Moto2 champion Honda’s latest star wants to follow suit, but some may not

Because the second half of the 2025 Moto2 season progresses, the three-year deal between Honda and Diogo Moreira that may convey him into MotoGP from subsequent yr has largely expired.

The Brazilian began the season as a title contender, however within the first half of the season it appeared like he could be taking part in second fiddle to four-time Grand Prix winner Manu Gonzalez. By the summer time break, Moreira had scored only one level, however back-to-back DNFs in Germany and the Czech Republic left him 60 factors behind fourth-place Gonzalez.

Whereas racing was suspended for the summer time break, Gonzalez’s identify was closely linked to competing in MotoGP in 2026. Nevertheless, Gonzalez selected to stay in Moto2, whereas Moreira signed a three-year manufacturing unit HRC contract to affix LCR from the 2026 season.

From the second half of the season Moreira was clearly superior to Gonzalez, successful 3 times, whereas his rival suffered 4 scoreless innings. A disqualification for a technical violation in Indonesia lowered Gonzalez’s 20-point result in simply 9 factors, all however ending his hopes of successful the title.

Moreira turned one in all 15 riders to win the Moto2 title because it changed the previous 250cc class within the Bike World Championship Grand Prix. All of them have competed in MotoGP with various levels of success.

2010 – Tony Elias

Toni Elias is a novel entry into the pantheon of Moto2 world champions. He’s the primary ever Moto2 World Champion, but additionally the one one who had already raced in MotoGP earlier than being topped.

The Spaniard made his Grand Prix debut within the 125cc class in 1999, ending third within the 2001 season earlier than shifting as much as the 250cc class. He made his MotoGP debut in 2005, successful seven Grands Prix in three seasons and ending fourth within the championship.

In 2006, he took his solely MotoGP victory, albeit a superb one, at Estoril, beating Valentino Rossi and Kenny Roberts Jr. by 0.002 seconds. This victory in the end noticed Rossi lose the 2006 crown to Nicky Hayden.

Poor outcomes led to a return to the intermediate class of the brand new Moto2 class in 2010, and Elias cleaned up with seven wins for Gresini Racing. Because of this, he returned to MotoGP in 2011 with LCR Honda, however had a mean season and completed with 61 factors.

He returned to Moto2 in 2012, made a number of appearances in MotoGP as a stand-in rider over the subsequent few years, and left the paddock for good in 2015.

2011 – Stefan Bradl

The 2011 Moto2 season is one in all many “what ifs” in motorsport. That yr’s title went to Stefan Bradl, who battled it out all season with Marc Marquez, who was making his Moto2 debut that yr.

Bradl received 4 of his first six races, whereas Marquez received seven. This document wouldn’t be damaged till 2021, when Raul Fernandez narrowly missed out on that yr’s Moto2 championship.

After the Australian Grand Prix, Bradl held a slim three-point lead over Marquez in what was anticipated to be a detailed battle. Nevertheless, the primary battle with double imaginative and prescient that Marquez confronted in his profession got here after a crash on the Malaysian Grand Prix. He was eradicated for the ultimate two races, permitting Bradl to win the title.

Bradl moved to MotoGP from LCR Honda in 2012. In all six seasons of MotoGP from 2012 to 2024, Bradl completed on the rostrum simply as soon as. Whereas he wasn’t fairly capable of squeeze one of the best out of respectable Honda machines in 2012 and 2013, he performed a key position in Aprilia’s early improvement in 2014.

He was drafted to switch Marc Marquez within the 2020 season after he sustained a severe arm damage, and has since competed with Honda for numerous alternative and wild-card spots.

2012 – Marc Marquez

Probably the most profitable graduate within the Moto2 class, Marc Márquez, received seven extra races in 2012 after totally recovering from double imaginative and prescient and took that yr’s title. After Casey Stoner introduced his retirement from MotoGP in mid-2012, Marquez discovered himself entrance and middle in Manufacturing facility Honda’s promotion, particularly for the reason that rookie rule was abolished.

In his first yr in MotoGP, Marquez defeated Jorge Lorenzo within the last spherical to turn into the youngest ever race winner and world champion within the premier class.

He received the title in 2014 and had back-to-back championships from 2016 to 2019. A career-threatening damage in 2020 appeared like the top of Marquez’s reign as MotoGP’s champion rider.

Nevertheless, he received his seventh title with Ducati in 2025, growing his whole variety of MotoGP wins to 73, the second most in historical past.

No rider since Valentino Rossi has achieved a lot in his MotoGP profession by successful intermediate class titles.

2013 – Paul Espargaro

Pol Espargaro received six Grands Prix within the yr he received the Moto2 title with the Pons Racing workforce, competing with Scott Redding for the title.

