season and thus discovered the Ducati Desmosedici GP24 without preparation and it is also true that he is limiting the damage lately. But this chasm is just immense, also highlighting the talent and near-perfect execution of Jorge Martin in 2024.
2) Acosta vs. A. Fernandez – 109 points
For once, it was obvious, even expected. Rarely have we seen a rookie generate so much excitement. At the start of the season, he delighted us all. It's a little harder at the moment, it's true, but it's still much better than what Augusto Fernandez at GasGas Tech3. The latter has been nowhere since mid-2023 season, and barring any surprises, will not be a starter in 2025.
3) M. Marquez vs A. Marquez – 94 points
Regardless of the context, it is almost impossible to beat Marc Marquez on equal terms. Besides, when he wasn't injured, this never happened. If we add to this the rather anecdotal start to the year signed by Alex Marquez at Gresini Racing, so it can only work in the favor of the eight-time world champion, even without victory.
4) Binder vs. Miller – 81 points
Within the KTM factory, the correction is clean, without burrs. Miller does not see the light of day, and its future in MotoGP is still under threat at the time of writing. Currently 15th, he is the last official driver of a European brand in the general classification, miles away from a Brad Binder who is less strong than last year, certainly, but which continues to grow in power.
5) Bagnaia vs Bastianini – 61 points
Without doubt one of the most surprising differences. Bastianini is having a huge season, marked by two victories including the Sprints, podiums in spades and exemplary consistency. And yet, he is 61 points behind Pecco Bagnaia, championship leader and definitively n°1 at Ducati Corse. Many predicted the darkest of fates for Pecco when “Bestia” was signed with the reds for 2023. Two years later, these discussions are obsolete.
Spicy 😈 Always crazy to ride here 🇦🇹 P3 #AustrianGP
📸Rob Gray pic.twitter.com/oc7MqQaAvI
— Jorge Martín Almoguera (@88jorgemartin) August 16, 2024
6) Quartararo vs Rins – 41 points
This gap is more difficult to understand, in particular because Rins has only just arrived and he has already been injured. However, it is true that I expected a little more from the Spaniard, renowned for his intrinsic speed, his brilliant moves and his ability to adapt. Ultimately, he is very far away, even from a fairly deserving Quartararo overall, who is still 14th overall and first driver in the Japan Cup.
7) Di Giannantonio vs Bezzecchi – 31 points
The duel at VR46 was perfectly interesting, and one of the keys to this transfer window. Thanks to its solidity, “Diggia” was able to obtain one of the best possible handlebars for 2025, still in Valentino Rossi's team. Bezzecchi, very disappointing, can't do anything about it. This gap of 31 units, already quite significant, is further weighted by the absence of Di Giannantonio during the Austrian Grand Prix due to injury.
8) A. Espargaro vs Vinales – 26 points
The pair of Aprilia officials is the one that surprised me the most, of all. I had to use the calculator twice to be sure. In fact, I couldn't believe that Maverick Vinales, who was on the podium at the start of the season, winner of a race and a Sprint, pole-sitter, had wasted his lead over a 35-year-old Aleix Espargaro who missed two races due to injury. Finally, there are “only” 26 points between the two, it’s crazy.
9) Mir vs Marini – 12 points
There, we arrive in a somewhat strange area of the ranking, where one driver can have triple the points of another... with just three points. Luca Marini, still one unit on the clock, is doing worse than Joan Mir, at 13 pawns. I never imagined the Italian would struggle so much at Honda Repsol, even if he has shown some signs of progress lately. Mir is doing not too badly (to put it into perspective), but at what cost and for how long? He falls very often, without hurting himself, fortunately. Let's hope it lasts.
10) Oliveira vs R. Fernandez – 9 points
Without a doubt the least interesting duel in the entire grid. The sauce doesn't take at Trackhouse. I expected a lot more from both and in particular from Miguel Oliveira who I saw as the main outsider this season. He had some good races, but it was just too little. Raul Fernandez, nine points behind while he had an Aprilia RS-GP23 until the Sachsenring, didn't do much better and has two retirements in the last two races.
11) Zarco vs Nakagami – 1 point
Another surprise, and not the least. While I've been saying for four years that this is the last season we'll see Nakagami in MotoGP, the Japanese persists, and rightly so! He is almost level with Johann Zarco, currently the best Honda rider in the standings (one point ahead of Mir and Nakagami). While the status of n°1 at Honda quite logically goes to the Frenchman, I really didn't imagine Nakagami at his level. He was still the best pilot of the winged firm in Austria! There is a world where Taka' becomes the highest ranked Honda employee at the end of the season, which would be crazy.
What do you think of these little statistics? Which differences surprised you the most? Tell me in the comments!
As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport