To follow or not a rider in the team change? This is the question that every crew chief asks when it comes to a change in the career of the rider he works with.
There are cases where the crew chief follows the rider, as in the case of Jack Miller, but there is also the opposite in which the technician receives the rider to his new team, as in Joan Mir.
In a list shared by SPEEDWEEK.com, it is possible to have access to the list of who is with which of the 22 MotoGP riders for the next season. Then, it is also possible to briefly perceive the changes compared to the current season.
Crew chief of each MotoGP rider in 2023:
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Fabio Quartararo: Diego Gubellini [no change]
Franco Morbidelli: Patrick Primmer [no change]
Repsol Honda Team
Marc Marquez: Santi Hernandez [no change]
Joan Mir: Ramon Aurin [doesn't follow Pol Espagaro to GASGAS]
Ducati
Lenovo Team
Enea Bastianini: Marco Rigamonti [works with Johann Zarco until the end of 2022]
Francesco 'Pecco' Bagnaia: Christian Gabarrini [no change]
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Brad Binder: Andres Madrid [no change]
Jack Miller: Cristhian Pupulin [works with Miller in 2022 at Ducati changes too to KTM]
Aprilia Racing
Aleix Espargaro: Antonio Jimenez [no change]
Maverick Viñales: Jose Manuel Cazeaux [works with Alex Rins em 2022
and changes to Aprilia after Suzuki's exit in MotoGP]
Prima Pramac Racing
Johann Zarco: Massimo Branchini [hired; currently working with Augusto Fernandez at Moto2]
Jorge Martin: Daniele Romagnoli [no change]
LCR Honda
Alex Rins: Christophe Bourguignon [works with Alex Marquez until the end of the current season]
Takaaki Nakagami: Giacomo Guidotti [no change]
GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3
Pol Espargaro: Paul Trevathan [cew
chief of P. Espargaro during 2017 and 2020 at KTM; currently working with Miguel Oliveira]
Augusto Fernandez: Alex Merhand [works with Remy Gardner until the end of the current season]
Aprilia RNF Team
Miguel Oliveira: Giovanni Mattarollo [works with Maverick Viñales until the end of this season]
Raul Fernandez: Noe Herrera [working now with Darryn Binder]
Gresini Racing
Alex Marquez: Donatello Giovanotti [working with Fabio Di
Giannantonio]
Fabio Di Giannantonio: Frankie Carchedi [currently working with Joan Mir at Suzuki]
Mooney VR46 Racing Team
Luca Marini: David Muñoz [no change]
Marco Bezzecchi: Matteo Flamigni [no change]
The recent spate of official rider announcements means that the MotoGP rider line up for 2023 is nearly complete. The official confirmation by Aprilia that Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez would be racing in the RNF Aprilia squad brings the total of confirmed riders signed to 18. All of the factory seats are now occupied, and just four of the satellite seats remain open.
"Open" is probably not the correct description here, however. We are nearly certain of who will occupy those seats in 2023, the only question is when they will be announced.
The seats most likely to be announced first are the VR46 Mooney Ducati squad. That team will remain unchanged, with Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi continuing in the squad. The only question is whether both riders will have a Desmosedici GP23 at their disposal, or just Marini.
At LCR Honda Idemitsu, Takaaki Nakagami is almost certain to stay. Team Honda Asia Moto2 rider Ai Ogura had been widely tipped to take the seat, but the Japanese rider has elected to stay in Moto2 for another season, to try to win a Moto2 crown.
At the Tech3 GasGas squad, Augusto Fernandez is almost certain to join Pol Espargaro. 2021 Moto2 champion Remy Gardner has been told there is no place for him in MotoGP next year, and is looking outside of the grand prix paddock for his future. KTM's policy of dumping rookies quickly continues to mystify onlookers, with both Raul Fernandez and Remy Gardner being ousted after their rookie season, while Iker Lecuona got two years in Tech3 before he was forced out.
Of the ten factory seats, only one will fall vacant at the end of 2023. Franco Morbidelli has next season to secure an extension at the Monster Energy Yamaha team, though he will need some help from the 2023 MotoGP bike. Among satellite riders, both RNF Aprilia riders and LCR Honda's Alex Rins have two-year deals, the remaining seats falling open at the end of 2023.
The 2023 MotoGP rider line up as it stands appears below:
Confirmed:
Rider | Bike | Contract until |
Factory Teams | ||
Monster Energy Yamaha | ||
Franco Morbidelli | Yamaha M1 | 2023 |
Fabio Quartararo | Yamaha M1 | 2024 |
Repsol Honda | ||
Marc Márquez | Honda RC213V | 2024 |
Joan Mir | Honda RC213V | 2024 |
Ducati Factory | ||
Pecco Bagnaia | Ducati Desmosedici GP23 | 2024 |
Enea Bastianini | Ducati Desmosedici GP23 | 2024 |
Red Bull KTM | ||
Brad Binder | KTM RC16 | 2024 |
Jack Miller | KTM RC16 | 2024 |
Aprilia | ||
Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia RS-GP | 2024 |
Maverick Viñales | Aprilia RS-GP | 2024 |
Satellite Teams | ||
Pramac Ducati | ||
Johann Zarco | Ducati Desmosedici GP23 | 2023 |
Jorge Martin | Ducati Desmosedici GP23 | 2023 |
RNF Aprilia | ||
Miguel Oliveira | Aprilia RS-GP | 2024 |
Raul Fernandez | Aprilia RS-GP | 2024 |
GasGas Tech 3 | ||
Pol Espargaro | KTM RC16 | 2023 |
LCR Honda | ||
Alex Rins | Honda RC213V | 2024 |
Gresini Ducati | ||
Alex Marquez | Ducati Desmosedici GP22 | 2023 |
Fabio Di Giannantonio | Ducati Desmosedici GP22 | 2023 |
Unconfirmed | ||
VR46 | ||
Luca Marini | Ducati Desmosedici GP23 | |
Marco Bezzecchi | Ducati Desmosedici GP22? | |
LCR Honda Idemitsu | ||
Takaaki Nakagami | Honda RC213V | |
GasGas Tech 3 | ||
Augusto Fernandez? | KTM RC16 |