After taking the lead, Espargaro competed in MotoGP with the Tech3 workforce on a Yamaha satellite tv for pc machine in the course of the 2014 marketing campaign. Regardless of all of the promise Espargaro confirmed within the smaller classes, he was not capable of translate it into his first podium till the 2018 Valencia Grand Prix on the finish of his second season with the manufacturing unit KTM workforce.

He completed on the rostrum 5 occasions with KTM in 2020, however narrowly missed out on his first win in Austria. His transfer to Honda in 2021 was a failure, because the automotive was not aggressive, leading to solely two podium finishes in two seasons.

It was hoped that his return to the KTM fold with Tech3 in 2023 would rejuvenate his profession. Nevertheless, a severe accident that occurred throughout apply for the Portuguese Grand Prix in the end ended his profession as a full-time MotoGP racer.

Since then, he has been a invaluable member of KTM’s check roster, and his quite a few wildcard appearances have gone a great distance in exhibiting simply how a lot pace Espargaro nonetheless has.

2014 – Tito Rabat

Tito Rabat competed within the 125cc World Championship 76 occasions and by no means received a Grand Prix. Nevertheless, the step into Moto2 unleashed his potential, with Mark dominating the 2014 marketing campaign with the VDS workforce.

That very same yr, he received seven races en path to the title. In contrast to earlier Moto2 champions, he stayed within the class for a further yr. Accidents hampered him within the last phases, and he solely received 3 times in opposition to the overwhelmingly highly effective Johann Zarco.

He stepped as much as MotoGP in 2016 with Honda’s Marc VDS and recorded occasional top-10 finishes over two seasons earlier than shifting to Avintia Ducati in 2018. He achieved seventh place in Argentina, his greatest lead to MotoGP.

His profession was thrown off target in 2018 when he crashed in a sudden downpour at Silverstone and suffered severe leg accidents. His kind by no means modified after that, and Rabat remained on Ducati’s satellite tv for pc machine till the top of 2020.

Since then he has competed in MotoE, British Superbike, World Superbike and Spanish Superbike Championships.

2015/2016 – Johann Zarco

Johann Zarco, the one repeat world champion within the Moto2 class, stayed within the class after his first title marketing campaign, reaching what Tito Rabat was unable to do earlier than him.

Tech3’s choice to advertise Zarco to the Yamaha MotoGP satellite tv for pc workforce in 2017 stunned some. Nevertheless, Zarco put in an outstanding efficiency from the beginning, main on his debut in Qatar earlier than falling. He took his first podium on the French Grand Prix and scored six factors within the subsequent two seasons.

An unlucky choice to affix KTM in 2019 threatened to finish Zarco’s profession, however Ducati granted him a reprieve with Avintia in 2020. Zarco returned to the rostrum that yr and took his first win with Pramac on the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.

Together with his transfer to LCR Honda in 2024, he turned a pillar of HRC’s present restoration, and his efforts had been rewarded with victory on the French Grand Prix in 2025.

2017 – Franco Morbidelli

Franco Morbidelli’s path to world championship was an unconventional one, taking him by the World Superbike paddock earlier than making his full-time Moto2 debut in 2014. Underneath the steering of Valentino Rossi, Morbidelli turned the primary success story of the VR46 Academy.

He received eight Grands Prix in 2017 with Marc VDS in pursuit of the world title, and stepped as much as MotoGP from the Belgian workforce in 2018.

He moved to Petronas SRT in 2018, however was humiliated by rookie teammate Fabio Quartararo, who rides an older Yamaha. These classes fueled his breakthrough in 2020, with Morbidelli successful three grands prix and ending second, simply 13 factors off the world title.

An getting older Yamaha machine. A sequence of accidents and much more breakdowns on his uncompetitive Yamaha machine characterised Morbidelli’s subsequent three years. A transfer from Manufacturing facility Ducati to Pramac in 2024 was anticipated to rejuvenate his profession, but it surely did not work out as a pre-season concussion ruined his preparations.

Morbidelli completed 2025 in seventh place within the factors after scoring two podiums a yr in the past on the VR46 Ducati.

2018 – Pecco Bagnaia

VR46 Academy recorded their second title win within the workforce’s colours in 2018, courtesy of Pecco Bagnaia. Bagnaia, who competed in opposition to Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder, received eight races that yr and made the step as much as MotoGP from Pramac Ducati in 2019.

One podium within the first two years didn’t show his potential, but it surely was ok to earn him a transfer to the Ducati manufacturing unit workforce in 2021. He received 4 races that yr, and 7 in 2022, placing him on observe to turn into Ducati’s first MotoGP champion since 2007.

He scored a second level in 2023 after seven extra wins, however missed out on the title by simply 10 factors in 2023, regardless of successful 11 Grand Prix races.

Bagnaia’s 2025 season was a catastrophe as he struggled to regain his kind in GP25 and likewise misplaced out to new teammate Marc Marquez.

