Jack Miller future, could he be demoted for Pedro Acosta early, KTM, 2025 rider market, news

Jack Miller future, could he be demoted for Pedro Acosta early, KTM, 2025 rider market, news

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Ducati-Ducati-Ducati. Say it once, for the bikes used by the three riders who finished on the podium at last weekend’s German Grand Prix. Then say it five more times, for the bikes used by the three rostrum finishers in all five races in Spain, France, Catalunya, Italy and the Netherlands that preceded MotoGP’s annual sojourn to the Sachsenring. With eight bikes on the grid compared to four (or, in Yamaha’s case, two) for its rival manufacturers, Ducati has the statistical probability to populate the MotoGP podium. But it’s more than simply being a case of strength in numbers for the fastest bike in MotoGP. More machinery and more speed means Ducati only has intermittent competition as it dominates the world championship for a second straight year. Every MotoGP qualifying, practice and race LIVE and ad-break free from lights out to the chequered flag. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >What – or who – could be the antidote to that imbalance? It might rest on the narrow shoulders of a rider barely seven weeks out of his teens. Pedro Acosta’s rookie season riding a KTM RC16 for the Austrian brand’s second-tier Tech3 GasGas team was so good initially that the Spaniard was being spoken about as the best debutant since the likes of Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa – that is, the best ever. And while Acosta’s results have regressed slightly since in the wake of Ducati’s relentless onslaught, KTM’s best chance to emerge from the pack to be Ducati’s primary challenger in the future involves getting its best rider into its factory team in place of Jack Miller. Not next year, as planned. Right now. MORE MOTOGP NEWSRIDER RANKINGS The top 10 MotoGP riders of the first half of 2024NEW TEAM, NEW HOPE? Miller’s left-field lifeline after Pramac dumps DucatiThat’s the view of Simon Patterson, of the most prominent members of MotoGP’s international press pack; harsh as it sounds to bin off Miller with half of 2024 remaining, Patterson believes KTM getting a running start on its 2025 quest to unseat Ducati from its throne of dominance can only be of benefit. Acosta is that good. Given Miller was told he’d be replaced by Acosta for 2025 at the Italian Grand Prix – and snubbed for Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales at Tech3 soon after – he’s already been very publicly dismissed as being surplus to needs for both KTM-run squads. Why, Patterson argues, delay the inevitable and give yourself a steeper mountain to climb next season?“For me, that’s what it fundamentally comes down to – this kid [Acosta] has the potential to be a championship contender as soon as next year, so you give him every advantage you can to try to make that happen as soon as you can,” he says. “It doesn’t cost you anything to do it, so why wouldn’t you? What possible reason is there for not doing it, apart from maybe the fact that it’ll make you look bad if you shift Jack? But this is KTM, and they have a long history of making themselves look bad …“I can’t see any reason why you’d continue with the Jack project, knowing that it’s over and knowing that it hasn’t achieved what it was set out to achieve, and knowing that Acosta is sitting there ready to go and could make the benefit from learning the [factory] squad and learning development. “He’s so fast, but at the same time he’s so young that he’s not done that yet. He could do that this year, not have to spend the first part of 2025 getting his head around that.”Acosta finished on the MotoGP podium in just his second Grand Prix in Portugal this season. (Gold and Goose/Red Bull Content Pool/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesCONTRACTUAL, STATISTICAL CASES FOR CHANGEGiven Acosta’s glittering junior-class CV – and that Miller’s teammate Brad Binder was already locked away until the end of 2026 by KTM last season – the Australian was always fighting a losing battle to keep his seat for next year; the optics of Acosta tussling with Marquez for fourth on his Grand Prix debut in Qatar in March while Miller trundled around at the back after crashing was the worst possible first impression, and Acosta’s inevitable ascension for 2025 was announced at Mugello in June. Given KTM’s historical penchant for eschewing sentimentality when it comes to its rider line-up, the fact the Acosta/Miller swap hasn’t already happened is something of a surprise. KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer was questioned on the possibility of an exchange between the GasGas and factory KTM teams as early as round three in Austin, but shot the story down – while revealing the ability to do just that. “Pedro’s achievements are an absolute highlight but no, that is not an option for us,” Beirer told German publication Motorsport Magazin.“All four of our riders in MotoGP have factory contracts, so you are not tied to a specific team. From a contractual point of view, there is no hurdle to changing anything. It is still completely absurd to think about such changes during the season.”Miller’s 2024 got off to a rough start in Qatar, and hasn’t got a lot better since. (Gold and Goose/Red Bull Content Pool/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesStatistically at least, there’s every justification for making an in-season switch despite Beirer’s denial. Miller could have repeated last year’s 11th-place championship finish and it still likely wouldn’t have been enough, but equally has done himself few favours with his worst season since 2016. When you consider Miller has more MotoGP seasons (10) than Acosta has Grands Prix (nine) on his CV, 2024 serves up a brutal set of statistics. Acosta vs. Miller, 2024Points: Acosta 110 (6th in world championship), Miller 35 (16th)Points in sprint races: Acosta 38, Miller 13Points in Grands Prix: Acosta 72, Miller 22Best sprint race result: Acosta 2nd (Spain), Miller 5th (Portugal)Best Grand Prix result: Acosta 2nd (Americas), Miller 5th (Portugal)Qualifying head-to-head: Acosta 8, Miller 1Sprint race head-to-head: Acosta 7, Miller 2Grand Prix head-to-head: Acosta 5, Miller 0Acosta’s advantage in Grands Prix: 31.166secs (Qatar), 11.075secs (Portugal), 22.283secs (Americas), 20.916secs (Italy), 10.679secs (Germany)(Miller crashed and didn’t finish in Spain, France and Catalunya; Acosta did likewise in the Netherlands)SWITCH MIGHT HURT, YET HELP MILLER’S CAUSEMight leaving Miller to see out his time at KTM where he is – while keeping Acosta on a short leash at GasGas – cause tension over the final 11 Grand Prix weekends as Miller turns up to work for an employer who doesn’t want him? Truth be told, it already has. After Beirer and KTM used the Marquez-caused rider market chaos to swoop in and sign Bastianini from Ducati and Vinales from Aprilia for Tech3 during three-week break between Italy and the Netherlands, Beirer bizarrely praised Miller’s role in making the RC16 a better bike since the 29-year-old crossed from Ducati at the end of 2022 … in a press call explaining why he’d been sacked.“Jack, his crew chief [Christian Pupulin] and then the team, they did something to the bike which we never did before,” Beirer acknowledged. “At the beginning of last year, they extended the potential of KTM. They showed us new things where we didn’t want to go with the KTM before, so he made us better. But already last year in the second part of the season, Brad [Binder] could benefit much more from what Jack did to the bike than Jack himself. Jack started to have problems during last year and we could never recover. “Jack made our bike better, and it looks like at the moment he’s maybe the last one to benefit from that.” MORE MOTOGP COVERAGEGERMAN GP TALKING POINTS Champ’s patience pays, Marquez brothers make history‘HE SEES YOU BLEEDING, HE BITES HARDER’ Legend’s warning with champs on collision courseMiller, in his first public comments at Assen weeks after the Tech3 door was deadbolted, claimed he’d been blindsided, and that the Austrian factory had gone back on its word.“The last I heard it was ‘don’t bother talking to anybody, we want to keep you in the family’,” Miller said.“And then you get a phone call three hours before the [Bastianini and Vinales signings] press release gets launched saying ‘you’re not getting a contract’. So I was surprised to say the least. But it is what it is. “Up until [the final race in] Valencia, I will continue … I’m a professional and we get paid to do this job, so I’ll continue to be a professional all the way up until I move, as I did in Ducati, as I did in Honda. We’ll continue to push until the end.“It’s about gaining knowledge, gaining experience and developing the bike, and that’s where I felt we were heading. Management had a different plan, so that’s up to them.”Miller felt he’d been blindsided by KTM’s decision to sign other riders for its vacant Tech3 seats. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPatterson feels Miller would arguably benefit from a mid-season switch, which would give him 11 Grand Prix weekends to put his best foot forward to extend his MotoGP tenure into an 11th season. “I don’t think Jack would care if they made the switch – if anything it would take some of the pressure off him,” he says. “I don’t see any reason why KTM wouldn’t, but equally there’s been no noises that they’re going to, so far. “The only reason I can possibly think is something to do with that they’re trying to keep [Tech3 GasGas team principal Herve] Poncharal sweet. They’re not not doing it, for now, because they’re trying to be nice to Jack.”

