In these collection of pictures, we take a look at some of the top riders to watch out for in India's maiden MotoGP race from champion Francesco Bagnaia to Marc Marquez.
Francesco 'Pecco' Bagnaia, the 2018 Moto2 champion, entered MotoGP in 2019. He celebrated his maiden MotoGP victory at Aragon in 2021, narrowly missing out on the title. He boasts five Sunday victories, including three impressive Sprint and Race doubles, leading the title race as the reigning world champion.
Jorge Martin, nicknamed the 'Martinator,' rose through Moto3, winning the title in 2018, and then excelled in Moto2 as a rising young star. He made a mark in MotoGP by clinching a podium finish in only his second race.
Pol Espargaro, the 2013 Moto2 World Champion, is now in his 10th MotoGP™ campaign, boasting experience with Yamaha, KTM, Honda, and currently GASGAS. After a challenging stint with Repsol Honda, the younger Espargaro sibling reunited with Tech3 for the 2023 season.
Marc Marquez, at just 20 years and 266 days old, still holds the record as the youngest-ever premier class winner. He's widely regarded as one of the GOATs, boasting eight World Championships, including six in MotoGP between 2013 and 2019.
Brad Binder, the Moto3 World Champion of 2016, is now entering his fourth MotoGP season with the Red Bull KTM team. He also set the highest speed record in the sprint race of Mugello pushing the KTM RC16 at a blistering 366.1 kph.
In 2018, Marco Bezzecchi was a promising Moto3 championship contender. After two impressive seasons in Moto2 in 2020 and 2021, he made the jump to MotoGP. His rookie year in 2022 was outstanding, earning him the Rookie of the Year title.