It can be difficult to gauge exactly how much pressure and responsibility lie on the shoulders of a rookie MotoGP rider. They face a task that no-one else will ever face, that of learning and mastering a style of motorcycle that is only found on the grand prix circuit, of competing with the very best riders the world has to offer, of training and working and methodically growing as an individual over 18-odd rounds. They also face the time pressure of their rookie season; every year there are more young riders being moved into the premier class, talented riders itching to have a go at the ultimate glory in motorcycle racing.
This pressure of needing to step up and learn or face being replaced by the next batch of rookies is often understood by the MotoGP teams. They will show patience with their newer riders, giving them the time and space they need to adjust to the premier class, before slowly starting to push them to show results and begin earning championship points. Not every rookie adapts well in this time, and we do occasionally see riders bow out of the class after just one season, but more often MotoGP rookies are given time to grow into mature riders and show what they’re truly made of.
And yet, when looking at the 2021 line-up for MotoGP, one cannot help but feel that the 3 rookies joining the paddock this year will face an even tougher challenge than those that came before them. In any other circumstances, we would surely expect slow and steady growth from Luca Marini, Enea Bastianini and Jorge Martin, but with the way the last few seasons have gone there is an even greater sense of tension surrounding these newer riders. The question they must face is simple, but most likely dreaded: How can a rookie in 2021 match up to the success of the last two years of young talent?
Allow me to elaborate. The last two seasons, we have seen astronomical results from one or more freshman riders in the premier class. 2019 saw the arrival of Fabio Quartararo, the young Frenchman who took seven podiums and five pole positions in his first season of racing. Since then he has been promoted to the factory team, taken three wins and added a further four pole positions, and cemented himself as one of the frontrunners of the modern MotoGP championship. Not to be outdone, the other three rookies from 2019 have all become podium finishers in their sophomore year, with Oliveira becoming a two-time race winner and Mir being crowned World Champion in 2020.
Speaking of 2020, the rookies from last year were no slackers either. Brad Binder took his first win in just his third race on board a MotoGP bike, and while he never managed to return to the podium he made several other appearances in the top 6 in later races. Alex Marquez also showed some incredible form in the back half of the season, taking back-to-back podiums to become the only Honda rider in 2020 to secure a podium finish. All told, we saw two very successful batches of rookies in two consecutive years.
What has this done for the 2021 MotoGP rookies? Raised the bar astronomically, that’s what. In the past it would have been acceptable to slowly grow and adapt as a new rider in the premier class, but the pressure on this year’s freshmen riders is the highest I can recall it being. In order to stick out in a field full of talented young riders, these rookies are going to have to perform above and beyond, showcase their full potential from a very early stage in the championship, or risk losing their seat and being demoted back to the intermediate class or shuffled off to the World Superbikes. The pressures will likely be even higher the moment even one of them starts to perform, too, as the other rookies will be compared and contrasted to any successes their comrades have this year.
This pressure is symptomatic of a greater change in MotoGP we’ve been seeing over the last decade or so. In the past, rookies would be brought in as small groups of 2 to 3 riders, given room to grow and adapt, assuming that earning their place on the MotoGP grid was enough evidence of their talents and potential. Now, we regularly see 4 or more rookies in any given season, and riders are constantly being pushed up from the Moto2 class. Teams are constantly searching for the next young talent, pushing aside long-term talents that have already cemented themselves in the premier class in the hopes that they might stumble their way into the next Marc Marquez.
This logic has some sense to it, but it is deeply flawed as well. Young talent like Marc Marquez doesn’t appear every year or two, it’s a once-in-a-generation thing. The last rider to have a similar level of dominance was Valentino Rossi, whose last title came almost five years before Marc took his first. Before him was Mick Doohan, before him were the Americans of the 70s and 80s, and before them was Agostini himself. Trying to get lucky on a youngster in the hopes that he will bring you the same level of dominance that Marquez has seen between 2013 and 2019 is a foolish endeavour, and it means that certain riders don’t get the chance they deserve to show what they’re made of on board a MotoGP bike.
That being said, it cannot be denied that with Marc out of the equation, 2020 was one of the closest premier class championships in the modern era. Every team and every rider had a shot at success on any given weekend, and it showed that MotoGP is currently oozing with talent. Still, one can only imagine how intimidating this must be for the new batch of rookies, and I can only hope they swim rather than sink when the lights go out in Losail in just a few weeks’ time.
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