Red Bull became the iconic team it is today back in 2005 when Team Principal Christian Horner formed the outfit to take over Jaguar Racing.
Based in Milton Keynes, Red Bull have four constructors titles to their name, scored between 2010 and 2013, with the dominance of Sebastian Vettel.
The team narrowly lost out to Mercedes in the 2021 constructors race by 28 points, and had their luck been on their side, they could have bought home a fifth title for the team.
Red Bull are one of many teams in F1 to adopt the young driver partnered with a more experienced driver pairing, along with the likes of Mercedes and Alfa Romeo.
Entering his eighth season in Formula 1 at just 24, the Dutchman is amongst the favourites to clinch the 2022 title as well as being one of the most experienced drivers on this season’s grid despite his young age.
The reigning champion has F1 pedigree in his blood as his father, Jos Verstappen, made 106 Grand Prix starts between 1994 and 2003.
Verstappen overcame all sorts of obstacles and hurdles during his 2021 campaign, before snatching the final race victory away from Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to become champion for the first time.
The Dutchman clinched 10 victories in 2021 as well as eight second-place finishes.
With 20 race victories, 60 podiums and 13 pole positions, the 24-year-old is certainly living up to the high expectations and will be at the forefront of Red Bull’s ambitions this season.
The Mexican came in to replace Alex Albon for 2021, after a lengthy spell with Force India which became Racing Point during his tenure with the Silverstone-based outfit.
In just his sixth race at the helm of Red Bull machinery, Perez won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a dramatic ending which saw his teammate Verstappen retire after a tyre blowout and Hamilton’s ‘brake magic’ blunder at the restart.
The 32-year-old collected a further four podiums throughout 2021 and was a regular in the top five finishers and qualifiers.
Perez was often selfless in order to assist Verstappen in his title charge, most notably in France and holding up Hamilton to help Verstappen catch up to the Brit in the season finale.
Red Bull will once again challenge for the constructors’ title and comfortably finish in the top three teams.
The team will clinch a number of victories and podiums throughout the season, both shared between their drivers.
Most importantly, Red Bull will hope to adapt to the new regulations quicker than they did in 2014 as they spent a number of seasons playing catch up.
Verstappen is amongst the favourites for the title and is in the challenge throughout the season. The Dutchman will comfortably finish in the top three in the drivers’ standings, however, narrowly losing out to Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Perez, on the other hand, will finish sixth in the drivers’ standings after another good year with the Milton Keynes outfit.
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The Frenchman won the award for the best rookie in the 2021 Formula Regional Championship where he finished fifth and will hope to carry his positive momentum from last year and pre-season testing into race running in Sakhir.
Prema, who missed out on the 2021 constructors’ championship to Trident despite powering Dennis Hauger to the drivers’ title, struggled to reach the summit of the standings as their best position of the test was second courtesy of Jak Crawford’s 1:47.628 in day three’s morning session, which was almost four-tenths down on leader Hadjar.
Rookie Zane Maloney topped the Day One timesheet as the Trident driver set a 1:47.614 in the afternoon session. The Barbadian driver completed 31 laps throughout the day and was just under two-tenths clear of fellow rookie William Alatalo and Prema’s Crawford in third.
Victor Martins and Arthur Leclerc, two drivers who won F3 races in 2021, ended Day One in sixth and seventh. The latter came into the test in Bahrain fresh off the back of winning the Formula Regional Asian Championship.
Oliver Bearman, a driver who is amongst the favourites to win this season’s F3 title, ended the first day of testing in ninth with an afternoon best of 1:48.051.
Another driver who won races in 2021, MP Motorsport’s Alexander Smolyar, ended Day One in 13th with a morning best of 1:48.144.
His teammate Ciao Collet completed the most laps on the first day with 63 laps after lengthy runs in both of the day’s sessions.
Van Amersfoort Racing ended their first day in F3 with Argentinian rookie Franco Colapinto in fifth, Brit Reece Ushijima in eighth and Mexican Rafael Villagomez in 27th.
Full Day One classification: Maloney, Alatalo, Crawford, Stanek, Colapinto, Martins, Leclerc, Ushijima, Bearman, Saucy, Hadjar, Frederick, Smolyar, Pizzi, Edgar, Pizzi, Edgar, Marti, Pasma, Maini, Cohen, O’Sullivan, Simmons, Yeany, Collet, Trulli, Toth, Benavides, Villagomez, Vidales, Azman
Hadjar finished the second day on top after setting an impressive 1:47.516 in the morning session.
ART enjoyed a day of productive running with Martins in second, Saucy in fourth and Juan Manuel Correa in fifth as the three drivers circulated a collective 238 laps on the second day of testing.
Brit Jonny Edgar’s relative pace improved on Day Two as he ended the day in third with a 1:47.629 which the Trident driver set in the morning session.
The Italian-based team ended Thursday’s running with all three of their drivers in the top 12 as the aforementioned Edgar finished third, Maloney in sixth and Roman Stanek in 12th.
Prema drivers Crawford, Leclerc and Bearman could only find time for ninth, 11th and 15th respectively as the trio completed around 60 laps each throughout the day.
