This is a continuation of my previous post, where I began analysing the ratings I created for each rider before the start of the 2020 season. How accurate was I with the second half of the grid? Let’s find out!
Brad Binder: 1.7
Another rookie that is extremely difficult to grade. Binder is one of the most talented riders of the modern era of Moto2 and Moto3, and he should be a force to be reckoned with in any racing class, but the KTM is still a young bike in the MotoGP field, and few riders have been able to put up good results on it. It’s a tough situation to be in for a rookie, but he does have factory support, so there is potential here for a lot of surprises. Keep an eye out for Binder.
And surprise he did. I’m honestly very happy to have been wrong on this one, as I’ve been watching Binder race since he was in the Moto3 class, and he’s an extremely talented young man. Winning a MotoGP race on just his third attempt is an unbelievable achievement, matching the status of Marc Marquez, and though he failed to replicate that same success for the rest of the season he did manage to be a consistent presence towards the front of the field. The KTM factory is here to stay, and with someone like Binder in their factory lineup their future looks pretty bright to me.
Pol Espargaro – 2.7
Since 2016, Pol has been the only man able to wrangle the difficult KTM machine, and he’s managed some impressive results in that time, including the manufacturer’s first and only podium finish (admittedly, in the wet). Pol brings a lot of talent to the table, and the moment KTM starts providing him with a bike that can fight at the front, that’s exactly what he’ll start doing. Until then, expect more top 8-10 finishes from Espargaro the younger.
2020 finally saw KTM bring a bike to the table that could really contest for honours in a MotoGP race, and Pol was the most consistent success the factory had. Five podiums over the course of the season was an unbelievable achievement for the Spaniard, and though he heads to Repsol Honda for 2021 there can be no doubt that he leaves his old factory squad with his head held high. This is another rating I’m more than happy to have been wrong about, as Pol had his best season yet and easily deserved a low-to-mid 3 out of 5. Personally, I can’t wait to see what he gets up to in 2021.
Iker Lecuona – 1.7
Because I rarely follow the Moto2, when Lecuona was announced for the 2020 grid I literally had to look him up online because I had no idea who he was. Turns out he’s a moderately successful Moto2 rider with a single podium to his name. While this may sound unexciting, he did perform surprisingly well in his wildcard race at the end of last year, and we have seen with Quatararo that sometimes taking a gamble on young talent can pay off. Still, the RC16 is a weak bike, so I’m not super keen on Iker’s chances.
1.7 is a harsh rating, but Lecuona didn’t exactly have a breakout season last year. Completely outdone by the other two rookies, his quietly impressive slew of top 10s/12s just wasn’t enough to blow the world away. He remains in Tech3 for 2021, and I’m sure he’ll nab some decent results in his second year, but I think I can safely say I was about right with this one (other than the description of the KTM being weak, obviously).
Miguel Oliveira – 2.3
Oliveira is an interesting one. He showed some exciting form in the middle of last season, bagging multiple top results and putting factory-spec Zarco to shame, but he suffered an injury that wrote off the entire rest of his season. Back to full fitness and with a 2021 factory deal set in stone, Oliveira has been putting some impressive times together in testing, and if you’ve seen how he rides when he’s on form, then my rating will start to make sense. I really, really hope this year is a good one for number 88.
Oliveira had some tough moments in 2021, but admittedly, when he was on form he was unbelievable. Finally racing on a truly competitive bike, Oliveira bagged two wins and a number of strong top 6 finishes to seal the deal on a factory contract for 2021 and beyond. Miguel’s riding style is reminiscent of a certain Lorenzo on a good day, and if he has many more good days this season he might just find himself in contention for the title. Yet another youngster to keep an eye on.
Joan Mir – 3.1
Mir had a rather impressive rookie campaign last year, unfortunately overshadowed by both teammate Rins and the incredible Quatararo. Despite no podiums to his name, he has all the hallmarks of a podium contender this year, with the Suzuki promising to be stronger than ever and with a year’s experience on his resume. Don’t be surprised when he starts to outperform Rins, and don’t forget Mir is a man who knows how to dominate a world title, despite his age.
Dominate he did not, but a world champion he remains. Mir’s championship-winning season was an extraordinary one, taking more podiums than any other rider and earning the nickname ‘Mr Consistency’ as he repeatedly outdid his rivals. His first podium was an unbelievable performance, his first win was something else, and he can now say he is a premier class champion. I was right about him and Rins, too, though that one feels more hollow as it appears their relationship has actually become rather frosty. Still, he deserves all the credit in the world for a truly remarkable season.