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Trackhouse set the record straight about signing Jack Miller or Joe Roberts | MotoGP

Trackhouse set the record straight about signing Jack Miller or Joe Roberts | MotoGP

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Trackhouse have offered an insight into their rider market dealings for next season.Raul Fernandez and Miguel Oliveira’s contracts are both expiring so the rebranded US-backed team have an uncertain 2025 MotoGP rider line-up.Fernandez is believed to be in advanced talks with the team over a new deal.But Trackhouse are keeping their options open by talking to other out-of-work riders, namely Jack Miller.Team boss Davide Brivio said to TNT Sports about keeping Fernandez and Oliveira for 2025: “The priority is to talk with both of them. The reality is that we are quite close to Raul.“He’s happy to stay, we are happy with him. We think he has great potential. It has worked, this journey with him.“We are also talking to Miguel. He has other options.“We have to see where we can find the good balance point, and make him happy to stay. We are working on that.”The rebrand of the team for this season, making them the first American team in over a decade, has created whispers that they could aim to bring a US rider into MotoGP.Joe Roberts is the outstanding candidate. He is currently third in Moto2, and has insisted that he has interest from more than one MotoGP team for 2025.This could be Plan B or Plan C, looking at other riders in case we can’t find a good agreement with Miguel,” Brivio clarified.“Everybody knows, more or less, the market is quite clear. There is one expert rider available otherwise you have to go for a rookie.”Calls from managers ‘decreasing’Miller is looking for a new team, after being squeezed out at KTM.“Yes we are talking to Jack,” Brivio admitted.“I get calls from managers. The calls are decreasing day-by-day!“That’s how it works, there is nothing to hide. You get a call, you know who is available, you keep talking.“It works like this for team managers and riders. I am sure Miguel and Jack are talking to several teams, that is the game!”Trackhouse enjoyed their best day of the MotoGP season last Saturday in Germany.Oliveira qualified second, and Fernandez third, for the German MotoGP. Oliveira then enjoyed a podium finish – his team’s first of 2024 – in the sprint.It was reward for the work implemented by Brivio since his arrival earlier this year.He had previously worked with Suzuki in MotoGP, leading Joan Mir to the 2020 championship, but was more recently working in Formula 1.Brivio said: “I have just arrived. We are trying to build something, to establish the team.“It is complicated, with the market. We are trying to create a good atmosphere, and to stick together, especially with Raul and Miguel.“We want a culture of pushing, keep working, not giving up.”