Enzo Trulli was the only driver to set his best Day Two time in the afternoon as he did not take to the track in the morning due to an engine fire, however, the Italian completed 32 laps in the second part of the day.
Saucy completed a staggering 82 laps in his ART car, the most of anyone on Day Two, with 45 laps completed in the morning and 37 laps in the afternoon.
Full Day Two classification: Hadjar, Martins, Edgar, Saucy, Correa, Maloney, Smolyar, O’Sullivan, Crawford, Alatalo, Leclerc, Stanek, Collet, Colapinto, Bearman, Frederick, Pasma, Maini, Cohen, Yeany, Ushijima, Benavides, Simmons, Marti, Azman, Vidales, Toth, Villagomez, Pizzi, Trulli
Hadjar was once again at the top of the testing timesheet on Day Three with his morning best of 1:47.247, the quickest time posted across the three days in Bahrain.
The Frenchman was close to eight-tenths quicker than teammate Kaylen Frederick’s best time in eighth and over a second faster than his other teammate Nazim Azman’s best lap in 25th.
MP Motorsport duo Collet and Smolyar were inside the top five with their morning times, but Kush Maini could only find the pace for 16th. Despite this, the Indian was under a second slower than Hadjar’s quickest time and under three-tenths down on Smolyar’s best lap.
Saucy and Martins were inside the top 10 for ART, with Correa just a tenth behind in 15th.
The pack on the final day of the Bahrain test was incredibly tight, with fourth to 17th split by around half a second.
Zak O’Sullivan once again flew the flag for Carlin in ninth as his teammates Trulli and Benavides finished the day in 27th and 29th respectively.
Prema were spread out across the field on the final day with Crawford in second place, Leclerc in 11th and Bearman in 23rd.
Edgar and Villagomez completed 80 laps apiece on Day Three of the Bahrain test, with both drivers completing similar length runs in the morning and afternoon sessions.
Full Day Three classification: Hadjar, Crawford, Saucy, Collet, Smolyar, Vidales, Martins, Frederick, O’Sullivan, Stanek, Leclerc, Alatalo, Marti, Maloney, Correa, Maini, Cohen, Colapinto, Ushijima, Pizzi, Pasma, Edgar, Bearman, Villagomez, Azman, Yeany, Trulli, Simmons, Benavides, Toth
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]]>Despite a bad start, the Italian was patient and came back through the pack to take the lead with four laps remaining.
It was a disastrous night for the title challengers as Francesco Bagnaia’s race ended up in the dirt after he collected pole man Jorge Martin and reigning champion Fabio Quartararo had eighth-place snatched away from him on the line by fellow Frenchman Johann Zarco.
On pole position for the fifth time in his MotoGP career was Martin who set a phenomenal 1:53.011 in Saturday’s Q2 session. The Pramac Racing rider was joined on the front row by Bastianini and eight-time champion Marc Marquez who had to rely on a tow from Joan Mir to clinch third.
Jack Miller started from the head of the second row in fourth ahead of the Espargaro brothers with Aleix starting fifth and Pol in sixth.
Brad Binder fronted row three as the South African topped Q1 but could only manage a lap good enough to see him start seventh. Mir and Bagnaia joined him on the third row as they started eighth and ninth respectively.
On row four, Alex Rins started 10th ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha duo Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli. Zarco fronted row five as he started 13th with Miguel Oliveira in 14th and rookie Marco Bezzecchi in 15th.
Takaaki Nakagami started 16th ahead of Mooney VR46 Racing Team’s Luca Marini in 17th and Alex Marquez in 18th. 2021 Qatar Grand Prix winner Maverick Vinales could only find time for 19th, with WithU Yamaha RNF’s Andrea Dovizioso in 20th and rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio in 21st.
Row eight was locked out by rookies with Tech3 KTM duo Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez in 22nd and 23rd and Darryn Binder who rounded out the field.
Off the line, Marc Marquez got the best start as he led into turn one ahead of Pol Espargaro, however, the latter took the lead out of the race’s opening corner.
Meanwhile, Brad Binder moved into third as front row pair, Martin and Bastianini, fell to eighth and fourth respectively after almost colliding on the run into turn one. The Italian soon fell to fifth after Mir made a move later that lap.
At the start of lap two, Marc Marquez dived up the inside of his teammate Pol Espargaro at turn one but ran deep, gifting the lead back to his fellow Spaniard.
Bagnaia fell to 14th on lap one but picked off Nakagami, Oliveira, Miller and Alex Marquez to move into 10th by the end of the third lap.
Rins made an easy move on Quartararo, whose agonising straight-line speed deficiencies were evident as the Ecstar Suzuki man breezed past the reigning champion over the line onto lap four, promoting himself into eighth.
Marc Marquez kept the pressure on leader Pol Espargaro on the fifth lap of the Grand Prix as Brad Binder was all over the rear of the 30-year-old’s Honda and they were closely followed by Mir and Bastianini.
On lap six, Brad Binder made a move on Marc Marquez into second after the Spaniard ran deep into turn one for the second time in a handful of laps. Moments later, Bastianini moved back into fourth up the inside of Mir at turn four.
