A record number of races, two new destinations or a tough title fight: what to expect from the next Moto GP season?

A record number of races or two new races! Moto GP this year promises to be a very attractive spectacle indeed, and not only for this reason. Several riders could be vying for the championship title! So what can we look forward to?

The coronavirus pandemic has forced Moto GP to significantly adjust its calendar for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. However, in the coming year, fans will not only see a classic schedule, but a record number of twenty-one races and two new destinations await!

The new edition of Moto GP will kick off with the Qatar Grand Prix at the Losail circuit, specifically on March 6. The second round of the season will then take place in Indonesia – the last time the Moto GP royalty raced here was in 1997, so this is a great return.

After a two-year hiatus, the race in Argentina also returns to the World Championship calendar. The first half of the season will then conclude with the Finnish Grand Prix at the new KymiRing. This has even been removed from the calendar three times in the past years due to construction delays and, last but not least, a pandemic.

It will also be the first visit to Finland since 1982! Then, as in the case of the Argentine Grand Prix, Japan returns to the Moto GP calendar after two years. The race in the Land of the Rising Sun will take place on 25 September.

The full calendar and specific dates can be found in the attached Twitter post below.

The battle for the world title

Fabio Quartararo, who still defends the colours of the Monster Energy Yamaha Moto GP team, will no doubt be fighting for the championship title once again. The French rider secured his first overall triumph at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, but his victory meant much more.

Yamaha has regained the World Rider Championship title after six years thanks to him. The last time Jorge Lorenzo won the championship in the colours of this team.

But France itself has also had a historic success. Never in the history of MotoGP has a French rider won the title.

Quartararo therefore has a very difficult task ahead of him – to defend his championship title, which will not be easy at all. There are several challengers, the most serious of which should be Francesco Bagnaia in the coming year.

The Italian racer showed his potential especially in the second half of last year and gradually pulled the championship leader down. It should also be noted that Ducati was the best team in terms of engine in the recently concluded season. According to the available data, Ducati motorcycles also had the best top speed – not only for these reasons they dominated the Constructors’ Cup.

Will they see a title among the riders this year? But we mustn’t forget Marc Márquez and Honda Repsol either. The six-time MotoGP World Champion returned from injury last year and, especially in the second half of the season, proved to everyone that he still has what it takes to fight for the top positions.

It’s no exaggeration to label this traditional factory team led by an already legendary rider as another title aspirant. Jorge Martin has also impressed with his performances in the 2021 season, but the question is whether he has the chops to fight for the overall championship anymore. Moreover, he is still defending the colours of the non-factory Pramac Racing team.

Suzuki could also have a say in the battle for the top ranks, but the 2021 season was not as successful for this team. Joan Mir, however, already has one world championship title to his name, in 2020.

Suzuki, it should be noted, reigned supreme in last year’s Moto GP, with the Spaniard Mir scoring 171 points and his teammate Alex Rins 139. Suzuki riders finished first and third in the riders’ championship, while also dominating the Constructors’ Cup.

So who would you put as the favourite?

Sources: Moto GP, Motorsport