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Rider ratings halfway through season, top 10 riders analysis, Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin, Jack Miller, Fabio Quartararo

Rider ratings halfway through season, top 10 riders analysis, Francesco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Jorge Martin, Jack Miller, Fabio Quartararo

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There’s maths, and there’s MotoGP maths. Consider: the 20-race 2024 calendar – assuming it gets to 20 races after the cancellation of Argentina, the postponement of India until 2025, the pushing back of Kazakhstan from last year to June 2024, and again to September if it goes ahead at all – means MotoGP’s first nine events have happened in 17 weeks, with the final 11 taking place in just 16 weeks from August to November. With the recent races in the Netherlands and Germany on back-to-back weekends in a nine-week span, it’s time to take stock of 2024 and contemplate what we’ve learned after nine of 20 – maybe 19 – rounds this season.Every MotoGP qualifying, practice and race LIVE and ad-break free from lights out to the chequered flag. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >Has the madcap 2025 rider market overshadowed this season while shaping next? What are the prevailing – and emerging – narratives? And is the balance of 2024 set for a repeat of the Francesco Bagnaia vs. Jorge Martin battle from last year, one that raged all the way to the season finale in Valencia with plot twists nobody saw coming? They’re all pertinent questions with undetermined answers, but what’s more clear are the riders who have shone – and stumbled – from Qatar to Germany. So far, 27 riders have appeared in at least one race, but who are Fox Sports’ top 10? MORE MOTOGP NEWSGERMAN GP TALKING POINTS Champ’s patience pays, Marquez brothers make historyNEW TEAM, NEW HOPE? Miller’s left-field lifeline after Pramac dumps DucatiTo caveat what’s to come: it’s not simply a matter of listing the top 10 in the standings, as that removes context, expectations, perception and reputation, and doesn’t take into account what machine a rider is working with. So before we reveal who made the cut, there’s a short list of honourable (or dishonourable) mentions. Brad Binder was an outstanding fourth in last year’s championship, but the ceiling of the KTM has been raised by rookie sensation Pedro Acosta this year. Aside from a first-race podium in Qatar, Binder – for all of his experience – has been shown the way by a rider who began the season as a teenager, making you ponder whether his 2023 – strong as it was – extracted the absolute maximum out of the RC16.Ducati pair Franco Morbidelli and Marco Bezzecchi have each been handily beaten by their teammates (Jorge Martin and Fabio Di Giannantonio respectively). Morbidelli gets a pass of sorts after missing all of the pre-season and being nowhere near 100 per cent when he returned after a nasty off-season production bike crash in Portugal, while Bezzecchi – third in last year’s championship – has struggled with Michelin’s 2024-spec rear tyre this season, but parlayed his potential from 2023 to ink a factory Aprilia seat for next year. Aprilia teammates Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez have each shown flashes, but no more than that. Jack Miller’s 2024 – sacked by one KTM team and overlooked for another, jobless for 2025 and on track for his worst season since 2016 – makes him an easy omission.That’s who missed out – so here’s who didn’t. (Note: head-to-head with teammate statistics below only counts sprint races or Grands Prix where both teammates finished).10. FABIO QUARTARARO (YAMAHA)In the Yamaha vs. Honda fight at the back, Quartararo has been the one standout. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 44/15thBest Grand Prix result: 7th (Portugal)Best sprint race result: 5th (Spain)Best qualifying: 8th (France)Points compared to teammates: Quartararo 44, Alex Rins/Remy Gardner 8Head-to-head with teammates in qualifying: Quartararo 6, Rins/Gardner 3Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Quartararo 4, Rins/Gardner 2Head-to-head in sprint races: Quartararo 6, Rins/Gardner 0Summary: The 2021 world champion in 10th when he’s 15th in the standings? It’s all about context. In the unofficial ‘Japanese Cup’ between Yamaha and Honda in the sport’s basement, Quartararo’s 44 points are equal to the combined total of Joan Mir, Johann Zarco, Takaaki Nakagami, Yamaha teammate Alex Rins and Luca Marini; three of that five-rider group are MotoGP race-winners, so it’s not like Quartararo is clobbering a cadre of no-hopers. Getting a Yamaha into the top 10 anywhere with eight Ducatis on the grid is an achievement, and the Frenchman’s quality can still intermittently transcend his machinery. Re-signed for two more years earlier in 2024, Quartararo means Yamaha at least have a rider with proven ability on board to lead it out of the abyss ahead of the 2027 regulatory reset. In the interim, he’ll continue to swipe occasional results of note and get the best out of what he has. 9. ALEX MARQUEZ (DUCATI)Alex Marquez (right) shared the spotlight with his more famous sibling at the Sachsenring. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 79/10thBest Grand Prix result: 3rd (Germany)Best sprint race result: 7th (Qatar)Best qualifying: 4th (Netherlands)Points compared to teammate: Alex Marquez 79, Marc Marquez 166Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Alex Marquez 3, Marc Marquez 6Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Alex Marquez 1, Marc Marquez 6Head-to-head in sprint races: Alex Marquez 0, Marc Marquez 7Summary: Being considered one of 22 riders worthy of a MotoGP seat is quite the achievement, but being the second-best rider in your own team and family can’t be easy for Alex Marquez. It’s been his lot for a while now, of course, and he’s managed it well enough to already earn a two-year contract extension with Gresini for 2025-26. The younger Marquez is always there or thereabouts, never right at the front, but never underachieving on the machinery he’s riding. A German GP podium with his brother – the first siblings to finish together in the top three for 27 years – was a superb way to end a solid first half.8. ALEIX ESPARGARO (APRILIA)Espargaro revealed his retirement plans, then won the Catalunya sprint race. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 82/9thBest Grand Prix result: 4th (Catalunya)Best sprint race result: 1st (Catalunya)Best qualifying: Pole (Catalunya)Points compared to teammate: Espargaro 82, Maverick Vinales 125Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Espargaro 2, Vinales 6Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Espargaro 2, Vinales 3Head-to-head in sprint races: Espargaro 2, Vinales 4Summary: The grid’s oldest rider – Espargaro turns 35 later this month – announced at his beloved Catalunya that 2024 will be his final campaign before retirement, where he’ll take on Honda’s test rider role behind the scenes next season. Aprilia’s ‘Captain’ has had a curious career – his best season was 2022, the 12th of his 14-year tenure – and while the highs of two years ago aren’t as frequent, he’s still capable of occasional heroics, as the aforementioned Catalan round demonstrated. His 2024 stats took a hit after missing Assen and the Sachsenring after breaking a finger in the Netherlands, but it would surprise few if the high point of his farewell tour came at the fast and flowing Silverstone next time out, where he won last August.7. ENEA BASTIANINI (DUCATI)Qualifying performance remains elusive, but Bastianini’s race pace is formidable. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 155/4thBest Grand Prix result: 2nd (Portugal, Italy)Best sprint race result: 4th (France, Netherlands, Germany)Best qualifying: Pole (Portugal)Points compared to teammate: Bastianini 155, Francesco Bagnaia 212Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Bastianini 2, Bagnaia 7Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Bastianini 1, Bagnaia 7Head-to-head in sprint races: Bastianini 2, Bagnaia 4Summary: Sometimes, the eye test pre-empts the stats; in two seasons of MotoGP employing a half-distance sprint race on Saturdays, Bastianini – on the best bike in the field – is yet to even finish on the podium. It’s in keeping with “The Beast’s” reputation as being MotoGP’s foremost tyre whisperer, the diminutive Italian able to save grip on his Michelins to storm forward late in full-distance races and uncork lap times his opponents can’t live with on fading rubber. Qualifying remains a work in progress – he’s started three of nine Grands Prix outside of the first three rows – but you sense a first win of 2024 isn’t far away. 6. MAVERICK VINALES (APRILIA)Vinales ran rings around the rest on MotoGP’s annual visit to Texas. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 125/5thBest Grand Prix result: 1st (Americas)Best sprint race result: 1st (Americas)Best qualifying: Pole (Americas)Points compared to teammate: Vinales 125, Aleix Espargaro 82Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Vinales 6, Espargaro 2Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Vinales 3, Espargaro 2Head-to-head in sprint races: Vinales 4, Espargaro 2Summary: Take away Austin, and the mercurial Vinales has averaged just 11 points per event in 2024 – yet scored 37 in Texas when he took pole, won the sprint and Grand Prix (the latter after falling outside of the top 10 on lap one) and set the fastest lap of the race. It was a victory that made him the first rider ever to win in the premier class with three different manufacturers, a stat that summed the Spaniard up perfectly – he’s fast enough for multiple employers to want him, yet inconsistent enough that he regularly moves on; he’s not finished better than fifth in a race since round three’s dominance. Related: Vinales shifts again to KTM next season, and could just as easily sign off on a three-year Aprilia adventure with a win or a slew of 15th-place head-scratching finishes. 5. FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO (DUCATI)Di Giannantonio has rewritten his MotoGP story in the past nine months. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 92/8thBest Grand Prix result: 4th (Netherlands)Best sprint race result: 5th (Netherlands)Best qualifying: 4th (France)Points compared to teammate: Di Giannantonio 92, Marco Bezzecchi 53Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Di Giannantonio 7, Bezzecchi 2Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Di Giannantonio 4, Bezzecchi 2Head-to-head in sprint races: Di Giannantonio 3, Bezzecchi 1Summary: Five races from the end of 2023, you’d have got long odds on the Italian even being on this year’s grid, let alone as number five on this list. Too high? Arguably. But the 25-year-old has raised his game significantly since scoring his first podium at Phillip Island last October before beating Bagnaia for a famous win in Qatar, comprehensively outclassing Bezzecchi in his first season for the VR46 Ducati squad after Bezzecchi won three races and finished third in the championship last year. Only Marc Marquez has scored more of the riders on Ducati’s 2023 bike, and for results relative to expectation, ‘Diggia’ has no equal. Losing out on a factory Honda vacancy that eventually went to Luca Marini was the mother of all bullets to have dodged, too … 4. PEDRO ACOSTA (GASGAS)Acosta arrived with big wraps – and immediately showed the hype was real. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 110/6thBest Grand Prix result: 2nd (Americas)Best sprint race result: 2nd (Spain)Best qualifying: 2nd (Americas)Points compared to teammate: Acosta 110, Augusto Fernandez 15Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Acosta 9, Fernandez 0Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Acosta 4, Fernandez 0Head-to-head in sprint races: Acosta 7, Fernandez 1Summary: Exceeding expectations when the pre-season hype was as high as Acosta’s is no surprise for the most highly-touted rookie since Marc Marquez, but shouldn’t be underestimated either. In nine races, he’s ended the MotoGP career of teammate Augusto Fernandez – who beat him to the 2022 Moto2 crown – and saw KTM sign him to replace Jack Miller for next year with more than half of this season to go. While Acosta’s results have slowed somewhat since scoring two podiums in his first three Grands Prix, he – at 20 – is the rider most likely to challenge Ducati’s dominance in the next few seasons. With a style that makes other riders shake their heads in wonderment and a maturity that belies his age, Acosta’s ceiling – for this year and the next 10 – looks limitless. 3. JORGE MARTIN (DUCATI)Martin has been as volcanically fast as ever, but remains prone to profligacy. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 212/2ndBest Grand Prix result: 1st (Portugal, France)Best sprint race result: 1st (Qatar, Spain, France, Germany)Best qualifying: Pole (Qatar, France, Italy, Germany)Points compared to teammate: Martin 212, Franco Morbidelli 55Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Martin 9, Morbidelli 0Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Martin 5, Morbidelli 0Head-to-head in sprint races: Martin 8, Morbidelli 0Summary: Too low for the rider who has led the standings after seven of the nine rounds this year? Perhaps … but this is a ranking of the best riders of 2024, not the fastest. If it was the latter, it’s Martin first and daylight second; over one lap in qualifying, and in the short-form sprint races he’s owned (13 wins in 28 starts), nobody is quicker. But the old Martin traits remain from last year’s failed title tilt; he’s still prone to crashing out of the lead in races (Spain and Germany), still defiant afterwards, and still rides with a chip on his shoulder that propels him into championship contention, but could just as easily continue to be an anchor to his ultimate potential. Martin’s rollercoaster isn’t as steep this year it was last, but it’ll be interesting to see if he can reduce the gradient of his rises and falls while knowing, with an Aprilia move for 2025 imminent, this year’s championship chase might be his last chance for some time.2. MARC MARQUEZ (DUCATI)New colours, same Marquez: the six-time MotoGP champion has been rapid from day one on a Ducati. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 166/3rdBest Grand Prix result: 2nd (Spain, France, Germany)Best sprint race result: 2nd (Portugal, Americas, France, Catalunya, Italy)Best qualifying: Pole (Spain)Points compared to teammate: Marc Marquez 166, Alex Marquez 79Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Marc Marquez 6, Alex Marquez 3Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Marc Marquez 6, Alex Marquez 1Head-to-head in sprint races: Marc Marquez 7, Alex Marquez 0Summary: Like Martin, Marquez would be number one if this was another list; in a four-week period, the Spaniard rebooted the 2025 rider market, had a hand in Ducati losing three top-flight riders and two bikes for next year, and reminded anyone who may have forgotten that his power hasn’t faded with his results since his championship avalanche abated in 2019. On track, Marquez has been routinely brilliant, fighting with Bagnaia and Martin on a bike that’s a year older, not getting anywhere near the level of developmental upgrades, and with a team he barely knows. Podiums have been plentiful, but a win to end a drought that has stretched to nearly 1000 days hasn’t happened. Yet. 1. FRANCESCO BAGNAIA (DUCATI)For a third straight year, Bagnaia has asserted himself as the sport’s benchmark. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesPoints/championship position: 222/1stBest Grand Prix result: 1st (Qatar, Spain, Catalunya, Italy, Netherlands, Germany)Best sprint race result: 1st (Italy, Netherlands)Best qualifying: Pole (Netherlands)Points compared to teammate: Bagnaia 222, Enea Bastianini 155Head-to-head with teammate in qualifying: Bagnaia 7, Bastianini 2Head-to-head in Grands Prix: Bagnaia 7, Bastianini 1Head-to-head in sprint races: Bagnaia 4, Bastianini 2Summary: Six victories from nine Grands Prix this season shows what Bagnaia has done and why he’s atop this list, but the numbers only tell part of the story. The 27-year-old is in his sweet spot, wielding his class-leading race management, tactical nous and pure pace to devastating effect, and largely eliminating the self-inflicted wounds of past campaigns that made his world championships harder (2022) and closer (2023) than his speed suggested they should have been. After France, where he trailed Martin by 38 points, Bagnaia won four Grands Prix on the spin, led every lap at Mugello and Assen in both races, and showed why he’s become MotoGP’s modern-day metronome – and number one on this list.