The Italian utilised his Ducati’s potent straight-line speed to breeze past Marc Marquez and up to third down the pit straight at the start of lap seven.
Unfortunately, Bezzecchi’s premier class debut came to a premature close after a low-side crash at turn 16 at the end of lap seven. Miller also retired at the end of that very lap with a mechanical problem.
On lap eight, Aleix Espargaro and Mir jostled for fifth as they made a series of brave but respectful moves on each other as the experienced Aprilia rider started to build a small gap over his compatriot.
LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez became the latest rider to retire from the race after he crashed at turn one on lap 10. Oliveira followed the Spaniard for an early bath as he crashed exactly a lap later.
At the halfway point of the race, Pol Espargaro had a half a second advantage over Brad Binder.
Bagnaia tried to execute a move on Martin for ninth on the brakes into turn one, but the Italian tipped in and lost the front as he collected the innocent Spaniard with both riders subsequently retiring.
Two laps later, Bastianini made a perfect move on Brad Binder into second at turn one. Leader Pol Espargaro pulled the pin and started to bridge his lead more and more by the sector.
However, with seven laps remaining, Bastianini rode hard into the clear air and started decreasing the gap that the leading Spaniard had built over the prior laps. Aleix Espargaro started to put his brother’s teammate, Marc Marquez, under pressure as he started to eye up a move for fourth place.
On lap 17 at turn 15, he executed an audacious move on Marquez and finally got himself into fourth place.
That lap, second-placed Bastianini set the race’s fastest lap with a 1:54.338 as he chased down the leader.
At the end of lap 18, Espargaro was blitzed past by Bastainini into the lead of the race down the main straight. In a desperate attempt to hold on at turn one, the Spaniard ran wide and conceded second place to Brad Binder as he rejoined in third.
With two laps to go, Bastianini was conducting the pace at the front, but the second-placed South African refused to let the Italian run away with the glory.
In the end, the Gresini rider held on to win his maiden MotoGP race and his team’s first victory since Toni Elias’ triumph at the 2006 Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril.
Bastianini won the 2022 season opener narrowly ahead of Brad Binder with Pol Espargaro in third. Aleix Espargaro shortly followed his brother over the line before Marc Marquez took fifth.
Mir, Rins, Zarco, Quartararo, Nakagami, Morbidelli, Vinales, Marini, Dovizioso and Gardner rounded out the points scoring positions.
In parc-ferme, an emotional Bastianini paid tribute to the late team boss Fausto Gresini.
“I want to dedicate this victory to Fausto, he pushed a lot from the sky and it’s fantastic for all the team.”
MotoGP takes a two-week break before heading to the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit for the Indonesian Grand Prix where Bagnaia and Quartararo will hope to rectify their despair in Doha and make a belated start to their title challenge.
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]]>Located just outside the Qatari capital, Doha, the 3.3-mile track has hosted the opening round of the MotoGP season since 2007, except from in 2020 when MotoGP running was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.
The Moto2 and Moto3 classes ran their events as they had been testing at the circuit a week prior, seeing Tetsuta Nagashima and Albert Arenas winning their respective rounds.
In 2008, the Losail International Circuit became the first race to be held under floodlights, something which is unique about this race.
However, that come with it’s disadvantages, after the 2009 season opener was postponed to Monday night as opposed to the scheduled Sunday due to the weather.
The first race held at Losail was in 2004 which saw Sete Gibernau take glory ahead of his Telefónica Movistar Honda teammate Colin Edwards, with Ruben Xaus coming home in third shortly ahead of Repsol Honda duo Alex Barros and the late great Nicky Hayden.
With 16 corners (10 right and six lefts), varying speeds and radii culminated with a kilometre-long main straight, Losail has been home to some incredible battles through the years. Marc Marquez has been involved in thrilling duels with Andrea Dovizioso in 2018 and 2019 and Valentino Rossi in 2013.
Rossi and Casey Stoner are the most successful riders in Qatar with four premier class wins apiece. Rossi’s latest Losail win came in 2015, meanwhile, Stoner scored his fourth win at the Qatar Grand Prix in 2011 on course to winning his second MotoGP title.
Yamaha are the most successful MotoGP manufacturer on Qatari soil with 10 wins shared between Rossi, Maverick Vinales, Jorge Lorenzo and Fabio Quartararo who won the 2021 Doha Grand Prix.
2022 Championship challenger Francesco Bagnaia set the two-wheel lap record last year with a blistering 1:54.491.
It was eventual champion Quartararo who won the previous race at Losail as he came through the pack late on to clinch his first victory with the Monster Energy Yamaha Team in only his second race, ahead of Pramac Racing duo Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin.
A week prior, it was the Frenchman’s teammate who took glory in the season opener in a similar fashion. Vinales, a then-Monster Energy Yamaha rider, converted third place on the grid to his second Qatari Grand Prix victory, beating Zarco and Bagnaia.
The Italian will get 2022 off to the perfect start by taking a comfortable pole to flag victory. The frightening straight-line speed helped Ducati in Qatar last season and will once again power them to success at Losail.
Bagnaia will break his own lap record in qualifying and will put his mark on this season’s title challenge.
