MotoGP Bharat 2023: The top 4 MotoGP riders have a Mahindra connection. Here’s how
While MotoGP is only coming to India in 2023 in its 75-year-old history, what many wouldn’t know is that the sport has an India connection through its current top order. In fact, the top four MotoGP riders this season - Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati), Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati), Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing) and Brad Binder (KTM) are all connected to India’s Mahindra Group. That connection may seem unlikely considering Mahindra does not have an active role in MotoGP, but it did so once upon a time, which went on to shape the current top order as we know it.
Not many would remember but Mahindra’s motorsport aspirations included two-wheeled racing way back in 2011. The manufacturer floated a Moto3 racing team over a decade ago, which served as a training school for these then-upcoming riders honing their skills on the 125 cc race machines. In fact, the riders spent their formative years with Mahindra, which has helped them turn their skills around on the track.
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While Mahindra's Moto3 effort is now defunct, reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia was a part of the team in 2015-16 and was key for the fledgling Indian outfit to turn things around at the time. Bagnaia scored the first podium for Mahindra in 2016 and became a regular at the podium that season. The Italian went on to claim the team’s maiden win at the Dutch TT at Assen at the age of 19. He went on to record another win at Sepang and finished fourth in the championship that season after giving a tough fight for the Moto3 title. The rider graduated to Moto2 the next season.
Speaking at the press conference on the eve of the Indian GP, Pecco Bagnaia said, “All the riders that moved from Mahindra have done something incredible in the championship. All have won a title or have been runner-up, so I think it's a really great school because the level of the bike was really great for handling but was missing on the engine with the power, that was clear for everybody. But it puts you in a situation where you have to do the maximum every time and I think it was really great school, so I'm very happy, very proud to have been part of the Mahindra family. I always say that it was the best Moto3 team I ever had to improve myself."
It was a similar case with Jorge Martin, Brad Binder, and Marco Bezzecchi who bagged their first podium finishes with Mahindra Racing between 2011 and 2016. While the Indian outfit wasn’t the fastest on the grid against the likes of KTM and Hona, it handled well and that certainly turned out to be a great training school for the riders.
Speaking about his time with Mahindra with the media, Marco Bezzecchi said, “First of all because without them [Mahindra Racing] and the [VR46] academy it was probably very difficult to step on the world championship because they were very really investing in young riders and they were really helping us. It was fantastic to be part of the Mahindra family - unfortunately for not much time. But anyway, it was a big school, I learned a lot to be more precise and more consistent, missing a bit of power. I had fun, I had a podium and it was the last podium also for Mahindra, so it was very nice."
Brad Binder, who last raced with Mahindra in 2014, echoed a similar sentiment. He said, “Honestly, we had a lot of good days for sure. I think I rode it before these guys. It was ambitious but honestly, like Pecco said the thing's handling was incredible and when you're lacking power you need to try to figure out how to make it up elsewhere, and for me it was one of the best steps in my career so far."
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All four riders, now competing in the premier-class championship, are now working towards leaving a mark in the maiden Indian GP that promises a fun track. The practice session kicks off on Friday, September 22, followed by qualifying and sprint on Saturday and the main race on Sunday. The Indian GP then, has turned out to be more nostalgic for the riders than with the India ConnectM only getting stronger.
While Mahindra chose to opt out of competing in Moto3 in order to focus on electric racing, one can’t help but wonder where the team would’ve been if it had decided to stay on.