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Jack Miller makes his stance clear about taking a MotoGP test rider role | MotoGP

Jack Miller makes his stance clear about taking a MotoGP test rider role | MotoGP

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Jack Miller has distanced himself from becoming a MotoGP test rider next year.Miller is still seeking a bike for the 2025 MotoGP rider line-up with his options dwindling.The KTM factory rider knows he will be replaced at his current manufacturer but doesn’t want to take a step away from full-time racing.“For the moment, I can’t even put myself in that realm because I don’t think of myself as a test rider,” Miller was quoted by Motorsport.“I enjoy this too much, I enjoy racing. I don’t enjoy the testing side of it, I do it because I enjoy the work because you are working towards a goal.“But in terms of just going round and round in circles on a motorcycle doesn’t excite me.“Going out there and competing with 22 other bikes is what I’m here for. Who knows for the future, but all I want to do is race.”KTM, last year, demoted Pol Espargaro from a full-time race seat to becoming a test rider. They also have Dani Pedrosa in that role.Miller has been critical of how KTM handled his exit – insisting he was originally told not to bother speaking with rival brands because his future would be sorted.But, Miller says, he then received a phone call three hours before the public confirmation that there would be no room for him next season.KTM have named Pedro Acosta in his place, alongside Brad Binder, next year.The Tech3 KTM team have signed Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini, despite Miller’s willingness to move across to their garage.Now, Miller is on the hunt for a new team.There are vacancies at Gresini Ducati, Trackhouse Aprilia and the new Pramac Yamaha project.But competition is stiff with a host of current riders out-of-work, and several Moto2 talents hoping for a step up.

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Brad Binder and Jack Miller point to the same problem with their KTMs | MotoGP

Brad Binder and Jack Miller point to the same problem with their KTMs | MotoGP

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Brad Binder and Jack Miller both had to battle understeer during the sprint race at the German MotoGP on Saturday.Binder ultimately finished eighth, with Jack Miller 11th.Tech3’s Augusto Fernandez was 16th, and Pedro Acosta last after running off the track in the latter stages.Binder explained: “We made some changes before the race, just to find some margin with the front.“We have struggled this weekend with understeer. Whenever we push, we miss turning and have a lot of understeer.“It was really hard on the front tyre.“In the race, we had to try to calm things down a bit.“It seemed to work well. The braking and entry worked pretty good.“We made a tiny step, there. Hopefully [on Sunday] we can make another.”Miller added: “We got a decent start. Quali didn’t go to plan, just missed it a little bit, timing-wise…“But I was able to get a good start. I was tucked in there with Brad, Marc and so on.“I suffered in the first half of the race, until the initial drop of the rear tyre.“Then I felt I could come into my own.“The bike was understeering an awful lot, at the beginning of the race.I tried to nurse that, as best I could.“When the rear dropped, I could manage the front a lot better, and make some moves.“A good little battle with Diggia, Raul and co on the last laps. I was able to get the better of them, that was nice. Good to be in a tussle with them.”The factory KTM pair have been largely kept in the shadow of the prodigious rookie Acosta this season.Binder hasn’t been able to replicate the podium he achieved at the first round of the year, while Miller’s season peaked with a P5 at Portimao.The Sachsenring on Sunday is the latest opportunity for Binder to deliver a reminder of last year’s form, and for Miller to earn a 2025 contract elsewhere after being nudged out by KTM.

