Last MotoGP season saw four of six manufactures win a race, a pair of new winners and a first-time champion for a second consecutive season. Moving into 2022, the championship feels wider open than the year before.
Each manufacture can make a case to win races, which hasn't been the case for a long time in the world championship. There has been plenty of rider movement and there are a few new teams on the grid. Valentino Rossi is no longer a rider, but he will field a pair of Ducatis. Ducati is up to eight bikes on the grid. Yamaha has a new customer team. Aprilia is running its own program after Gresini Racing operated the program for seven seasons.
This will be the 74th world championship season, and it is set to be the longest yet, with 21 rounds on the initial calendar.
Schedule
After two years of European-heavy calendars, MotoGP is looking to visits some more familiar international destinations in 2022, but also make a few trips to new tracks.
Qatar remains the season opener with a night full of racing on March 6. Two weeks later, the series makes its first stop in the Asia-Pacific region for an inaugural trip to the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia. Mandalika host the 2021 World Superbike finale. This is the first time Indonesia has hosted the world championship since 1996 and 1997 at the Sentul International Circuit.
Argentina is set to make its MotoGP return on April 3, paired with a trip to the United States and Austin on April 10. Portugal opens the 12-race European portion of the season on April 24 with the Spanish Grand Prix from Jerez the following weekend on May 1.
The French Grand Prix is May 15 before the Mugello-Barcelona back-to-back on May 29 and June 5. The German Grand Prix and the Dutch TT will close out June with a back-to-back on June 19 and June 26 respectively.
The last round before the summer break will the long-awaited Finnish Grand Prix from the Kymi Ring on July 10. Finland was supposed to rejoin the MotoGP calendar in 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic. It was also initially on the 2021 calendar before restrictions kept the series from visiting. This will be the first Finnish Grand Prix since 1982. The Tampere Circuit hosted the world championship for 21 years prior to the 40 years absence.
MotoGP will return to action on August 7 at Silverstone with the Red Bull Ring only hosting one race this year, the Austrian Grand Prix on August 21. Misano and Aragón close out the European-portion and close out summer with races on September 4 and September 18.
The Asia-Pacific swing has been split into a pair of back-to-backs. Japan and Thailand are paired for September 25 and October 2, concluding a three-week stretch of races that starts in Aragón. After a week off, Australia and Malaysia will take place on October 16 and October 23. Valencia remains the season finale, scheduled for November 6.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Fabio Quartararo: #20 Yamaha YZR-M1
What did he do in 2021: World Riders' Champion with five victories, ten podium finishes, 13 top five finishes, 278 points and scoring points in 17 of 18 races.
What did he do in 2021: World Riders' Champion with five victories, ten podium finishes, 13 top five finishes, 278 points and scoring points in 17 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: Both Yamaha riders were at the top of the Mandalika test in the middle of February. Yamaha was not as strong at the Sepang test the week before, but Quartararo was competitive. The Frenchman will continue to be at the front. I am not sure he will be able to match his 2021 form. He was rather impeccable last year, and the lack of one strong opponent helped him claim the championship. That could change this year and the competition could come from within his own team. Quartararo should still win multiple times and defend his championship deep into the season.
Franco Morbidelli: #21 Yamaha YZR-M1
What did he do in 2021: 17th in the MotoGP championship with 47 points with one podium finish and another top five finishes. Missed five races due to a knee injury. Started the season with Petronas Yamaha SRT and made eight starts. Joined Monster Energy Yamaha for the final five races once recovered from his injury to replace Maverick Viñales.
What did he do in 2021: 17th in the MotoGP championship with 47 points with one podium finish and another top five finishes. Missed five races due to a knee injury. Started the season with Petronas Yamaha SRT and made eight starts. Joined Monster Energy Yamaha for the final five races once recovered from his injury to replace Maverick Viñales.
What to expect in 2022: Morbidelli was the eye-opener of the Mandalika test, ending up fourth while Quartararo was second. Injuries derailed Morbidelli's 2021 season after he was second in the championship on the customer Yamaha in 2020 while Quartararo was his teammate and down in eighth. A fully fit Morbidelli can compete for the championship. If he stays healthy, a title push is possible, and he should take points off Quartararo. However, the big change from 2020 is Quartararo has matured as a rider. It will not be easy for Morbidelli to replicate what we saw two seasons ago.
Ducati Lenovo Team
Jack Miller: #43 Ducati Desmosedici
What did he do in 2021: Fourth in the MotoGP championship with two victories, five podium finishes, eight top five finishes, 181 points and points scored in 16 of 18 races.
