Official Programme Qatar GP 2023 | Page 67

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If last year was anything to go by , the 2023 Moto2™ World Championship should be compulsive watching as MotoGP™ ’ s next generation of stars are poised to do battle . 2022 was a year of transition in the class , which resulted in unparalleled variety . Eight different riders winning races , eleven taking pole position and twelve appearing on the podium . Interestingly , seven of those victors won for the first time in the class . But it looks like one rider in particular will take over Augusto Fernandez ’ s crown . All eyes are also on Spanish sensation Pedro Acosta , who enjoyed a strong preseason . He came out swinging , too , scoring a controlled victory in race one before taking a further win in Austin , and a podium at Jerez . A crash out of the French GP put him on the back foot , but he recovered brilliantly , winning in Italy , Germany , San Marino and India to take control of the title fight . One of Italy ’ s brightest stars has been one of the strongest names so far . Tony Arbolino showed impressive consistency in the autumn of last year in his first season for ELF Marc VDS . Now in his second , the 23-year old has his eyes on the title , and scored a podium in Portugal before winning in Argentina and France . Despite disappointing results at Assen , Silverstone , Austria , Barcelona and Japan , a timely win in Australia has revived some hope . British duo Sam Lowes and Jake Dixon should both be factored in as potential race winners . No one could live with Lowes at Jerez , where he scored his 10th victory in the class . Likewise , Dixon has been a consistent top six runner so far and scored memorable wins at Assen and Barcelona . He now sits third overall and isn ’ t fully out of the title fight . Had it not been for Acosta ’ s superlative feats , another rookie – Alonso Lopez – would have taken all the plaudits in 2022 . The Spaniard , who only stepped into the Speed Up Boscoscuro team , seven races in , has shown he will be a contender this year , thanks to podiums in Argentina , Spain and France . As will team-mate Fermin Aldeguer , who has scored brilliant victories at Silverstone and the Chang International Circuit this year . Likewise , much will be expected from Ai Ogura , the 2022 runner-up . At Assen and Austria he showed he will consistently figure at the front once back to full fitness from a nasty wrist injury sustained during preseason .
Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Qatar | 67