You don't watch Moto2? That's fine, here is what you need to know about the three MotoGP rookies!
For the 2025 MotoGP World Championship, 22 different riders will line up on the grid. There have been some interesting and exciting rider moves in between 2024 and 2025. However, the three riders we will be focussing on are the riders who will make their way up from Moto2 to MotoGP this season.
The 2025 MotoGP rookies all had differing fortunes in 2024 in the intermediate class. One was a champion, one was underwhelming and the final one may not deserve a MotoGP ride. But if you do not watch or keep track of Moto2 this is everything you need to know about the 2025 MotoGP Rookies.
Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Racing)
The number one thing you need to know about Ai Ogura is that he is the reigning Moto2 World Champion. The Japanese rider could have moved to MotoGP sooner than 2025, Ogura was offered an LCR Honda ride in the past but decided to turn it down.
Instead of moving to MotoGP, he decided to remain in Moto2 and fight for the Championship, which he did. After riding for the IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia in Moto3 and Moto2 from 2019 to 2023, Ogura moved on to the MT Helmets - MSi squad in 2024. This move to a Boscoscuro chassis was exactly what the 23-year-old needed as he went on to win the Moto2 title in his first year with the team.
After four years and 74 races in Moto2 Ogura won six races and stood on 13 further podiums. After dominating the 2024 Moto2 World Championship and winning the title by 50 points he decided it was time to move to MotoGP and signed for the Trackhouse Racing squad.
Ogura will ride on an Aprilia RS-GP in the 2025 MotoGP season and will ride for Trackhouse Racing for two years as he signed a deal that will expire at the end of the 2026 season.
Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Racing)
At the end of the 2023 Moto2 season, Fermin Aldeguer was the hottest property in the intermediate class. The young Spaniard reportedly had every MotoGP manufacturer fighting for his signature. Why was this the case?
Across the final six races in 2023, Aldeguer stood on the podium six times and won the final four races of the season. In the end, it was Ducati who won the fight and signed Aldeguer before the 2024 season had begun. However, this decision may have been made too soon as the 2024 Moto2 World Championship was a different year for Aldeguer.
The SpeedUp Racing rider struggled in 2024 and managed to claim three wins and two further podiums. Compared to his five wins and two further podiums in 2023, this does not mean that he does not deserve a ride in MotoGP. But instead, it shows that the 19-year-old may have been signed by Ducati too soon.
Aldeguer penned a two-year deal with Ducati, with an option to extend by a further two years. For now, he has been placed inside the Gresini Racing garage and will take Marc Marquez's place in the satellite Ducati box.
Somkiat Chantra (LCR Honda)
Somkiat Chantra will make history in 2025 as he will become the first Thai rider to compete in MotoGP. However, many believe that Chantra does not deserve his MotoGP ride and was only promoted to make sponsors happy.
It is true that Chantra struggled in 2024 and did not match the performances of Ogura or Aldeguer. But in the past, he has shown his pace in Moto2 and has won two Grands Prix and has four further podium finishes.
Whilst the jury is still out on whether Chantra deserves a seat in MotoGP it should be said that he is walking into the worst position out of the three rookies. The 26-year-old has signed with the LCR Honda Team and will ride their IDEMITSU-branded Honda RC213V in 2025.
Chantra has seemingly been written off as a failure before he has even had a chance to race in MotoGP. But we can tell you one thing for sure, the Thai crowd will go beserk when he takes to the circuit at the Thai Grand Prix.
