Ducati's Francesco Bagnaia goes into the 2024 season as the clear MotoGP championship favourite seeking to become the first rider since Marc Marquez to win three titles in a row but the man he looks to emulate may himself be a dark horse this time.

Italian Bagnaia won the 2022 title the hard way when he overturned a 91-point deficit to end Ducati's 15-year drought, while last year he had Jorge Martin to contend with as the Pramac Racing rider pushed him all the way to the final weekend.