Britain’s Scott Redding is now an almost dead-cert to bag the Gresini Honda RC213V currently being sat on by Alvaro Bautista as the Spaniard continues to dis-chuff team boss U, Fatso with a string of poor results on a what is effectively a works bike with Nissin brakes instead of Brembos.

Redding has scored more points than either Nicky Hayden, whose RCV1000R is slightly more equal than the others on the grid, or Hiro Aoyama and is only 15 points behind Bradley Smith on the factory-backed YZR-M1. Crucially, he is also only 17 behind Bautista who is piloting a bike only 2bhp down on the one that kid Marquez pushes along.

Bautista looks likely to move to Aprilia when they return in 2015 and the smart money on his team-mate should be placed firmly on Eugene Laverty after news that all the decent Ducatis have now been bagged by the riders that currently ride them

Despite being off-hired by the Noale factory last year and replaced by the incoming Marco Melandri, the Irishman has remained friendly with race boss Romano Albesiano and is thought to be well down the road with contract negotiations.

Laverty had been on the long list of riders linked with the Suzuki MotoGP ride but those seats have apparently been nabbed by Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales, who continues his meteoric rise to the premier class.

Espargaro had been linked with a move to the Monster Yamaha squad to partner brother Pol, but team owner Herve Poncharal has said that was never on the cards and he hadn’t even spoken to the youngster. “Zis is not the case,” said Poncharal, before nipping off for a cheeky Pernod. Probably.

Whether this means Bradley Smith will retain his ride in the squad is still a matter for speculation. Although in testing and practice, equipped with last year’s works M1, he has been fast but that hasn’t yet translated into results. A straight swap with Aleix Espargaro is now not going to happen so he could stay where he is.

Which probably means Forward Yamaha now have no riders for 2015 with retirement of Colin Edwards at the end of this season. Moto2’s Mr Consistent Dominique Aegerter has already tested with the Avintia team and could slot into a number-two spot with Giovanni Cuzari’s operation but that still leaves a decent-sized hole in a team with a good motorbike.

Speaking of decent-sized holes, there will be one next to Scott Redding in the Gresini team on a production Honda and another in the LCR Honda squad should Lucio Checcinello carry out his threat to field a two—bike team in 2014.

Either of these would be perfect for Honda’s most loyal rider Jonathan Rea to occupy. The Irishman has told bikesportnews.com on a number of occasions he would only consider a competitive ride in MotoGP but next year’s RCV1000 will be better - in fact, the only thing it won’t have compared to the RC213V is the seamless box. But it will have the soft-tyre option and we know which we would rather have. Plus, in 2016 the introduction of a fully-spec ECU and Michelins changes the game even more.

Rea is currently at the Suzuka Eight-Hours and talks will be ongoing with HRC bosses as to where he will land in 2015. His Pata Honda World Superbike team will obviously want to keep him if possible, but they also want to promote Michael Van Der Mark into the big class from World Supersport.