Martin will have another enjoyable weekend aboard his Pramac Racing GP22 Ducati. The Spaniard will be once again proving to senior Ducati bosses why he should be given a shot at the helm of works machinery.
Qualifying second, the 24-year-old will execute the perfect race strategy and be within touching distance of Bagnaia for the duration of the race.
The Australian is a rider fighting for his ride as his contract with the Factory Ducati outfit comes to an end at the end of this season.
Miller will struggle in qualifying, starting fifth in the middle of the second row, but a storming opening lap will see him climb to third where he will eventually finish. The 27-year-old will also clock the race’s fastest lap early on when in the slipstream of Martin.
The 2020 champion will get his season off to a good start with another impressive result that will give him the benchmark to string together positive and consistent results.
Starting third, Mir will be overtaken by Miller on lap one and enjoy a race-long battle with Quartararo.
As mentioned, Quartararo will just lose out to Mir in the first race of his title defence. Despite Losail being a happy hunting ground for Yamaha, the Frenchman will certainly feel the losses on the straights due to a lack of development.
The reigning champion will qualify fourth ahead of Miller and compatriot Zarco.
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]]>With 14 championship wins on the grid this year competing in 21 races, the 2022 MotoGP season looks set to be yet another thrilling year in the series.
Quartararo won the 2021 title in fine style, winning five races throughout the season, wrapping up the title at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
The Monster Energy Yamaha new boy hit the ground running at the start of the campaign which in turn played a part in his success.
The Frenchman clinched an additional five podiums alongside five more pole positions on course to his maiden MotoGP crown, beating Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia.
Bagnaia enjoyed a promising first year at the helm of Factory Ducati machinery, following his promotion from the satellite Pramac Ducati outfit at the end of 2020, scoring four wins and five podiums.
Marc Marquez was amongst the headlines after he returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines following a series of injury complications. The Spaniard lined up on the MotoGP grid for the first time in 11 months at the Portuguese Grand Prix in April and won three races in Germany, America and Emilia Romagna.
Other race winners include 2021 Rookie of the Year, Jorge Martin, Jack Miller, Miguel Oliveira, Maverick Vinales and the brave Brad Binder who defied the downpour on slick tyres in Austria.
There will be shoes to fill following the retirement of Valentino Rossi at the end of 2021 and 2022 will be the first premier class campaign this millennium without ‘The Doctor’ involved.
The nine-time champion hung up his leathers after an illustrious 26-year career, however, the sport is in great hands with the next generation of young talent in the MotoGP class and in the junior ranks.
Enea Bastianini makes the move from Esponsorama Racing to join Gresini Racing to partner rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio
The experienced Andrea Dovizioso makes his full-time move to the WithU Yamaha Team, who have taken over the Sepang Racing Team, and will be partnered by another rookie Darryn Binder (brother of Brad) who makes the direct move from Moto3, in which he finished seventh in 2021.
Vinales and Franco Morbidelli also start their first full campaigns at Aprilia Racing and Monster Energy Yamaha respectively.
It is all-change at Tech3 KTM as 2021 Moto2 champion Remy Gardner and runner-up Raul Fernandez enter their first MotoGP campaigns.
Fellow Moto2 title challenger, Marco Bezzecchi moves up to MotoGP to partner Luca Marini at the Mooney VR46 Racing Team.
The newly built Mandalika International Street Circuit makes its debut on the MotoGP calendar this year. Located in Central Lombok, the track is set in a picturesque spot in the East of Indonesia.
Contrary to the name, the track has wide, sweeping corners and plenty of run-off areas and will host Round Two of the 2022 season in March. The track also hosted a three-day pre-season test in February.
The Kimi Ring will finally host a MotoGP race after the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2.88-mile circuit will be the stage of Round 12 of the season in July before the summer break.
Opening in 2019, the track features 18 turns of varying radii and challenges, which could see the Finnish Grand Prix being one of the most intriguing races of the season.
Australia’s popular Phillip Island returns after a two-year absence as does Japan’s Twin Ring Motegi, Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit, Argentina’s Termas de Rio Hondo and the Chang International Circuit which will host the Thai Grand Prix in October as all of the tracks are set to host a Grand Prix for the first time since 2019.
Argentina returns to the calendar and has had its fair share of controversy over the years, following some scintillating duels between Marc Marquez and Rossi in 2015 and 2018.
Phillip Island tests the bravery of all riders with fast corners like Doohan Corner, Stoner Corner and Lukey Heights. One of the few ‘old school’ tracks remaining on the calendar, the South Victoria circuit offers a variety of challenges that regularly provides great racing.
Japan’s passionate and fanatic fans reside to Motegi, another track that always provides fantastic battles, none more so than Dovizioso and Marc Marquez in 2017 in which the Italian completed a perfect switchback to take the win.
#TBT to the last time MotoGP went to Motegi…
A stunning last lap battle between Marc Márquez and Andrea Dovizioso ?