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Parker Bell and Jack Turner’s chemistry elevates Florida men’s golf

Parker Bell and Jack Turner’s chemistry elevates Florida men’s golf

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In May, the Florida men’s golf team held fifth place at the West Lafayette regional after two rounds of play, almost qualifying for a spot in the national championship. With the team’s postseason hopes on the line in the third and final round of the tournament, All-SEC freshman Jack Turner and sophomore Parker Bell knew they had to be at their best.
“I just knew that [Turner] was going to put together a good round,” Bell said. “I remember he [said] to be fearless and trust in the training you’ve done to get to this moment.”

The pair played fearlessly as Turner carded 3-under 69 in the final round while Bell parred and secured a top-10 individual finish on the leaderboard at 4-under 212. Florida placed third in the regional and advanced to its fourth-straight national championship behind Turner and Bell’s strong performances.
The duo’s success in the NCAA regional is one example of how Turner and Bell rely on each other. Their friendship, which developed in the fall when Turner arrived at UF, propelled them to new heights.
According to Bell, his first competitive encounter with Turner was at the first starting qualifier of the 2023-24 season when head coach J.C. Deacon pitted his golfers against each other to determine the starting lineup. Turner finished the qualifier in second place with a score of 20-under.
“I was like, ‘Damn, this kid [Turner] can really play,’” Bell said. “We ended up playing a lot of rounds together in that qualifier because I ended up winning [it].”
Freshman Luke Poulter played a key role in bridging the gap between Turner and Bell. Poulter was Bell’s roommate and Turner’s close friend. The three of them would watch football and basketball together on weekends as a friendship blossomed between Turner and Bell. 
“We have very similar mindsets and we’re both super competitive,” Bell said. “I’ve never been one to accept just being average.”

Competition is a huge element for both golfers when teeing off against their foes and among themselves. The teammates constantly try to outperform one another and elevate their game.
Bell lived out his lifelong dream in the 2024 U.S. Open in June when he holed the first birdie of the tournament and earned an even-par 70 in round two. 
Turner was inspired by Bell’s performance on one of the biggest stages the sport of golf has to offer.
“I know I’m just as good as him… so I’m obviously hoping to [one day make it to that stage] myself,” Turner said.

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Turner and Bell’s skills peaked in the spring as they won starting qualifiers and achieved excellent results at various tournaments. Some of their best performances included Turner’s third place finish at the Calusa Cup in April and Bell’s second place finish at the Schenkel Invitational in March. 
“We love to work hard and joke around,” Turner said. “In the [spring], we started traveling a lot together and we’d always room at all of the tournaments.”
Competitiveness isn’t the only notable trait of an outstanding collegiate golfer. Having a lighthearted attitude is just as important as being focused on the serious elements of the game. Being too tense can lead to avoidable errors and cost the team invaluable opportunities. 
While on the road, Turner and Bell create a quality team dynamic. They often make jokes and keep the squad relaxed, which balances perfectly with their focus on the course, said head coach J.C. Deacon.  
“Jack and Parker together are hilarious,” Deacon said. “[Last year’s team] was probably the best culture we’ve ever had.” 
The teammates will continue contributing to the program’s culture in preparation for more significant roles in 2024-25. 
After completing productive campaigns in their freshman and sophomore seasons, Turner and Bell will be able to lead the team and guide incoming freshmen Parker Sands and Zack Swanwick.
“I’m super excited to see what’s in store for the team next year because I really think that… we’re only going to get [better],” Bell said.
Contact Aiden Wacksman at awacksman@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter at @aidenwacksman.

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The Carolina Hurricanes Signing of Jack Roslovic is Puzzling

The Carolina Hurricanes Signing of Jack Roslovic is Puzzling

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New Carolina Hurricanes’ general manager, Eric Tulsky is putting his stamp on this roster as we inch closer to the start of the 2024-25 campaign. Unfortunately, the Canes are in a difficult spot with all the free agent departures and the restricted free agents still needing a contract or trade partner. As goes with the job, some moves will be questioned and some praised but the final judgment won’t be for another year.Tulsky needed to replace the players heading out the door and quickly on July 1st. The focus was on the defense after losing Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce in the early afternoon. His replacements were under the radar but very strong. However, much was left to be desired at the forward position.As July 7th is upon us, the forward group still lacks the scoring to compete with the other top tier teams in not only the Eastern Conference but the Metro Division. The signing of former New York Rangers center, Jack Roslovic was announced and all I could think was that it was extremely underwhelming. In Tulsky’s eyes, it is a one-year contract for a player with talent that continues to underachieve. But this team already has one of those in Jesperi Kotkaniemi.So why bring in the right-handed version of Kotkaniemi to the team in the very same position? Surely this cannot be the right-handed centerman that Don Waddell had been planning to acquire since last year.Roslovic signed on in Carolina for one year worth $2.8 million. He joins a group of centers in Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal, Jack Drury, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Evgeny Kuznetsov. It is a position of depth on the roster and the 27-year-old does not provide much improvement over the aforementioned group.The Ohio native had 9 goals and 31 points between Columbus and New York last season. He was a non factor in the Rangers’non-factor run to the Eastern Conference Finals with just 8 points in 16 games. Having only reached the 20-goal mark once in his career, Roslovic has also failed to reach the 50-point mark.Similar to Kotkaniemi, this is a make-or-break year for Roslovic. He has had a healthy amount of games in the league to know what type of player he will become. It is not comforting to have two players in this category on the same roster. Also, there are players available that could provide an upgrade over not just Roslovic but other players in the locker room.The Martin Necas situation will surely be the exclamation point of the summer and show the path for this squad but right now the forwards have not improved from last year and the pressure will increase on Tulsky each day that goes by this summer without an impact acquisition.

