Michael Scott | January 19, 2022
Cycle News In The Paddock
COLUMN
MotoGP 2022—What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Right now is the best time of the racing year. Because with nobody having turned a wheel in anger, anything is possible.
Well, almost anything.
It’s unlikely that the 2022 MotoGP title will go to Andrea Dovizioso, who, at 36, takes over from Rossi as MotoGP’s oldest inhabitant. The oldest premier-class champion was decorated WW2 bomber pilot Les Graham, 1949’s inaugural champion at 37; the oldest race winner 44-year-old Fergus Anderson.
Nor should you bet on a repeat of Marquez’s 2013 class-rookie feat by one of the new boys—Darryn Binder, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Marco Bezzecchi. Really, there has only been one true rookie champion: Kenny Roberts came in stone cold in 1978 from the USA to defeat Barry Sheene by 10 points, on tracks he’d never seen before. Marquez had already run five GP seasons and won championships in 125 and Moto2.
Surprises can still happen, especially after significant changes this year.
The most important is new engines in new bikes. For two years, development has been frozen. This meant no chance to fix problems, which afflicted all except Aprilia, whose “concession-team” status left them free.
Yamaha and Suzuki riders were left begging for more power, but Honda was hit hardest.
As well as Marc Marquez’s injury, HRC was doubly hampered. The remaining riders (and on his return, also Marc) complained of difficulty entering and leaving corners, largely because of engine character, both off and then back on throttle. Changes to crankshaft mass and gas-flow were needed. But not allowed. The limited fiddling allowed to electronics was not enough, nor several chassis changes.
No wonder the riders were thrilled at first tests at Jerez in November, on an early prototype. Satellite teamster Nakagami was fastest on day one, and Repsol rider Pol Espargaro a close fourth on day two. Significant improvement.
But how about Honda’s superstar? Marquez made a fighting return during 2021 but proved fragile again when a concussion in a training tumble caused the return of the same double-vision problems that threatened to end his career early in 2011.
Back then, delicate, and potentially risky micro-surgical repair brought relief. This time, surgery has so far been avoided, while a cautiously worded statement from Honda before Christmas revealed that he had resumed physical if not on-bike training, after “progress has been deemed favorable” by his ophthalmologist. Stopping short of reporting complete recovery meant that his appearance at pre-season tests remains doubtful and left the possibility of more surgery.
Mid-January, however, came more encouraging news. The latest examination confirmed “a clear improvement in the vision.” For the first time in almost three months, Marc was given the all-clear to get back on a motorcycle. Only motocross at first, but a step in the right direction.
MotoGP margins are small. But not that small if you are Pecco Bagnaia who rode the upgraded Ducati to a massive top place at those Jerez tests, four-tenths clear of the rest. Pecco finished last year’s campaign on the crest of a wave, with four wins in the last six races. This was an ominous start to the new season.
Fans and rivals await the finished version of the 2022 Desmosedici with (respectively) excitement and trepidation. Adventurous race chief Gigi Dall’Igna led the way over recent years with aerodynamics, rear tire cooling and shape-shifting active ride-height adjustment.
The formidable desmo engine still had an (admittedly shrinking) power advantage last year, although KTM was closing the gap. And the rival factories, one by one, had all adopted the same innovations, to claw back some equal footing. But what will Dall’Igna think of next?
In fact, Ducati’s only weakness last year was having too many good riders, taking points off one another. With Bagnaia plus proven winners Miller and Martin now backed by the biggest cast—no less than eight Dukes, including the new VR46 team, the most numerous on the grid.
To a lesser extent, defending champion Fabio Quartararo faces a similar problem from new factory teammate Franco Morbidelli. Franco beat him when they were last on equal bikes, back in 2020.
This leaves Suzuki, with 2020 champion Mir and teammate Rins, desperate for more horsepower after a season where the former’s brilliant riding just wasn’t enough, and the latter had a series of crashes trying to overcome the GSX-RR’s weaknesses. Promises were made. Time will tell.
KTM’s race winners Binder and Oliveira were left wishing for better all-round performance to match the engine’s strength. The Austrian factory has not shown itself short of either ability or commitment.
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro hopes his new teammate Maverick Vinales (himself intent on rescuing his career) will help continue the Italian marque’s recent improvements.
Plus, a raft of satellite team riders with plenty to prove.
What could possibly go wrong? CN
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