What did he do in 2021: Fourth in the MotoGP championship with two victories, five podium finishes, eight top five finishes, 181 points and points scored in 16 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: Miller was a little average during testing, ending up in the middle of the pack in Sepang and Mandalika. He won twice last year, including in the dry, but he wasn't regularly controlling the field and a tier one rider. He is good, but I think his teammate is better and there are a few riders ready for a big season that could knock Miller down the championship order unless Miller finds a new level this season.
Francesco Bagnaia: #63 Ducati Desmosedici
What did he do in 2021: Second in the MotoGP championship with four victories, nine podium finishes, 11 top five finishes, six pole positions, 252 points and points scored in 16 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: With a strong finish to the 2021 season, Bagnaia is primed for a championship fight in 2022, and testing suggests he will be there. If it wasn't for an accident in the second Misano race, Bagnaia could have kept the championship alive longer in 2022, maybe even forced it to the wire, and he would have likely closed the season with six consecutive podium finishes. Nobody had more than three consecutive podium finishes last year. If he is consistent in the first portion of the season, even if he isn't winning races, it will be difficult for anyone to beat him.
Team Suzuki Ecstar
Joan Mir: #36 Suzuki GSX-RR
What did he do in 2021: Third in the MotoGP championship with four podium finishes, nine top five finishes, 208 points and points scored in 16 of 18 races.What to expect in 2022: It is hard to say third in the championship defense was a disappointment, but Mir wasn't a threat last year. He scored points, but he wasn't the man anyone was chasing. I don't see Mir getting back to his 2021 heights. He should be a regular in the points, but not be a regular on the podium finisher.
Álex Rins: #42 Suzuki GSX-RR
What did he do in 2021: 13th in the MotoGP championship with one podium finish, three top five finishes, 99 points and points scored in 12 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: If Rins stays on the bike, the pace is there to win multiple races, and possibly win the championship. A second accident filled season cannot be upon us. Rins should be much better than 13th and he should get a few victories.
Pramac Racing
Johann Zarco: #5 Ducati Desmosedici
What did he do in 2021: Fifth in the MotoGP championship with four runner-up finishes, eight top five finishes, 173 points and points scored in 14 of 18 races.
What did he do in 2021: Fifth in the MotoGP championship with four runner-up finishes, eight top five finishes, 173 points and points scored in 14 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: It was a strange season in 2021 for Zarco. Four runner-up finishes in the first seven races, and he didn't finish on the podium after that. I don't expect Zarco to live on the back of an exceptional but nonetheless fruitless start to a season this year. Top ten in the championship with a podium or two? That is reasonable.
Jorge Martín: #89 Ducati Desmosedici
What did he do in 2021: Ninth in the MotoGP championship with a victory in the Styrian Grand Prix, four podium finishes, five top five finishes, four pole positions, 111 points scored and points scored in 10 of 14 starts. Missed four races after suffering a fractured foot and hand in practice for the Portuguese Grand Prix.
What did he do in 2021: Ninth in the MotoGP championship with a victory in the Styrian Grand Prix, four podium finishes, five top five finishes, four pole positions, 111 points scored and points scored in 10 of 14 starts. Missed four races after suffering a fractured foot and hand in practice for the Portuguese Grand Prix.
What to expect in 2022: Martín was the surprise of the season last year. Pole position and podium early and he came back from injury, won two more pole positions and a race. It was good enough for ninth in the championship. He did have four retirements last year. I think he and Zarco will be in their own little fight for best of the Pramac duo.
Repsol Honda Team
Pol Espargaró: #44 Honda RC213V
What did he do in 2021: 12th in the MotoGP championship with one podium finish, two top five finishes, 100 points and points scored in 13 of 17 starts. Missed the Valencian Community Grand Prix after a practice accident.
Marc Márquez: #93 Honda RC213V
What did he do in 2021: Seventh in the MotoGP championship with three victories, four podium finishes, five top five finishes, 142 points and points scored in ten of 14 starts. Missed the first two races as he was still recovering from his forearm injury suffered in 2020. Missed the final two races after a training accident.
What did he do in 2021: Seventh in the MotoGP championship with three victories, four podium finishes, five top five finishes, 142 points and points scored in ten of 14 starts. Missed the first two races as he was still recovering from his forearm injury suffered in 2020. Missed the final two races after a training accident.
What to expect in 2022: Based on points per start, Márquez was on pace for fourth in the championship last year. His season ended right when he was hitting on all cylinders, and then another set injuries set him back during the offseason. He has been recovering from double vision and it has been described as a more difficult comeback than from the arm injury ahead of the 2021 season. Expectations? There are none. We aren't sure what Marc Márquez we are getting and what shape he is in. If he is fully confident and fully healthy, we know how magically he can be. If we get a Márquez that is hesitant and only about 70% fit, well then we could be looking at a repeat of 2021.