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German Grand Prix, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez, Jack Miller, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Sachsenring

German Grand Prix, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez, Jack Miller, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Sachsenring

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Francesco Bagnaia had seen this movie before, and knew how it could end.What’s more, he’d been in that movie, and as the laps ticked down at the German Grand Prix and Jorge Martin’s leading Ducati got larger in his sights, he had just one thought. Turn the screws, ramp up the pressure. You never know what might happen.Every MotoGP qualifying, practice and race LIVE and ad-break free from lights out to the chequered flag. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >With two laps left in Sunday’s 30-lap race at the Sachsenring, one Martin had largely dominated since lap seven when he reclaimed the lead, the Spaniard cracked, falling from a half-second lead into the first corner, and handing his chief title rival a gift.As Martin gestured to his broken bike in the gravel trap with a mixture of fury and disbelief, Bagnaia swept through to take his fourth Grand Prix victory in succession, the ownership of the series lead, and all of the momentum. But even in that euphoria, the Italian elicited a bit of sympathy, and tried to repress an error he’s never quite forgiven himself for. It was at the same corner at the Sachsenring in 2022 that Bagnaia reached his lowest MotoGP ebb. He’d been fast for the first half of that season, but kept throwing his Ducati at the scenery as Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo built a sizeable series lead. For the fourth time in the first 10 races, Bagnaia fell off and Quartararo won, the Italian’s deficit ballooning to what seemed an insurmountable 91 points. History showed that Bagnaia stopped squandering podiums, started banking the points his pace suggested and overhauled the Frenchman to win that year’s title, and backed it up with another in 2023. He’s well on the way to a hat-trick with Sunday’s victory, but couldn’t prevent his mind wandering back to 2022 in the aftermath. MORE MOTOGP NEWSNO.1 GOES TO NUMBER 1 Bagnaia the beneficiary after Martin’s howlerNEW TEAM, NEW HOPE? Miller’s left-field lifeline after Pramac dumps Ducati“Normally when I crash when I make mistakes, I understand why I did it,” he explained. “I’m always trying to be better. This is what I’m trying to do every time. The mistake I did two years ago here was huge, but also today was very easy to commit the same. Back then, I didn’t understand it but today, yes.”Bagnaia’s 2022 memories explained why, in Sunday’s race, he changed tack after relinquishing the early advantage he’d built over Martin and the rest. Seven laps in, Martin barged back past to take the lead, and Pramac Ducati teammate Franco Morbidelli – rarely seen at the front since finishing championship runner-up in 2020 – aggressively came through too. Bagnaia felt both riders were over the limit, and he could bide his time. “Jorge was doing a superb job and it was very difficult to close the gap to him,” Bagnaia said. “Maybe I lost a bit too much behind Franky [Morbidelli], but he was doing an incredible pace. I just decided to slow down a bit … I think they were a bit too much on the rear tyre so I slow down and was managing it. In the last 15 laps, I started to push back. I was closing it every lap, one-tenth [of a second], one-tenth … and then gaining again, three-tenths in a single lap.“I just think [Martin] tried to remain with five-tenths [of a second] of gap and maybe he brake a bit too much in corner one. As soon as I saw him crashing, I just give up and was one second slower, because I was too much on the limit already.”Bagnaia’s combination of speeds and smarts saw him reclaim the series lead for the first time in round one in Qatar in March, and Martin’s howler meant what could have been a 15-point lead in his favour became a 10-point deficit. It’s not game over yet for Martin in 2024, but if Bagnaia does join Mick Doohan, Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez as the only riders to take a hat-trick of titles in the past three decades come Valencia in November, Germany may go down as the day the worm turned. Martin, as is his custom, was an open book in his assessment of his blunder, while elsewhere at the Sachsenring, Marquez won even though his 11-race winning streak in Germany came to an end, while Jack Miller again went nowhere fast as his final season for KTM pottered along to another off-the-pace result.Bagnaia (1) kept the pressure on Martin (89), and the Spaniard squandered a sure-fire victory. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesMARTIN SLEEPLESS AFTER STUMBLEMartin won both the sprint and Grand Prix at the Sachsenring in Marquez’s absence last season, and looked set to do it again as the ‘King of the ‘Ring’ battled injury and a poor qualifying slot (13th) to effectively take himself out of contention before disaster struck.From pole, Martin was ambushed by Bagnaia at the final corner on lap two, but looked to easily have the reigning world champion’s pace under control before reclaiming the lead on lap seven and managing the gap thereafter. The crash, he said, was something he knew was possible at the first corner because of the Sachsenring’s atypical circuit layout – of its 13 corners, 10 are left-handers, seven of them coming in succession to make left-hand side of the tyres red-hot and the other side for the right-handers – like Turn 1 – stone cold. But it surprised him all the same. “Not at all, I didn’t have a warning that I was crashing,” he said. “It’s a tricky corner on the right side [of the tyre] always, but I didn’t expect it. I was quite strong on that corner, I even overtook Pecco [Bagnaia] there, so I didn’t expect to crash there. But it is what it is. It’s no excuse, I did a big mistake.”Bagnaia’s pace when he’s been in the groove – as he was when winning the sprint and Grand Prix in Italy and the Netherlands leading into Germany – means he’s close to impossible to beat when he’s at the front and confident. But on his ‘off’ days, you have to take full advantage; Martin has now crashed out of the lead in Spain and Germany this season, frittering away points he can’t afford to waste. “We need to analyse why we crashed from the lead, it’s the second time already … if we improve this it will be very difficult for the rest to beat us,” he said.