MotoGP™ Fantasy just keeps on giving as the MotoGP™ paddock moves to the iconic Le Mans Circuit seeing the brand-new ‘Maverick Viñales Official League’ raise the stakes at the SHARK Grand Prix de France. The league will commence at the French GP and will give MotoGP™ fans the opportunity not only to win two tickets to the Catalan GP, but also a full Meet & Greet experience with the Aprilia Racing man himself. Viñales will have his own team in the league, and with the league points starting from zero at the French GP, whoever has scored the most points by the end of the British GP will win the prize. To make sure you start off on the right foot, we're giving you the full run-down on everything you should consider in MotoGP™ Fantasy ahead of the French GP! Find out the full details on the Maverick Viñales Official League and how to join right HERE!
The first place to look for Fantasy success…
As ever, the first port of call when deciding who will take your MotoGP™ Fantasy Team to glory has to be the previous Fantasy dream team. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) sent a message at the Spanish GP as he came away from the weekend fronting the dream team with an incredible return to victory as well as a solid 2nd place in the Tissot Sprint bagging the Italian 59 precious Fantasy points.
Brad Binder's (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) dream weekend at Jerez saw the South African join Bagnaia as a gold rider in the Fantasy dream team. Binder's Tissot Sprint victory coupled with a 2nd place finish in the Grand Prix and a 4th place in qualifying saw the KTM golden boy score 47.5 points for the gamers who chose him.
Binder's teammate joined him in the Spanish GP dream team as Jack Miller took his Red Bull KTM from 2nd place on the grid to solid top 3 finishes in both the Tissot Sprint and the Spanish Grand Prix. This secured the Aussie's place as the first silver rider of the dream team with Miller snatching 33 fantasy points.
The final spot in the dream team went to Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) with the Spaniard enjoying two 4th places from 3rd on the grid which secured him 27.5 Fantasy points.
Despite a strong showing from KTM in southern Spain, it was Ducati dominance once again in MotoGP™ Fantasy as the Bologna bullet was the bike of choice as the strongest scorer with 43.25 points.
Rain or shine, or shine in the rain?
Together with track conditions and rider's form, the pricing in MotoGP™ Fantasy is an important aspect to consider to be able to budget for a strong Fantasy team. The pricing system takes into account the performance from the last GP in relation to the expected performance of the rider. So if a rider scores a strong result or exceeds expectations their price will increase, but if they perform below par it will decrease. The pricing on constructors will also vary from GP to GP taking into account the two riders with the best average score from the previous GP. These are important things to take into account when budgeting your team and taking into account how your team value may increase or decrease from round to round.
With an uncertain forecast ahead of the French GP, the first round of the Maverick Viñales Official League is going to be a tricky one. Riders who can master both conditions is where focus will need to lie ahead of MotoGP™ Fantasy at the French Grand Prix. Priced at 3.5M, Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia would be a good place to start. We know the Italian has strong dry pace at the Le Mans circuit having seen what he is capable of in 2022. Equally, the Bagnaia comes into the French GP in good spirits and on strong form after his return to victory in Jerez. In the case of rain, the Ducati top dog has proven he has pace in wet weather conditions on numerous occasions, and despite crashing out of a wet Argentine GP Bagnaia did show he can run in podium contention in tricky conditions onboard his GP23.
When looking for a jack-all-trades look no further than Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). The Aussie has already proven he is capable of winning at the Le Mans circuit in wet conditions after taking victory in 2021. The Red Bull KTM man is no slouch in the dry either taking 2nd place at the 2022 French Grand Prix. Miller also comes off the back of two 3rd place finishes in Spain, so would be a strong pick for your MotoGP™ Fantasy Team for 2.6M.
The Ducati lineup always have something to throw into the mix in MotoGP™ Fantasy. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Lenovo Team) will make his return to the factory Ducati team as he replaces an injured Enea Bastianini. Petrucci has won at Le Mans in the wet with Ducati before, so could be one to watch as a dark horse at the French GP for only 1.6M. Jorge Martin is another to keep an eye on, after making the Spanish GP dream team, the Spaniard could be a strong force in MotoGP™ Fantasy for just 2.4M. Equally Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) has taken like a duck to water with his Ducati, especially in wet weather conditions, so for just 2.1M could bag some serious points.
The Ducati lineup always have something to throw into the mix in MotoGP™ Fantasy. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Lenovo Team) will make his return to the factory Ducati team as he replaces an injured Enea Bastianini. Petrucci has won at Le Mans in the wet with Ducati before, so could be one to watch as a dark horse at the French GP for only 1.6M. Jorge Martin is another to keep an eye on, after making the Spanish GP dream team, the Spaniard could be a strong force in MotoGP™ Fantasy for just 2.4M. Equally Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) has taken like a duck to water with his Ducati, especially in wet weather conditions, so for just 2.1M could bag some serious points.
With everything to play for, history beckons for MotoGP™ at what promises to be an unforgettable weekend in at the iconic Le Mans Circuit. Make sure to join in on all the MotoGP™ Fantasy action throughout the weekend and ensure you don't miss a thing with the action underway from Friday, 12th May on motogp.com.