MotoGP will trim its toenails at the end of the year and consign some of its worst performing riders to the dustbin of history, or at least the wastepaper basket of World Superbike. Let’s rate how good these has-beens were at their peak and how awful they are this year.
Maverick Vinales
Races: 202
Wins: 10
Poles: 15
Podiums: 35
Peak rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Current rating: 💩💩💩💩💩
Verdict: One of the most talented riders of the past 15 years, but totally random and with the mental strength of wet toilet paper. His key takeaway from Jorge Lorenzo’s advice seems to have been building a wall between himself and the team. Far too good to be leaving MotoGP, but his 2nd self-destruction looks like being his last.
Alex Rins
Races: 156
Wins: 6
Poles: 0
Podiums: 18
Peak Rating: 🔥🔥
Current Rating: 💩💩💩💩
Verdict: Quick at certain tracks like COTA but generally inconsistent. Never recovered from major leg injuries and only stayed in MotoGP this long due to Yamaha’s demented insistence on honouring contracts with riders they should’ve dumped ages ago.
Jackass Miller
Races: 210
Wins: 4
Poles: 2
Podiums: 23
Peak Rating: 🔥🔥🔥
Current Rating: 💩💩
Verdict: Promoted straight from Moto3 and since then has bounced around most of the manufacturers in the paddock. Peaked as a factory Ducati rider, and still sporadically decent even on the Yamaha. He’s been dodging a transfer to World Supers for long enough.
Frankie Morbidelli
Races: 153
Wins: 3
Poles: 2
Podiums: 8
Peak Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Current Rating: 💩💩💩
Verdict: Nearly won the MotoGP title. Then his knee fell off, and he got whacked in the head so hard that he’s still acting concussed years later. Still occasional flashes of the guy who won races, but they float in a barking mad sea of grid penalties and top 15 finishes.
Brad Binder
Races: 125
Wins: 2
Poles: 0
Podiums: 11
Peak Rating: 🔥🔥🔥
Current Rating: 💩💩
Verdict: Great riding style which is the exact opposite of how the current aero-squat monstrosities have to be ridden. Ironically it would probably suit next year’s bike. But his time is over and it’s time to Voortrek off to the hunting grounds of World Superbike.
Conclusion
All of these guys were good enough to win races (unlike Rossi’s “slow and steady doesn’t win the race” brother, who looks like securing a Tech 3 contract for next year just to lower their crash bill). But all 5 of these MotoGP rejects now share only one concern: not letting the door hit them in the ass on the way out.