But this is one of the greatest we have ever seen and if he could win three races last year and throw another one away we have to at least chalk him down for one victory in 2022, especially when there will be 21 bites at the apple
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Brad Binder: #33 KTM RC16
What did he do in 2021: Sixth in the MotoGP championship with one victory in the Austrian Grand Prix, five top five finishes, 151 points and points scored in 17 of 18 races.
What did he do in 2021: Sixth in the MotoGP championship with one victory in the Austrian Grand Prix, five top five finishes, 151 points and points scored in 17 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: KTM was good a Mandalika but out to lunch in Sepang. Binder got his championship position through consistency. But in each of his two MotoGP seasons he has one great race, and the rest are pedestrian. I don't see much of a change, and Binder will be somewhere between seventh and 13th in the championship.
Miguel Oliveira: #88 KTM RC16
What did he do in 2021: 14th in the MotoGP championship with one victory in the Catalan Grand Prix, three podium finishes, four top five finishes, 94 points and points scored in ten of 18 races.What to expect in 2022: After being a revelation in 2020, Oliveira came back to Earth in 2021. His four top five finishes were in four consecutive races from Mugello to Assen last year. He was outside the top ten for the rest of those races. I don't think Oliveira will have a four-race period such as that this year, but he should have a handful of top ten results.
LCR Honda Idemitsu/Castol
Takaaki Nakagami: #30 Honda RC213V
What did he do in 2021: 15th in the MotoGP championship with two top five finishes, 76 points and points scored in 13 of 18 races.
What did he do in 2021: 15th in the MotoGP championship with two top five finishes, 76 points and points scored in 13 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: Not much different than last year. Nakagami was 13th at both Sepang and Mandalika. There could be two or three races where it clicks for him and he is competing for a top five result.
Álex Márquez: #73 Honda RC213V
What did he do in 2021: 16th in the MotoGP championship with one top five finish, 70 points and points scored in 12 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: Similar to his teammate. Márquez will be competing for the low-scoring points position but could have a race or two where he is punchy.
Gresini Racing MotoGP
Enea Bastianini: #23 Ducati Desmosedici
What did he do in 2021: 11th in the MotoGP championship with two podium finishes, 102 points and points scored in 14 of 18 races.
What did he do in 2021: 11th in the MotoGP championship with two podium finishes, 102 points and points scored in 14 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: Results picked up at the end of 2021, and while Bastianini topped the Sepang test with a record time, he was toward the bottom at Mandalika. I expect an up and down season, some races where he is competitive and others where he is fighting just to be in the points.
Fabio Di Giannantonio: #49 Ducati Desmosedici
What did he do in 2021: Seventh in the Moto2 championship with one victory, four podium finishes, six top five finishes, 161 points and points scored in 15 of 18 races.
What did he do in 2021: Seventh in the Moto2 championship with one victory, four podium finishes, six top five finishes, 161 points and points scored in 15 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: Di Giannantonio had one victory in Moto2 over three seasons and he scored eight podium finishes in 52 starts. He will be fighting for a handful of points finishes this season in MotoGP.
Tech3 KTM Factory Racing
Raúl Fernández: #25 KTM RC16
What did he do in 2021: Second in the Moto2 championship with eight victories, 12 podium finishes, 14 top five finishes, 307 points and points scored in 15 of 18 races.
What did he do in 2021: Second in the Moto2 championship with eight victories, 12 podium finishes, 14 top five finishes, 307 points and points scored in 15 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: None of the KTMs were particularly strong in testing, and while Fernández was stunning in Moto2, I am not sure talent alone will lift this bike into more than a top 15 championship finish. Last year, Tech3 scored 76 points. That could be where this team is at the end of 2022.
Remy Gardner: #87 KTM RC16
What did he do in 2021: Moto2 champion with five victories, 12 podium finishes, 14 top five finishes, 311 points and points scored in 17 of 18 races.
What did he do in 2021: Moto2 champion with five victories, 12 podium finishes, 14 top five finishes, 311 points and points scored in 17 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: A few points finishes, but a strong intra-team battle with Fernández and maybe one flare up that gets everyone's attention.
Mooney VR46 Racing Team
Luca Marini: #10 Ducati Desmosedici
What did he do in 2021: 19th in the MotoGP championship with one top five finish, 41 points and points scored in 11 of 18 races.
What did he do in 2021: 19th in the MotoGP championship with one top five finish, 41 points and points scored in 11 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: Riding for his half-brother Valentino Rossi's new team, Marini was respectable in testing, 11th in Sepang and 12th in Mandalika. He was in the points more times than not. If he keeps that up, combined with an increase in top ten finishes, Marini should move up in the championship.
