With Marc Marquez becoming a member of Francesco Bagnaia within the Ducati Lenovo Staff, Pedro Acosta entering into the manufacturing facility KTM squad, and Jorge Martin becoming a member of Aprilia in 2025, there’s lots to be enthusiastic about for MotoGP this 12 months. However what about outdoors of bike racing’s premier class? Who’s going to catch the attention elsewhere?
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Toprak Razgatlioglu’s 2024 season was, when it comes to numbers, probably not that spectacular in any respect if you evaluate it to Alvaro Bautista’s 2023 marketing campaign.
The place Bautista received 27 races in his second world title 12 months, Razgatlioglu managed solely 18 in his. Plus, Razgatlioglu’s closing factors tally in 2024 was 101 lower than Bautista managed the 12 months earlier than.
A lot of that, in fact, was due to Razgatlioglu’s crash in apply at Magny-Cours by which he punctured his lung, which left him out of motion for 2 rounds, and due to this fact six races.
Of the races he began, Razgatlioglu completed off the rostrum in three: two of these had been on the first spherical in Phillip Island (oe of which was a terminal bike failure), and the opposite was a ninth place within the Assen Superpole Race the place he destroyed an SCQ tyre in about three laps.
It’s simple to neglect that Razgatlioglu’s title-winning 2024 was his first 12 months on the BMW M1000 RR, a motorbike which hadn’t received a race within the dry ever, and which hadn’t received in any respect since 2021. BMW as a producer had by no means been champion earlier than this 12 months, and neither had the SMR crew that runs BMW’s manufacturing facility effort because it joined WorldSBK from BSB in 2016.
The implication of that, in fact, is that there’s nonetheless room for Razgatlioglu to enhance with BMW, which presumably isn’t an particularly enthusing idea for anybody else lining up on a WorldSBK grid this 12 months.
In reality, it may not be such an attractive prospect even for some followers watching at dwelling. Razgatlioglu is definitely one of the vital thrilling riders in latest bike racing historical past, and arguably probably the most thrilling of all at this time second, however individuals get tired of dominance.
In any case, nobody might moderately argue in opposition to the concept Marc Marquez is an thrilling rider, however his dominance of MotoGP in 2014 had turn out to be comparatively boring by Indianapolis.
David Alonso
The 2024 Moto3 season was a spectacular show of dominance from David Alonso. 14 wins and 15 podiums from 20 races, profitable when he was the quickest in addition to when he wasn’t, and usually displaying himself to have a larger racing mind than any of his opponents.
Naturally, after such a season, Alonso is shifting as much as Moto2 for 2025. The first concern is his measurement, which appeared excellent for Moto3, however is likely to be much less suited to a much bigger, heavier Moto2 machine.
Actually, ought to Alonso’s measurement show to be a difficulty, the intelligence, humility, and quietness he displayed in 2024 needs to be of help in his seek for an answer.
Ought to Alonso’s measurement be not hinder his efficiency, the Colombian is nicely able to turning a aggressive package deal right into a victory: his 18 wins to date is the same as new MotoGP World Champion Jorge Martin, and Alex Rins, and among the many riders competing full-time in 2025 is fewer solely than Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.
Typically, the signal of a rider destined for greatness is their pace in adapting to a brand new bike or a brand new class, and we are going to get to see how shortly Alonso — clearly probably the most thrilling expertise within the decrease classes in the intervening time — can adapt in 2025.
Davey Todd
Davey Todd had been earmarked as a possible TT winner since at the least 2022, and he lastly made {that a} actuality in 2024, profitable each the second Superstock TT and the Senior TT final 12 months.
The Englishman isn’t solely an particularly competent rider, but additionally fairly a spectacular one.
He’s not essentially one to wrestle the bike in fairly the dramatic method of Michael Dunlop, for instance, however he’s lots able to placing the bike sideways — usually as if he’s using a brief circuit — in a method that appears completely managed.
Apart from the TT, Todd will certainly be the person to beat on the North West 200 this 12 months on the massive bikes, particularly with Glenn Irwin having stepped away from street racing for 2025.
Plus, Todd can be again in BSB this 12 months, having received his second Nationwide Superstock title in three seasons in 2024. The BMW may not have proven to be probably the most aggressive package deal within the championship final season, however the FHO crew is one which received with BMW in BSB as lately as 2023.
All in all, 2025 might see Davey Todd distinguish himself as one of the best all-rounder, able to profitable on the roads, and preventing it out with one of the best in Britain on the quick circuits.
Nicolo Bulega
Whereas Toprak Razgatlioglu distinguished himself as one of the best rider in WorldSBK final 12 months, Nicolo Bulega proved himself to be the rider capable of be closest to him.
Whereas that isn’t particularly thrilling in itself, it was Bulega’s rookie season and one by which he needed to set up himself in a manufacturing facility Ducati crew that had revolved round Alvaro Bautista for the earlier two seasons.
A second 12 months within the Superbike class can hardly be anticipated to see Bulega decline, and whereas Razgatlioglu will certainly discover enhancements in his second 12 months with BMW the Italian shouldn’t be discounted from making the 2025 season a extra close-run affair than 2024.
Guido Pini
Guido Pini has been a late addition to the Moto3 World Championship grid in 2025, having introduced his signature with the Intact GP crew solely final month.
He’ll companion David Munoz at Intact, one other rider who got here to Moto3 with a whole lot of promise, which he has usually did not dwell as much as to date.
Pini, who is not going to flip 17 till later this month, solely raced seven instances within the JuniorGP sequence final 12 months, however completed second within the championship at his first try with three wins, two seconds, and a pair of fourth locations.
The Italian is at the moment below the administration of Emilio Alzamora, who has beforehand guided the careers of Alex and Marc Marquez, however can be at the moment recovering from his second main damage within the house of a 12 months.
Pini’s low race mileage in 2024 was due primarily to accidents sustained at first of final 12 months which stored him out of the primary three rounds of JuniorGP, and solely final week the Italian teen fractured each legs in a coaching accident.
All of which means it can possible be a tough starting to life in Grands Prix for Pini, who can be notable for his peak, however he is available in with a stellar CV: he additionally received the European Expertise Cup in 2022, and completed as runner-up in the identical sequence the 12 months after, ending behind Max Quiles who, below the steering of the aforementioned Marc Marquez, may also make his World Championship debut this 12 months with the Aspar crew.
