Jorge Martin Wins 2024 MotoGP Crown; Becomes First Independent MotoGP Champion

The 2024 season of MotoGP was entertaining to say the least, with Spaniard Jorge Marting winning his maiden MotoGP title, finishing third at the Catalan GP, in Barcelona. The Prima Primac Ducati rider is the first independent world champion in the MotoGP era. In the later rounds of the 2024 MotoGP season, he battled with Francesco Bagnaia of the Factory Ducati MotoGP team, who won the Catalan GP, but eventually finished 10 points behind Martin in the championship. Martin needed a top 9 finish to bag the championship, having a 19-point lead over Francesco Bagnaia and rode strategically, without making mistakes and winning the title with a satellite racing team. 

Jorge Martin had a podium finish in 32 races this season, out of a possible 40 and it was this consistency that helped him win the world title. Francesco Bagnania had a few races where he did not finish and that's where he lost crucial points. Martin will will move to Aprilia Factory Racing Team from 2025, replacing Aleix Espargaro, who retired after the Catalan GP, after a stellar 20-year MotoGP career. Marc Marquez finished second at the Catalan GP, and third overall, putting in impressive performance across the season on a year-old Ducati MotoGP bike for Gresini Racing, a satellite racing team for Ducati.

New MotoGP Logo

At the 2024 season finale in Barcelona, MotoGP also revealed its new logo, which is minimal in terms of design and replaces the chequered flag logo which was introduced in 2002. The new logo was designed by Pentagram, the world's largest independent design studio and signifies a complete evolution of the brand with new artwork and a new visual identity. 

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: "We're very excited to reveal our new identity and invite fans around the world to meet the new MotoGP. Working with Pentagram has been an incredible adventure leading to what we hope our fans will agree is an incredible result. A brand is more than a logo, and MotoGP is more than a sport. The process has taught us a lot about both and we're very proud to show the world the results. The key question throughout has been, 'What is MotoGP?', both now and looking forward to who we want to be, and we hope this new identity communicates every aspect of that, from the speed to the passion and everything in between. This is MotoGP."

The M in the new MotoGP logo takes inspiration from two bikes, at a lean, close to each other on track as is unique to the sport. The 'O's suggest the wheels' geometry, and the 'T' is the rider between them. Human and machine. The 'GP' evokes the track and helps the logo retain its sporty aesthetic.

Photo Credits: MotoGP