Marco Bezzecchi: #72 Ducati Desmosedici
What did he do in 2021: Third in the Moto2 championship with one victory, seven podium finishes, 12 top five finishes, 214 points and points scored in 15 of 18 races.
What did he do in 2021: Third in the Moto2 championship with one victory, seven podium finishes, 12 top five finishes, 214 points and points scored in 15 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: Bezzecchi ran comparably to Marini in testing. If Marini moves up in the championship, Bezzecchi taking where Marini was last year would be a respectable first season at the top level.
WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team
Andrea Dovizioso: #04 Yamaha YZR-M1
What did he do in 2021: Returned for the final five races of the 2021 season at Petronas Yamaha SRT after Franco Morbidelli moved to the factory team. Scored points in the final four races with finishes of 13th, 13th, 14th and 12th, amassing 12 points and getting him 24th in the championship.
What did he do in 2021: Returned for the final five races of the 2021 season at Petronas Yamaha SRT after Franco Morbidelli moved to the factory team. Scored points in the final four races with finishes of 13th, 13th, 14th and 12th, amassing 12 points and getting him 24th in the championship.
What to expect in 2022: The new customer Yamaha team was massively behind the factory operation. Dovizioso had a foot out the door of MotoGP. Trying to be optimistic, I think WithU Yamaha could have a slow start, but be more competitive at the end of the season and have results to cheer, with Dovizioso leading the way.
Darryn Binder: #40 Yamaha YZR-M1
What did he do in 2021: Seventh in the Moto3 championship with two podium finishes, five top five finishes, 136 points and points scored in 13 of 18 races with one disqualification after taking out Dennis Foggia on the final lap of the Algarve Grand Prix.
What did he do in 2021: Seventh in the Moto3 championship with two podium finishes, five top five finishes, 136 points and points scored in 13 of 18 races with one disqualification after taking out Dennis Foggia on the final lap of the Algarve Grand Prix.
What to expect in 2022: Binder is making the jump from Moto3, similar to what Jack Miller did seven years ago. Miller struggled to get points and really took three years to develop. I expect Binder to be at the back and make mistakes but have a few days to be proud of as he builds for the future.
Aprilia Racing
Maverick Viñales: #12 Aprilia RS-GP
What did he do in 2021: Tenth in the MotoGP championship after one victory and two podium finishes in the first ten races with Yamaha. Fired ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix for reckless behavior on the motorcycle that put himself and other riders at risk. Missed two races before joining Aprilia ahead of the Aragón. Started five of the final six races with two points finishes for Aprilia, both at Misano, 13th in the San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix and eighth in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Finished the season with 106 points.
What did he do in 2021: Tenth in the MotoGP championship after one victory and two podium finishes in the first ten races with Yamaha. Fired ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix for reckless behavior on the motorcycle that put himself and other riders at risk. Missed two races before joining Aprilia ahead of the Aragón. Started five of the final six races with two points finishes for Aprilia, both at Misano, 13th in the San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix and eighth in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Finished the season with 106 points.
What to expect in 2022: Aprilia could be the toughest nut to crack on the MotoGP grid. Both bikes were good in both tests. Viñales was fifth in Sepang and seventh in Mandalika. My concern is we haven't seen Aprilia put a full season together yet to believe it can be a player at the top in each race. But, last year was the manufacture's best season. There will be a few races where Aprilia is astonishing, but I still think there will be those weekends where they are in the middle of the field and not a contender. Viñales could win a race and find himself in the top ten of the championship.
Aleix Espargaró: #41 Aprilia RS-GP
What did he do in 2021: Eighth in the MotoGP championship with one podium finish, two top five finishes, 120 points and points scored in 13 of 18 races.
What did he do in 2021: Eighth in the MotoGP championship with one podium finish, two top five finishes, 120 points and points scored in 13 of 18 races.
What to expect in 2022: Espargaró was better than Viñales in testing, second in Sepang and third in Mandalika. Espargaró has always been a consistent rider, and last year he got everything out of the bike and then some. He should be able to win a race as well. If Viñales is in his right mind, it will be difficult for Espargaró to top the team, however, both should be in the top ten of the championship. If this pace does translate over, one of these riders could push for a top five championship finish.
The first practice of the MotoGP season will be held at 5:40 a.m. ET on Friday March 4 from the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar. Second practice will be later that day at 10:00 a.m. Third practice will take place at 5:15 a.m. on Saturday March 5. The 30-minute pre-qualifying practice will be at 9:20 a.m. with qualifying following at 10:00 a.m.
There will be a warm-up session at 5:40 a.m. ET on Sunday March 6 before the Qatar Grand Prix is held at 10:00 a.m.
