So with 2024 done, thoughts on:
1) Rider of the year
2) Team of the year
3) Race of the year
4) Disappointment of the year (team or rider)
For me, it's probably:
1) Jorge Martin. Mr Consistency. A staggering 32 out of a possible 40 podium visits explains why he is champion. Pecco Bagnaia finished on the top step 18 times this year but too many DNF's blighted his championship. Shoutout to Marc Marquez too for sticking his nose in at the sharp end, despite being on year old machinery & Pedro Acosta for seamlessly slotting into the top level of 2 wheeled racing and so nearly ending as the top non Ducati rider. When he stops crashing so much, he is going to be a serious challenger.
2) This one is difficult to call because it seems that all the way down the grid, each team had one rider pulling their weight and another lagging behind. Not sure if that was just a case of each time throwing all their eggs into one rider's basket or whether just one rider performed and one didn't. I suppose on balance, the factory Ducati Lenovo team gets my vote.
3) Another one difficult to call, simply because unlike in previous years, none immediately spring to mind. Sepang's first few laps were breathless stuff to watch but then it settled down into a pretty sedate race. Suppose Le Mans was pretty exciting, with Martin holding off Marquez and Bagnaia (the top 3 covered by less than a second) so that would be my vote.
4) I think for the second year in a row, the KTM factory team gets my vote. They just aren't converting that 'best of the rest' tag into anything meaningful. Granted, it all seemed to fall on Brad. Jack showed flashes early in races, but always seemed to tail off. The year started off with so much promise, with Brad pulling in a couple of second places but that was to be the highlight. He crashed out while leading the sprint in Catalunya, so a missed opportunity there. While he finished as the best non Ducati, KTM fell behind Aprilia in the manufacturers standings.
