Let's talk MotoGP: But who will succeed Pedro Acosta?

The start of the season MotoGP 2024 is fast approaching. Naturally, it's also the return of small cars, and that's what this article is about. Not everyone has the time to focus on Moto2 and Moto3, so this paper can help you identify the future talents who, one day perhaps, will litter the grid of the most prestigious of categories. An overview is necessary. Today, we are looking at Moto2, before returning, tomorrow, same time, to Moto3 which promises to be more complicated to decipher.

 

The logical favorite?

 

Let's start strong with the one that revealed itself at the end of the Moto2 season in 2023; Fermín Aldeguer. He performed at Speed ​​Up Racing, and he's back with his team! A continuity which could well offer him a world champion title. On the one hand, Speed ​​Up/Boscoscuro is now at Kalex's level, and on the other, Aldeguer is a talent like we have rarely seen in this class. As a reminder, last year, he became the first driver to win four consecutive Grands Prix since Toni Elias in 2010. Beyond “simple” victories, he regularly won by more than six seconds! Clearly, he is one to watch closely.

 

 

The Ajo magic trick

 

More than a driver, it's a team that must be kept in the sights. Every year, Aki Ajo, responsible for KTM's Moto3 and Moto2 entries, manages to find the miracle formula to perform, regardless of the riders who come under his leadership. It's striking, and besides, in a one-make category like Moto2, he managed to win the last three titles! With Remy Gardner in 2021, then, with Augusto Fernandez in 2022, and finally, with Pedro Acosta last year. So, obviously, when we see the brand new pair, there is reason to expect a lot from it. The box will be shared by the Turk Deniz Öncü, very strong in Moto3 – especially in close combat – although handicapped by his size; a move to Moto2 bodes well. The other, Celestine Vietti, winner of the Austrian GP in the intermediate category during the 2023 season. Even if he has gone from favorite to outsider status, Vietti remains a sure bet that we have already highlighted in this series of articles . Be careful not to underestimate his champion spirit.

 

In close rows

 

This last point aims to cite some pilots, and draw some initial conclusions. Firstly, I don't think the rookies will make much of a splash if we except Öncü and the Ajo context; neither Ayumu Sasaki, nor Jaume Masia, nor Diogo Moreira seem ready to fight in front. Especially since they are not involved in top teams.

Then, the cases Aron Canet and Tony Arbolino. They are very strong, that's for sure, and both are perfectly capable of winning; I have no doubt about it. But a somewhat pessimistic thought comes to mind: didn't they miss their chances? When we see the progression of Manuel Gonzalez, Marcos Ramirez, or even the general form of Alonso Lopez and other Jake Dixons, there is reason to ask questions. Didn't they burn their jokers, miss their shooting windows when they had to make their place in 2023? This is just one lead, and of course I wish them the best. But it is clear that both, with different profiles, have weaknesses that could cost them in the hunt for the title.

 

 

The prognosis

 

Come on, you have to get wet. Who will be 2 Moto2024 world champion? I invite you to tell me in comments. For my part, and it's risky, I imagine a battle between Fermín Aldeguer and Celestino Vietti, to the advantage of the latter. Aldeguer will be faster, that's a certainty, but he still lacks experience, while the Ajo opportunity can tip the scales for Celestino. Furthermore, Kalex is not sitting idly by and sees the Boscoscuro threat growing just like us. I imagine a season like Augusto Fernandez 2022, especially since their respective dynamics are similar at this point in their careers.

 

 

Cover photo: Red Bull KTM Ajo