One of the best races in recent memory! #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/WljYie5Dv2
— MotoGP on BT Sport (@btsportmotogp) October 11, 2018
Sepang hosts the Malaysian Grand Prix, a track that was the catalyst in the twist of the 2015 title fight as Marc Marquez was knocked off by Rossi, which saw him dropped to the back of the grid for the finale in Valencia a fortnight later.
The Chang International Circuit is the newest addition in the ‘flyaway’ leg of the season. Debuting in 2018, the track offers a different series of corners and a heavy braking zone at turn three.
Once again, Silverstone hosts the British Grand Prix which made a welcome return in 2021. Despite there being no British riders in the premier class, this will be the home race for Moto2’s Sam Lowes and Jake Dixon as well as Moto3’s John McPhee and VisionTrack’s teenage duo Scott Ogden and Joshua Whatley.
At the start of every season, there is always a series of hot topics, none more so than this season.
Will Ducati dominate? With the Italian manufacturer fielding eight bikes between four teams this season, Ducati are the favourites to win the manufacturer’s championship.
Their frightening top speed added to their fantastic race starts, thanks to the controversial ‘holeshot device’ which lowers the centre of gravity at the rear end of the bike to get a better launch off the start line, has put them in firm contention.
Bagnaia is at the forefront of Ducati’s 2022 ambitions as are Miller, Johann Zarco and Martin who are all running GP22 machines.
The 2021 runner-up is predicted to be in the hunt for this season’s riders’ title and should score the biggest chunk of points ahead of Martin, Miller and Zarco, with Bastianini, Bezzecchi, Marini and Di Giannantonio regularly chipping in throughout the season.
Meanwhile, reigning champion Quartararo comes into the season unhappy with the power coming out of his YZR-M1.
In pre-season, following the Mandalika test, the Frenchman said how frustrated he was with the lack of top speed.
“What we have is what we have, we have a top speed which I expected to be much better for 2022 but it’s exactly the same.”
Quartararo was overtaken several times by other riders on the straights and fears he will be in a similar predicament again this season, which means he will have to make up lost ground in the corners, eventually leading to more mistakes and crashes.
Could number 20’s frustrations force the Frenchman into a move ahead of 2023?
Quartararo is obviously a favourite to take the 2022 MotoGP title. The reigning champion comes into the season in sticky form following a lacklustre end to 2021, however, is ‘100%’ ready for Qatar and is fired up to take his second crown.
Bagnaia was the man in form at the end of 2021 and could have even taken the title if not for his costly blunder which handed Quartararo the title. It took him a while, but when he eventually won his first race in Aragon in September, he went on a phenomenal streak in races and qualifying.
As mentioned, Ducati’s package is even stronger than last year’s and if the Italian can eradicate avoidable mistakes he could clinch his maiden crown in 2022.
Marc Marquez comes into this season as the most decorated rider on the 2022 grid with eight titles to his name following Rossi’s retirement and will hope to level ‘The Doctor’s’ nine championships this season.
Although the past two seasons have been difficult for the Spaniard if he can keep in and around the top five on a regular basis, that could see him in a good position heading into the flyaway rounds, where the 29-year-old has been successful over the years. Marc Marquez is never one to be doubted.
Joan Mir also has a chance of taking his second title, adding to his 2020 crown. The Suzuki Ecstar rider did not clinch a victory in what was a disappointing 2021, however, that will add fuel to the fire to get a title charge into gear. Mir is a rider who is a consistent finisher as he clinched six podiums in 2021, finishing third overall.
Bagnaia will be the riders’ champion for the first time in his MotoGP career after a mostly dominant year ahead of Mir in second and Quartararo in third place. The Italian will win six races and clinch five podiums throughout the campaign, including a dramatic home victory at Mugello.
Number 63’s success will give the Ducati Lenovo squad a healthy chunk of points, as well as regular podiums and points for Miller, which will earn the Italian outfit their third successive constructors’ crown.
Bezzecchi will be the 2022 Rookie of the Year with a podium finish at Buriram, setting him apart from Gardner. The Mooney VR46 rider will be a regular inside the points finishing inside the top 10 on eight occasions.
Pol Espargaro will be a dark horse in 2022. The Spaniard struggled for pace in 2021, however, will be a regular in the top 10 this season. He will convert his one podium from 2021 to four in 2022 and potentially even win a race if the stars align.
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]]>The ex-Williams driver made one appearance for the Brackley-based outfit at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix and would have stood on the top step of the podium if it was not for an unfortunate pit stop blunder.
Russell enjoyed a positive 2021 season, in which he broke his points-scoring duck at the chaotic Hungarian Grand Prix along with his teammate Nicholas Latifi.
Four weeks later, at a very soggy Spa-Francorchamps, the Brit stood on the podium for the first time after his bold qualifying performance saw him take second place behind the Safety Car as the race was curtailed due to the downpour.
The then-Williams driver went on to clinch two more points-scoring finishes at the Italian Grand Prix and Russian Grand Prix after it was announced that he would be making the step up to the Mercedes team for 2022.
The Mercedes W13 car will be unveiled on Friday, however, similarly to Red Bull, they are expected to unveil their livery on a ‘demo’ car, unlike Aston Marin and AlphaTauri.
In his first interview as a Mercedes driver, Russell spoke about the ‘interesting’ changes which have been made for this season.