Alex Rins – 4.1
2019 was a great year for Rins, bagging his first win in Austin and following it up with his second in Silverstone. Despite that, he was rather absent from the podium in most cases, primarily due to his consistent qualifying issues. That won’t fly in 2020, but Rins has proven his mettle and arisen as a young challenger to the unstoppable Marquez, so keep him in mind when the lights go out and 2020 gets underway.
The Suzuki factory does need to get better at qualifying, but that didn’t stop Rins from being a championship contender in 2020. Despite an early injury ruling him out of early proceedings, Rins managed a number of podiums including a runaway win in Aragon, and now faces the chance to dethrone his usurper of a teammate in 2021. If he can start qualifying consistently – and I do keep coming back to this, because it’s been an issue since he stepped up to the premier class – then perhaps we will see an even stronger season for Rins this year.
Maverick Vinales – 4.1
One of only three riders to win one or more races every season from 2016 onwards, Vinales is the form man Yamaha needs right now. His issues with consistency appear to be fading, and no-one can forget how dominating he was in Malaysia last year. If the 2020 Yamaha is everything we’ve been led to believe it is, then Vinales should be the man to make it win, and take the fight to Marquez.
I should have trusted my gut here and undershot Vinales by a bit more. Sure, he won a race in San Marino, and stayed in the championship fight right up until Mir won the title, but it was another season of mixed fortunes for the number 12. Sure, some of his issues came from the bike itself (the 2020 Yamaha was NOT everything we were led to believe), he still has some clear demons to overcome, and I really truly hope he shows some more strength in future seasons. 4.1 was probably too high, but I remain hopeful things will change for Maverick.
Valentino Rossi – 3.5
Look, I’m not going to deny that Rossi is an incredible rider. The Doctor has 9 world titles to his name, and continues to put up good results long after people expected him to hang up his leathers, but his results are starting to slip away. Outperformed by both Vinales and Quatararo in almost every race of 2019, I just can’t see this season being any different, and while he should at least put together a podium or two, this just isn’t going to be a championship-winning year for him.
Podium number 199 did finally arrive for Rossi this year, but that was about the only good thing that happened. A season marred by too many crashes, and being ruled out by coronavirus for a number of weeks, Rossi failed to make any kind of impact in the championship, even in a year where a number of Yamaha riders fought for the title. Rossi’s days in the premier class are numbered, much as it pains me to say so, and this season was likely the beginning of the end for him.
Fabio Quartararo – 4.0
Quartararo is the youth to Marc Marquez’s experience, or so the commentators all keep saying. In all seriousness, Quartararo had one of the best rookie seasons on record last year, and he shows a lot of promise for 2020 and beyond. Despite being unable to clinch his maiden win, you would be a fool to expect anything less than top results from him this year, especially with his incredible record in qualifying.
Well, three wins in one season sure made for a hell of a season from the young Frenchman, but it was also a season filled with struggles. Despite scoring more wins than the eventual champion Mir, Quartararo found himself struggling with consistency, never appearing on the podium outside of his wins, and on a bad day he was way down the field struggling for points. I still think he earned the rating I gave him, but he is another Yamaha rider who needs to find consistency in 2021 or he faces disappointment in the championship standings.
Franco Morbidelli – 3.2
Thanks to being completely outclassed by his rookie teammate, Morbidelli had a relatively quiet season last year, which was why I was shocked to discover he finished 10th in the overall standings, just behind his mentor Rossi. That position is thanks to his shocking consistency, putting up regular top 6 finishes and rarely slipping up. I fully expect him to continue on that trend this season, and a podium finish or two is certainly within reason for the 2018 intermediate champ.
Wow, was I wrong about Morbidelli. Far and away the best Yamaha rider in 2020, he took his first podium, his first win, and second place in the overall rider’s standings. Franky showed calm under pressure, taking some truly dominant race wins without ever batting an eyelid, and if he gets put on a better bike next year he could reach even loftier heights. One thing is for sure, though: the Morbidelli that won the Moto2 title in 2017 is finally back, and hopefully he’s here to stay.
And that’s a wrap! Were there any ratings that you disagreed with? Let me know over on Twitter (@Solomonanonagon), and stay tuned for more blog posts in the near future!
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