MotoGP 2018: Improved machines, contract extension & new opportunities

The 2018 MotoGP season looks more exciting - both on and off the track. 

While there are still a couple of months left before the 2018 MotoGP season kicks off in full swing, the proceedings have already begun. It all started with a couple of weeks ago when Ducati unveiled the Desmosedici GP18 in Bologna, followed by Yamaha revealing the 2018 livery on the M1 in Madrid. However, between these two events, a lot many significant things have also taken place in the background.

Let’s start with Ducati first. After Andrea Dovizioso’s stellar performance last season and Jorge Lorenzo’s improved form in the second half of 2017, Ducati is looking more confident than ever before. The Italian team is certain that its riders will up the game in 2018 and both will be championship contenders. Now it may look like Ducati is banking heavily on its riders, but then they also claim to have improved the motorcycle this year. The GP18 will have more power than before and it’ll be much easier to ride – Ducati has apparently worked on improving the mid-corner stability and handling characteristics of the bike based on the inputs received from its riders. The aerodynamics have been improved, too. Looking at the bikes that were unveiled during the event, you may not notice any substantial changes. And that’s true because as it happens with these pre-test press conferences, they are only to showcase the new colours or livery, so, mostly manufacturers display old bikes - the real GP18, with all the aerodynamic changes and new fairing, will only be unveiled once the testing begins in Sepang.

Another interesting thing about this season is that six top factory riders will be out of contract by the end of 2018. Usually, teams try to close the deal as soon as possible because, well, these are the top 6 motorcycle racers we’re talking about! So, it’s obvious, that they’re the most wanted out there. 

Of the six bigshots though, Maverick Vinales has already made the decision to stick with Yamaha for two more years, meaning he’ll be racing for Movistar Yamaha until 2020. Vinales’ teammate, Valentino Rossi, however, is still “thinking” about renewing his contract. You see, after finishing fifth in the championship last year, Rossi said that he’ll analyse the situation after first two or three races in 2018 and if he thinks he and Yamaha can still be competitive, only then will he renew the contract. Otherwise, he may retire!

Yamaha, meanwhile, is apparently trying to rope in Rossi for another two years. And why won’t they? Rossi is a brand in itself and a cash cow for the company. He might not have won a championship upon returning in 2013, but nobody can deny that he’s still competitive after all these years. It’s also likely that Rossi will only renew the contract for a year, and not two. But, there’s a long wait before Rossi makes a final decision.

Ducati is expected to retain both their riders – Dovizioso and Lorenzo. However, the Bolognese team will most likely wait until the first few races to gauge the performance of its riders, before drafting a final proposal to the riders. If Dovizioso continues to dominate Lorenzo on the track like in 2017, Ducati may want to increase his paycheque while Lorenzo might get a significant salary cut.  

With four-championships in five seasons with the Repsol Honda team, there’s no way that HRC is going to let Marquez go anywhere else. And, as a result, expect Marquez to extend his contract till 2020 as well. However, his current teammate, Dani Pedrosa, will be in a dicey situation from 2019 as Honda may want to drop him. One may argue that Pedrosa has been winning consistently on a Honda and has always been in the top five riders, so he should be retained. However, it’s been more than a decade riding the Repsol Honda RCV and the Spaniard hasn’t wrapped up a title so far. Sure, he has suffered bad injuries and bad luck (San Marino 2012, anyone?), but at the end of the day, it’s the numbers that count. And, on that merit, HRC may decide to replace Pedrosa with some up-and-coming talent. That said, there’s a good chance of Pedrosa staying in the Repsol Honda camp because of his consistency and the fact that he’s still competitive and at the same time, he's an ideal team player. 

Apart from the biggies, the Tech 3 Monster Yamaha is another team whose future is unsure. A few days ago, Jonas Folger pulled out of the 2018 season owing to health issues. So, the team is currently working on his replacement. Secondly, Johan Zarco. The Frenchman was the rookie sensation of 2017 and almost all experts and pundits of the sport believe that he deserves a factory ride at the earliest. Now with Movistar Yamaha extending Vinales’ contract and Rossi still willing to race, Zarco may want to step out of the satellite Yamaha team as there's no place for him in the factory squad in the foreseeable future. Rumour has it that he’s been approached by factory KTM team to sign for 2019-20.

All told, the first test of the 2018 MotoGP season kicks on January 28 and we’ll see how the season shapes up in the coming few months.