With the new regulatory framework that came into force following a unanimous vote by all MotoGP manufacturers, Yamaha and Honda were placed in the D class. This allows them, among other things, to ride with their regular rider line-up as many times as they want and to make engine modifications – something that is not allowed to the rest.
But a simple glance at the championship standings might make you think that this favourable treatment has not only hurt the two Japanese companies in the championship, but has even been counterproductive for them.
After the first nine rounds on the calendar, the best-placed Yamaha rider is Fabio Quartararo, who is 15th in the standings with a total of 44 points. Last year, the Frenchman was also the most competitive Yamaha rider, but he was four places higher in the standings and had accumulated 65 points.
His peaks were higher in 2023 too. Quartararo had placed third in Austin and finished in the top 10 on five occasions, something he has achieved only twice in 2024. His best grand prix result so far remains a seventh place back at the second round in Portugal.
On the other side of the garage, the decline is even greater. At this stage of the season in 2023, Franco Morbidelli was 12th, one place behind Quartararo and six points back. Now Alex Rins, who filled the vacancy left by the Italian when he signed for Pramac Ducati, is 21st and has just eight points to date this season. In mitigation, it is worth noting however that Rins began his Yamaha career in a rather poor physical state, having suffered a badly damaged leg in a crash at Mugello just over a year ago.
If the Yamaha example is already striking in itself, the Honda example is blatant. At this point in the previous season, Rins was its spearhead after winning in Austin. Despite being out of action for four races after his Mugello crash, he was Honda’s best runner in 13th place in the standings with 47 points. Now Joan Mir leads HRC’s MotoGP bid, although the Spaniard is 18th, with just 13 points in the bag and having yet to cross the finish line inside the top 10.
Nakagami gained 12 seconds of race time for Honda compared in a year, but the gap to the front remained the same
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Just behind him is Johann Zarco (19th), one point back. Takaaki Nakagami is 20th, with 10 points, while further back still is Luca Marini in 23rd, the last of the full-time riders. He scored his first…
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