MotoGP Assen 2022 | Page 5

WELCOME

After two challenging seasons due to the impact of the pandemic , there is now a new optimism that the 2022 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship will be able to play out in more normal conditions and enjoy an uninterrupted schedule . Everyone involved in the series will be hoping that this will be the case , and that any drama is reserved purely for activities out on track and not as a result of unwelcomed restrictions .
An incredible twenty-one events are planned for the 2022 season , which will see the series visit a total of seventeen different countries from early March through to the start of November . The new campaign will once again get started under the lights in Qatar before embarking on three more overseas races that will take the riders and teams to Indonesia , Argentina and the USA in advance of returning to Europe for the event in Portugal at the end of April .
The following sequence of races will see the championship drop in on some of Europe ’ s most famous circuits with the action due to take place at Jerez – Spain ; Le Mans – France ; Mugello – Italy ; Barcelona – Spain ; Sachsenring – Germany and Assen – The Netherlands during May and June .
The round at Silverstone – Great Britain in early August will signal the start of an intense period with the races at Spielberg – Austria ; Misano – Italy ; Aragon – Spain and Motegi – Japan all coming in rapid succession .
With seventeen rounds completed the riders and teams will face one last , but significant push with the closing four events packed into just over the period of a month . The encounters in Thailand , Australia , and Malaysia are bound to be crucial ahead of the traditional season conclusion at Valencia – Spain in early November .
Last year and seventy-three years after the first running of the championship , aged just twenty-two years old Fabio Quartararo became the first French winner of the premier class in a campaign that witnessed no less than seven different race winners over eighteen events . 2022 promises to be an equally hard-fought contest with this season ’ s rookies looking to make their own mark amongst the more established and perennial contenders .
Despite the challenges of the last two years the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship remains as strong as ever , much thanks to the co-operation and great efforts of all the series stakeholders . With this in mind , on behalf of the FIM I would like to thank all the relevant parties – those being our promoter Dorna , the manufacturers , the riders , the teams , the circuit owners , the volunteers , the media and the officials , plus all those involved in the wider Road Racing Grand Prix community including you the fans of this wonderful sport . I look forward to enjoying the 2022 season with you all .
Jorge Viegas
Jorge Viegas - FIM President
Motul TT Assen | 5