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The start of the 2022 MotoGP season gets underway under the lights in Qatar this Sunday as reigning champion Fabio Quartararo looks to defend his maiden crown against the Ducati squadron who look to be fierce challengers this year.
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.
2021 Recap
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.
Rider Moves
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.
New and Returning Tracks
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.
Hot Debates
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?
Title Favourites
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.
Predictions
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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