“The first impressions of the W13 have been interesting,” said the 24-year-old.
“It is a very different car to the previous era and how the characteristics of how the downforce is produced is completely different.”
The sport’s hierarchy introduced a number of new regulation changes for 2021, however, these were pushed back a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Changes include sizing up the 13-inch wheel rims to covered 18-inches, simplified aerodynamic packages as well as a complete change in the shape of the car in an attempt to improve on-track racing.
Russell also mentioned that 2022 is going to be a ‘year of development’ for all teams on the grid.
“We’re still learning as we are going, there’s still a huge amount of improvements to be made to bring everything together to make it as nice as possible to drive.
“I foresee a lot of people being in the same boat because we’re learning so much day after day whether it is in the wind-tunnel or in the simulator.
“I think it is going to be a year of development,” Russell added.
“I think everybody wants to go to the first race and have the fastest car possible.
“What will be more important is understanding what your limitations are and how you are going to improve from those limitations to build yourself the best foundation possible.”
The Mercedes new-boy is tipped to stand on the top step of the rostrum this season and to challenge Hamilton and McLaren’s Lando Norris to be Britain’s top dog.
Russell did predict that the 2022 title fight could be a five-way battle. He also added that the controversial ending to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix lit a ‘motivational fire’ inside the team.
However, one worry that Russell may have is that he could potentially be forced to play second fiddle to Hamilton, a problem that Valtteri Bottas faced after he made the same move for the 2017 season. With that in mind, the 24-year-old will hope to hit the ground running in his silver arrow to prevent this from being the case.
Whilst the relative pace of the new AMG car is unknown as only four teams have completed shakedown tests, the German-powered team will hope they can challenge for their ninth constructors’ title in as many years and their bid could be bolstered with their latest recruit.
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]]>When Quartararo won the title last year, he wanted one thing from his 2022 machine – more top-speed.
Three months down the line, with the start of the 2022 season just weeks away, the 22-year-old is set to begin his title defence on the back foot.
The Frenchman won the 2021 title with five wins and five podiums and wrapped up his maiden crown with two races to spare at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Misano.
The frightening potential that the Ducati bikes could live up to this season could see the Italian outfit clinch their first riders’ title since 2007. On numerous occasions in 2021, the Ducati-powered riders effortlessly breezed past their competitors down the long straights, especially at Losail which will host the season opener in just over two weeks’ time – something Quartararo was a victim of throughout the season.
Quartararo stated after a trying Mandalika test last weekend that the bike isn’t fast enough in a straight line.
“I can do nothing more, from my side I put 100% every time I go on track.
“What we have is what we have, we have a top speed which I expected to be much better for 2022 but it’s exactly the same.
I always say the same, I won’t say it anymore, in the ended we know what we have from the engine and the horsepower but 100% from my side will always be there.”
The Frenchman also spoke about a dismal race simulation in Indonesia, and how he was unable to complete a second race run with the more comfortable soft tyre compound, which his team told him that it wouldn’t be used in the race next month.
“We did a long run with a medium rear tyre, and the feeling was really bad.
“I wanted to do another race simulation with the soft tyre but the team said to keep calm.”
Although pre-season testing isn’t always a true reflection of what the season will entail for a team and rider, however, the writing is somewhat on the wall for the Frenchman and Yamaha.
Despite Quartararo hinting at 2023 contract proposals, the Monster Energy Yamaha team bosses have revealed that they are ‘confident‘ in being able to extend their deal with the 2021 champion.
Despite a difficult pre-season on-track, the Frenchman said that he is ‘100% ready for Qatar.’
With the field being fiercely competitive this year, the margin for error will be immensely small and being on a bike which isn’t capable of competing with it’s rivals in a straight line means you have to make up time in other places, leading to more mistakes and crashes which is something that Quartararo has previously struggled with, costing him the 2020 title.
Ducati come into the season as the hot favourites, with both Factory and Pramac riders at the helm of the GP22 bikes. Enea Bastianini is also tipped to have a bright season despite running older-spec machinery. Meanwhile, Aprilia, Honda and Suzuki have also made positive strides this winter and look to gate-crash the title challenge.
The 2023 rider market will be an interesting story which will unfold race by race, and with many riders’ deals coming to an end at the end of this season it could be all-change over the winter.
The rumour mill is already swirling, linking the likes of Joan Mir to a move to Repsol Honda, meanwhile, a potential MotoGP debut for 2021 World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu who would be amongst the top candidates to replace Quartararo if he was to head for pastures new.
It will be interesting to see if the Frenchman’s woes will be evident in the early stages of the season which could lead to his Yamaha exit, however, if he can make the best out of bad situations like he did in 2021 then he certainly shouldn’t be written off just yet.
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]]>Pol Espargaro was at the summit on Day One and Three at Mandalika, and after proceedings on Sunday he exclaimed his delight saying he’d ‘never been so fast’ yet remained incredibly grounded.
“It’s just one lap in a test. It’s good because it shows the potential is so high in our bike in one lap which is something we needed to improve from last year after seeing how fast the Ducati’s are in one lap.