“But we need to solve it. I think today is a really important day in my career. I will learn from this, and I will get back up. “For sure, after leading 27 laps it’s difficult to accept. It’s frustrating and it will be difficult to sleep tonight. “It’s still a really long season, and I have a lot of possibilities to win this title. Now Pecco is in the lead, and it’s more pressure for him.”Martin’s crash was his second from the lead of a Grand Prix this season. (Photo by Radek Mica/AFP)Source: AFPMARQUEZ: ‘I FEEL LIKE I WON’Marquez’s 11 straight wins at the same circuit coming into the weekend – he last lost a race at the Sachsenring in the now-defunct 125cc category in 2009 – is one of the most startling of his many statistical records. And while that run is now over after finishing second to 2025 teammate Bagnaia on Sunday, the 31-year-old couldn’t have been happier to be second-best. And no wonder. On his first visit to his most successful circuit on a Ducati, Marquez’s streak looked nearly impossible to extend when he had a massive crash in Friday practice, a 190km/h highside at the fearsome downhill ‘Waterfall’ corner at Turn 11. He broke his left index finger and badly bruised his ribs in the fall, and qualified just 13th on Saturday, advancing only as far as sixth in the 15-lap sprint race. Sunday, though, was another story. After waking up feeling less stiff and downing some painkillers, Marquez gritted his teeth and ripped the throttle harder. It wasn’t a race without incident – contact with Morbidelli on lap 22 broke the screen of his Ducati – but he fought his way to fourth behind Gresini teammate and younger brother Alex Marquez with four laps left, which became a battle for second two laps later when Martin crashed out.Marc showed as much mercy with Alex as he’d shown his other rivals – none – by bullying his way by at the final corner as the pair started their final laps, and 80-odd seconds later they became the first siblings to finish on the podium in the same race since Japanese brothers Nobuatsu and Takuma Aoki in Imola in 1997. It wasn’t another Sachsenring success, but he felt it was just as satisfying. MORE MOTOGP COVERAGEDUTCH TT TALKING POINTS Bagnaia joins Aussie legends, ‘big change’ bolsters Miller, Marquez bitten by penalty‘THANKS FOR TRUSTING ME’ Gardner’s chance to atone for bitter exit“I feel like I won the race, this is the real feeling,” Marquez said. “It’s a day I will never forget because it will be difficult to repeat in the future. Honestly speaking, this season I say it will be impossible. For me it’s difficult to be in the podium, for him it’s difficult to be in the podium, so to find the same Sunday to be both on the podium was something that was a bit unreal.”Marquez said fighting the pain barrier, knowing a four-week break awaited after the chequered flag, prompted him to tell his team he was capable of “riding in Marquez mode” on Sunday. “Today the ribs were much better, so I can breathe and I can move the bike,” he said. “The finger in the end is broken, it’s moving a bit but now we will fix. But that was not a big problem and didn’t affect my performance. Yesterday the ribs affect my performance but today, not.“Before the race I take one [painkilling] cocktail, tonight I will take another type of cocktail …”.Marc (left) and Alex Marquez (right) became the first brothers to finish together on the podium for 27 years. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesMILLER EXASPERATED AFTER LATEST LOWJack Miller’s post-race debriefs in 2024 have a familiar ring to them. So dire has the Australian’s first half of the season been – he has one top-five result in nine Grands Prix and has scored just 35 points – that his press meetings are either hastily arranged so he can leave the track as soon as possible, or skipped altogether. Sunday at the Sachsenring was the former, after the KTM rider finished 13th and 25.425secs behind race-winner Bagnaia to score three points, over 10secs behind the leading rider on the same RC16 bike, GasGas rookie Pedro Acosta (seventh). As has often been the case this season, Miller’s description of his malaise was direct in parts and evasive in others, brutal in its honesty and baffling for its absence of answers. “The right-hand side of the tyre, I couldn’t get it to come alive,” he explained.“I was losing a lot of time coming out of Turn 3 and down the hill, I was leaving myself pretty vulnerable. I was having to take some serious risk on the brakes down the bottom of the hill, spinning a lot, unable to find grip. “Down the hill was the biggest issue, searching for grip there, then when you hit the kerb there the thing was hooking right up and shaking like a s**ting duck. Many times I went down the bottom of the hill with no brakes, so not ideal …”. With KTM – last year’s primary challenger to Ducati – having fallen behind Aprilia this season, Miller feels he knows why as his time for the Austrian manufacturer has another 11 race weekends to run, and with the options to extend his career into an 11th season in 2025 remaining unclear.“We need to develop more, simple as that,” he said. “We’re on the same package, in terms of base stuff, as Misano [in September] last year. We need more grip, more turning. Speed we’re alright, the engine is strong and the aero package is strong. [But] we need to develop more, we need to work more.”After nine rounds of last year’s championship, Miller had 90 points (55 more than 2024), and was eighth in the standings compared to 16th after Sunday’s Sachsenring race.Miller has managed just 35 points in the opening nine rounds of the season. (Gold and Goose/Red Bull Content Pool)Source: Getty ImagesRIDER MARKET PUZZLE FIXES ANOTHER PIECEWith MotoGP set for its annual four-week summer break before reconvening at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix in early August, another piece of the rider market puzzle looks set to be announced as soon as this week, with the Italian press reporting Fabio Di Giannantonio is set to stay with the VR46 Ducati squad for another two seasons. The 25-year-old has been one of the under-the-radar stars of the 2024 season, comprehensively beating teammate and three-time 2023 race-winner Marco Bezzecchi to sit eighth in the standings after nine rounds. Di Giannantonio was almost lost to MotoGP at the end of last season after he was released from Gresini Ducati to make way for Marc Marquez, but took a maiden premier-class podium at Phillip Island when he finished third, then won the penultimate race of the season in Qatar to seal a deal to ride a 2023-spec Ducati for the Valentino Rossi-owned team this season.Di Giannantonio looks set for a two-year extension to his VR46 Ducati contract. (Photo by Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesDi Giannantonio had been in the frame to ride for the new collaboration between Pramac and Yamaha for next season, which will see the Japanese brand expand from two bikes to four for 2025, Pramac ending a 20-year partnership with Ducati and reducing Ducati’s stable to six machines next season. The Pramac/Yamaha alliance are thought to be keen to pair an experienced rider with a younger rider, perhaps a graduate from the Moto2 feeder series, with the likes of Miller and Aprilia rider Miguel Oliveira, who finished a season-best sixth in Germany on Sunday after qualifying second, among the available likely candidates.

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