The 2022 Michelin Grand Prix of Argentina will always be remembered for the historic milestone reached by Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia Racing. On his 200th premier class Grand Prix, the Spanish rider finally stood on the top step of the podium and sparked wild celebrations within the Noale factory’s box. The celebrations were certainly well-deserved, but now it’s time to switch focus to the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas which comes hot on the heels of the fun from Termas, and sees Espargaro lead the Championship standings.
Top 10 within 25
Thanks to his victory, the Aprilia rider has now collected 45 points in 2022, and leads the title race three fixtures in. He holds a seven-point advantage over Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and nine more than Qatar GP winner Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™). The Italian is tied with Alex Rins, with the Suzuki rider’s P3 finish in Argentina boosting his tally for the season.
Reigning World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) is one point further back on 35 while 2020 World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) has 33 to his name. Indonesian GP victor Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) has 28, just ahead of Pramac duo Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin, while Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro completes the top 10 on 20 points and within striking distance of his elder brother Aleix.
Six winning factories
The inseparable nature of the Championship standings isn’t just coincidence, it’s as a result of six different constructors being just as competitive as the other. Aprilia’s success means that all MotoGP™ manufacturers have now tasted the sweetness of victory in the premier class. So close is the competition in 2022, that we have had three different manufacturers on the top step in the opening three rounds; Ducati toppling the Lusail desert on the opening night, KTM taking Mandalika by storm and Aprilia making history in Argentina. Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki all boast MotoGP™ World Champion within their ranks, so their moment should come sooner rather than later.
The podium places
The diversity of honours isn’t just exclusive to the top step, with an eclectic mix of factories represented on the rostrum in 2022. As of yet, no rider has featured twice in the top three, meaning that there have been nine different podium finishers in Qatar, Indonesia and Argentina. Binder and Pol Espargaro accompanied Bastianini in parc ferme at Lusail, while Oliveira led Frenchmen Quartararo and Zarco over the line in Mandalika. Most recently, Martin and Rins could only watch on as Aleix Espargaro went on to create history. We won’t have to wait long to see if this trend continues, with a date in COTA just around the corner.
Sleeping Giants
The season has already delivered drama by the bucketload and we’re sure there’s even more to come. The title race top 10 doesn’t feature some of MotoGP™'s real heavy hitters, with the likes of factory Ducati duo Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller yet to make their mark on the Championship to date. The same can be said for three-time race winner and 2020 runner up Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and the incredibly talented Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing). That’s not to forget eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who we all know can pull off something magical if his physical problems give him a break.
Rookie wonders
All this title talk and it’s easy to forget there are five premier class newbies who have shown some impressive early form. Italian Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) currently leads the Rookie of the Year battle, with a P9 in Termas a particularly noteworthy result. Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) and Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) have already collected some Championship points, while Raul Fernandez (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) can expect to earn their first points sooner rather than later.
Wherever you look on the grid, there is fierce competition. Any rider would fancy their chances on any given day, and it’s reflected in the title standings. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long to see what happens next in this amazing season, with the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas up next.