“We did it in one lap but also with the pace when the tyre starts to drop. That is when you know if you are working and if the bike is working. We are not too bad and for that reason I think we are ready for Qatar.”
“We performed well in one lap and with the rhythm, but at the end of the day no points were given today.”
The time-topper’s teammate Marc Marquez finished ninth in the combined results with a 1:31.481 as he sets sights on what he hopes will be another competitive year.
Despite finishing second in the overall Mandalika timings, Quartararo was dissatisfied with the lack of pace his Yamaha YZR-M1 package had, claiming he ‘didn’t feel good in the time attacks.’
The Frenchman scored the Japanese manufacturer’s first riders’ title since 2015 last season, and looks set to begin 2022 on the back foot.
Quartararo is already hinting towards rival outfits at the prospect of 2023 contract offers, once his current deal with Yamaha ends at the end of the season.
The visibly frustrated reigning champion gave his thoughts on a difficult day.
“I’m feeling good, it was a long and tough day. We did a long run with a medium rear tyre, and the feeling was really bad. I wanted to do another race simulation with the soft tyre but the team said to keep calm.
“I could feel myself being a lot better at the end of the day, not lap time but the feeling of the bike.
“From my side I put 100% every time I go onto the track, but what we have is what we have.”
Aprilia, who were the most impressive team at the Sepang test a week ago, converted their good pace in Indonesia as Aleix Espargaro placed fourth and Maverick Vinales was eighth fastest.
Sepang timesheet-topper Enea Bastianini could only find pace for 13th, however, was focussing more on race runs opposed to time attacks last week, and admitted he was happy with the pre-season tests and is ready to race.
On day one the circuit was incredibly dirty with dust and debris which led to the organisers halting proceedings in order to clean the track, hopefully something which won’t be a problem then the newly built track hosts Round Two on the 20th March.
Rookie Raul Fernandez circulated only seven laps on Day Three after a nasty crash on Day Two, which left him with bruising on the head and an early end to his Mandalika test.
Meanwhile, 2020 champion Joan Mir missed out on Day Three completely through illness.
Full Combined results: P. Espargaro, Quartararo, Marini, A. Espargaro, Morbidelli, Bagnaia, Rins, Vinales, M. Marquez, Zarco, B. Binder, Mir, Bastianini, A. Marquez, Oliveira, Martin, Nakagami, Miller, Dovizioso, Bezzecchi, Di Giannantonio, Fernandez, Gardner, D. Binder
MotoGP now takes a very short break before touching down in Qatar for the season opener in three weeks’ time. In the meantime all teams will be fine-tuning their machinery to give them the best chance at the Losail International Circuit.
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Ducati have won back-to-back constructors’ championships and will hope they can power one of the many talented riders onboard their bikes to their first riders’ title since Casey Stoner in 2007.
Marc Marquez made his return from a concussion injury which led to him experiencing double-vision, forcing him to miss the final two rounds of 2021.
Aprilia, who many tipped to struggle in 2022, showed impressive pace in Malaysia, however, pre-season testing must always be taken with a pinch of salt.
Aleix Espargaro topped the Day One timesheets with a 1:58.371 ahead of his Aprilia teammate Maverick Vinales. The Spanish duo completed 42 and 56 laps respectively across the day.
In third was Suzuki’s Alex Rins who set a 1:58.471 on his penultimate lap of the afternoon, meaning the top three on Day One were split by a tenth of a second exactly.
Bastianini was just short of being in the top three but his 23rd lap of the day was his fastest which was enough to see him in fourth.
Reigning champion Fabio Quartararo finished just behind his compatriot Johann Zarco in sixth, just over six-tenths from the summit.
The returning Marc Marquez finished the day in eighth, despite a crash at the final corner but thankfully walked away unscathed. Joan Mir finished ahead of his fellow Spaniard in seventh with Marquez’s Repsol Honda teammate, Pol Espargaro, finishing the day in ninth.
The Repsol Honda riders, riding new-spec machinery, came away from the test much happier than in previous years, with team boss Alberto Puig describing it as ‘one of our best tests.’
Rookie Marco Bezzecchi ended his first official MotoGP session in 10th ahead of the experienced and talented likes of Cal Crutchlow (11th), Miguel Oliveira (16th), Jorge Martin (17th) and title favourite Francesco Bagnaia who finished the day in 19th.
Full Day One Classification: A. Espargaro, Vinales, Rins, Bastianini, Zarco, Quartararo, Mir, M. Marquez, P. Espargaro, Bezzecchi, Crutchlow, Nakagami, Fernandez, B. Binder, A. Marquez, Oliveira, Martin, Marini, Bagnaia, Di Giannantonio, Morbidelli, Miller, Dovizioso, D. Binder, Guintoli, Savadori, Tsuda.
The unpredictable Malaysian weather disrupted Day Two running, however, most paddock personnel used it as an excuse to go for a lunch break.
In the end, it was Bastianini who topped the Day Two timesheets with a blistering 1.58.131 which was enough to place him at the summit of the combined timings.
Aleix Espargaro ended Day Two in second but two-tenths faster than his quickest Day One time with 2021 Rookie of the Year Jorge Martin finishing the day in third.