However Bagnaia stays probably the most essential figures in Ducati’s historical past, a rider with sufficient affect from his previous errors to dispel any doubts that 2025 might be a one-off.

2019 – Alex Marquez

Alex Marquez received the Moto3 title in 2014 and moved as much as Moto2 the next yr with Marc VDS. Marquez’s youthful brother’s first few years in Moto2 had been disappointing. He failed to complete on the rostrum in 2015, had one podium in 2016, however lastly acquired his first win in 2017.

He received three video games that season, however none in 2018. Alex Marquez could have all the time had the help of his older brother Marc, however the strain was on his shoulders to show he was worthy of the seat and never simply the surname.

He achieved that in 2019, racking up 5 wins and on observe for his second Grand Prix World Title. Just a few weeks later, he signed with Honda to step as much as MotoGP rather than the retiring Jorge Lorenzo.

Marquez took Honda’s solely podium in 2020, however struggled in 2021 and 2022. 2023 introduced him the possibility to make a brand new begin with Gresini Ducati, and Marquez in the end took his first MotoGP win in 2025.

He received 3 times final season, completed second within the rankings and secured a factory-spec Ducati for 2026.

2020 – Enea Bastianini

Enea Bastianini’s profession earlier than 2020 was a wierd one. Bastianini made his Grand Prix debut in Moto3 in 2014 and was extremely quick, however he solely recorded three wins earlier than stepping as much as Moto2 in 2019.

After successful a fierce championship battle with Luca Marini and clinching the title with three wins, he entered MotoGP in 2021 together with his rivals from the Avintia workforce.

Bastianini rapidly achieved good leads to his rookie season with Satellite tv for pc Ducati, scoring two podiums earlier than shifting to Gresini for 2022, the place he achieved victory. He recorded 4 wins and remained in rivalry for the surface title till the top of the yr.

Ducati promoted him to the manufacturing unit workforce in 2023, however accidents hampered his progress. He received 3 times in manufacturing unit Ducati colours from 2023 to 2024 earlier than shifting to Tech3 KTM final season.

2021 – Remy Gardner

The strain of his final identify has been a relentless all through Remy Gardner’s Grand Prix profession, however by his Moto3 and Moto2 successes, he not often made an impression till 2020, when he scored his first win.

Gardner got here out on prime within the 2021 Moto2 season in a good title battle with teammate Raul Fernandez. He made the step as much as MotoGP in 2022 with Fernandes at Tech3 KTM, however was pressured out by the Austrian producer after only one yr.

He’ll compete within the World Superbike in 2023, and thus far he has achieved simply two podium finishes with Yamaha.

2022 – Augusto Fernandez

Augusto Fernandes confirmed promise very early on in Moto2, with the Spaniard ending within the prime 4 in Australia in 2018 regardless of lacking the primary six races of the season.

He recorded three wins in 2019, however would not be capable of win once more till 2022, when he picked up 4 wins and set his sights on a world title shot.

He was promoted to the Tech3 KTM workforce in 2023 and received his second yr there, scoring factors persistently. Nevertheless, the 2024 season proved to be way more tough, with Fernández solely scoring 27 factors, as rookie teammate Pedro Acosta turned a frequent customer to the rostrum.

Fernandez served as a check rider for Yamaha in 2025 and has been a key a part of the event of the V4 bike.

2023 – Pedro Acosta

Following his 2020 Purple Bull Rookies Cup title, Pedro Acosta’s arrival within the Grand Prix paddock in 2021 felt like an earth-shaking second.

Successful his second Grand Prix from the pit lane in Moto3, Acosta received the championship in his first try earlier than stepping as much as Moto2. Successful the Intermediate class title in his second yr was all the time a stretch, however he made an impression with three wins.

He cleaned up in championship racing in 2023 with seven wins, however by that time his step as much as the MotoGP step was assured. Within the first yr, he achieved 10 podiums in sprints and grand prix, and in 2025 he achieved 12 extra podiums.

He has gone undefeated in qualifying in opposition to each of his teammates over the previous two years, and his first win feels inevitable.

2024 – Ai Ogura

Ai Ogura all the time appeared like he had the potential to go far, however by two seasons in Moto3 and three seasons in Moto2 in 2021, he by no means received a Grand Prix. His MotoGP future with Honda was all however sure, however issues lastly began to search for in 2022 after three wins.

Curiously, the primary cease for that occasion was Kokura. He selected to bide his time and the chance lastly got here in mid-2024, signing a take care of Trackhouse to trip an Aprilia in 2025.

He additionally received the Moto2 world title in 2024, overtaking teammate Sergio Garcia and clinching the title with three wins.

His MotoGP rookie yr acquired off to a powerful begin with a fifth-place end in Thailand, however his outcomes slumped within the second half as a consequence of repeated accidents.