If Jorge Martin is crowned the 2024 MotoGP champion in this weekend’s Barcelona Grand Prix finale, he will become the first rider to win a premier class title with a satellite team since Valentino Rossi 23 years ago.
Having led the championship for almost the entire season, the Pramac rider holds a substantial 24-point lead with 37 left available meaning he looks set to finally claim a maiden world title.
This comes after nearest rival Francesco Bagnaia, who has won the past two titles, crashed on his factory Ducati in the sprint race at Sepang before scoring just five points in the grand prix last time out.
Martin could therefore seal the championship as early as Saturday if he is able to extend his lead over Bagnaia by two points.
Having had to accept an agonising defeat to Bagnaia last season, a victory in this year’s ‘rematch’ will make Martin the first rider to win the world championship with a satellite team since the MotoGP era of the series began in 2002.
It is worth noting that Pramac did win the teams’ title last year with Martin and Johann Zarco, becoming the first satellite squad to do so in the entire history of the championship. But no one has won the riders’ crown while racing for a satellite team since Rossi achieved the feat in the 500cc class in 2001.
Having already come close to beating Suzuki’s Kenny Roberts Jr to the crown in his rookie season in 2000 while riding for what was officially known as the Nastro Azzurro team, Rossi claimed the first of his seven premier class titles in dominant fashion the following season.
The Italian had to remain at Nastro Azzurro in 2001, since the factory Repsol Honda team already had Alex Criville and Tohru Ukawa on its roster.
But Nastro Azzurro was treated as a semi-factory operation and received equipment directly from Honda, while Rossi himself was supported by the crew that had worked with the legendary Mick Doohan until his retirement in 2000.
Still, his campaign went down in history, as he won 11 of the 16 races to outgun Yamaha’s Max Biaggi to the title.
Apart from Rossi, four other riders have won the 500cc title with a non-factory team, although in each case the outfit in question was treated favourably by its associated manufacturer.
The first rider to achieve that feat was Kenny Roberts Sr. The Californian, who had previously made a name for himself on dirt tracks, stole the show from Barry Sheene as a rookie for Yamaha’s American division.
Although he didn’t get the latest parts on his bike at the start of the season, the Iwata brand eventually started supporting him as the year progressed. He also won the title in 1979 while remaining at its American arm, before delivering the factory squad the title in 1980.
Two other cases of non-factory team riders winning the championship followed immediately afterwards. In 1981 and 1982, Marco Lucchinelli and Franco Uncini were crowned champions on a Suzuki RG500 entered by Nava Gallina - a team led by former grand prix rider Roberto Gallina.
The last rider to win a premier class title on a satellite bike before Rossi was Eddie Lawson. The Californian was also a special case, because he had already won three titles in 1984, ‘86 and ‘88 with the official Yamaha team.
In 1989, he switched to Honda, but with the Rothmans squad as the factory seats were already occupied by Wayne Gardner and Mick Doohan. However, a serious injury for Gardner at Laguna Seca prompted HRC to give more support to Lawson, who duly repaid the faith entitled him by beating Yamaha’s Wayne Rainey to the title.
Martin is now set to join this illustrious club of riders, pending the outcome of the Barcelona finale.