Alex Rins’ best lap of the Sepang Test was a 1:58.261 which put him fourth on Day Two with his teammate Mir in 12th after setting a 1:58.529 lap time.
Vinales was again inside the top five and his impressive pace from the Shakedown Test carried over to the weekend.
Bagnaia’s pace significantly improved on Day Two as he ended the weekend in sixth with his best lap on Sunday being a 1:58.265. Meanwhile his Factory Ducati teammate Jack Miller could only find the pace for 14th.
Bezzecchi’s Sunday showing was not as strong as Saturday as he finished 16th, however, he was only three-tenths off Luca Marini in 11th. The Italian was the fastest rookie in both sessions, beating Raul Fernandez (19th), Fabio Di Giannantonio (20th), Remy Gardner (23rd) and Darryn Binder in 25th.
Full Day Two Classification: Bastianini, A.Espargaro, Martin, Rins, Vinales, Bagnaia, Quartararo, M. Marquez, Zarco, P. Espargaro, Marini, Mir, Nakagami, Miller, Oliveira, Bezzecchi, A. Marquez, B. Binder, Fernandez, Di Giannantonio, Crutchlow, Dovizioso, Gardner, Morbidelli, D. Binder, Guintoli, Tsuda.
MotoGP makes the short trip to Indonesia for the second pre-season test which will take place around the Mandalika Circuit, a new addition to the calendar for 2022.
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Stoke started the game on the front foot as they took the lead after 15 minutes. Ex-Wigan player Nick Powell dinked a sumptuous ball to the feet of Tyrese Campbell, who ran the visitors’ defence ragged for the 75 minutes he was on the pitch, before squaring it to Maja who had the simple task of beating Jamie Jones from 12 yards.
In the second half, Michael O’Neill called for the services of Brown, Steven Fletcher and Emre Tezgel to extend their advantage, and just over a minute after coming on, Brown’s shot from just inside the box nestled into the far corner, earning the Potters a place in the hat for Round Five.
Stoke will find out their opponents in the next round of the cup tomorrow morning as the Fifth Round draw will be made ahead of Liverpool’s tie against Cardiff City, with the Potters taking ball number 13.
After the game, Stoke boss Michael O’Neill hailed Brown to Prost International for everything he brings to his side.
“He’s been a vital player this season. Out of all our attacking players, Jacob [Brown] has played the most minutes this season and he is obviously our top scorer as well.
“He contributes an awful lot and what he brings to the side is a real team player, the team always comes ahead of himself.
“When you look at his physical data, it’s usually the highest in every game, you know for example his high-speed running.
“But sometimes he hasn’t got the rewards he has deserved for the work that he’s put in so I’m pleased that he’s come off the bench and scored because it gives you confidence that even if you are not starting the game you can come on and effect it.”
Wigan went down to 10 men in the second period after Gwion Edwards was dismissed by referee Geoff Eltringham for a second bookable offence, this time a rash challenge on Brown, with just over a quarter of an hour to go.
Both sides made numerous changes ahead of the tie which included Potters debuts for Maja and Liam Moore as Latics boss Leam Richardson handed Glen Rea and Jamie McGrath their first appearances.
Ex-Stoke winger James McClean missed out as he is struggling with a foot injury which Richardson revealed to the press after the game.
Powell made his first start since October 19th, after being sidelined with a fractured fibula, and played his part in getting Stoke ticking from midfield to attack, something the Potters have desperately missed in his absence.
Moore also collected a clean sheet in his first appearance in red and white. The defender, who signed on loan from Reading on Deadline Day, was commanding and dominant in the air alongside Taylor Harwood-Bellis who came close to scoring by sneaking in at the back post on several occasions.
Fletcher will be frustrated not to have added more goals to his side’s tally as he squandered numerous shots in the latter stages of the contest. The Championship veteran had shots blocked, saved and miscued a handful of off-target efforts.
Josh Magennis had Wigan’s most clear-cut attempt in the first half, however, he tried a cheeky shot to catch out Joe Bursik, who also returned from injury, but the Northern Irishman’s shot trickled wide.
The visitors had chances through two chaotic goalmouth scrambles, but no Wigan player could poke the ball past the England under-21 shot-stopper.
The Latics also hit the woodwork in the second half after Joe Bennett swung a venomous free-kick into the danger zone and would have beaten everyone had it been a handful of inches lower.
Wigan Athletic manager Leam Richardson thought his side ‘were competitive’ in large parts of the game but inevitably fell short.
“I thought in large parts of the game we were competitive.
“You can see the calibre of players that Stoke have got, they gave it everything today and put all their forward-thinking players on the pitch.”
The Wigan boss also gave his thoughts on Edwards’ red card.
“I haven’t seen it [the challenge] back.
“Gwion [Edwards] is an experienced player and he’d be as disappointed as anybody with it.
“It looked like a tired recovery run but the first booking was avoidable.”
Both sides now shift attention back to league action. For Stoke, they look ahead to Tuesday’s crucial Championship clash at home to Swansea City as Wigan prepare for Tuesday’s away trip to Sheffield Wednesday.
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