MotoGP Aragón 2022 | Page 18

PREVIEW

The 2022 MotoGP™ season is shaping up to be one of the most dramatic and competitive in memory with as many as twelve potential winners lining up on the grid . And if the first half of the season is anything to go by , it will be difficult to predict as well . The first 14 races of the year offered up plenty of surprises . The early struggles of World Champions Fabio Quartararo and Yamaha were one . The Frenchman appeared lost in Qatar , Argentina and Austin . But upon returning to Europe , he began replicating the form that carried him to the 2021 title , with brilliant wins in Portugal , Barcelona and Germany . Tough races in the Netherlands and UK gave others hope , but his performance at the Red Bull Ring showed he will fight until the very end . Aleix Espargaro , meanwhile , has proved Aprilia ’ s RS-GP is now among the grid ’ s strongest bikes . The Catalan has been riding as well as ever , winning a brilliant race in Argentina before scoring third places in Portugal , Jerez , France and Italy to sit firmly in the title race . An astonishing comeback at Assen , where he recovered from 15th to fourth , suggested he can push Quartararo hardest . Ducati ’ s 2022 machine started slowly , as did fancied runner Francesco Bagnaia . The Italian endured disastrous races in Qatar and Indonesia . His season has been marked by serious highs and protracted lows . He was peerless at Jerez , Mugello , where he notched up stellar victories . Careless crashes at Le Mans and the Sachsenring then set him back . But victory at Assen , Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring proved he is still in the fight . Enea Bastianini is having a mercurial year . The Italian took brilliant victories in Qatar , Texas and France aboard his year-old GP21 . But since he has admitted to struggling with the heightened expectations . He scored just eleven points in the four races before the summer break to fall out of the title race . A number of other riders have the capacity to win races , Ectsar Suzuki pairing Alex Rins and Joan Mir among them . Likewise , Pramac Ducati ’ s Johann Zarco and Lenovo Ducati ’ s Jack Miller have enjoyed strong recent results .
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