Massive Aragon MotoGP preview/schedule; all classes

MotoGP 2022 – Round 15 – Aragon
Preview

Motorland Aragón will play host to the first of three back-to-back races and is the last round in Europe before MotoGP heads directly to the Asia Pacific region for its next four races.

Last season it was a duel between Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), and 12 months on the two still dominate the headlines – just for different reasons.

Fabio Quartararo has a 30-point lead in the championship standings as he arrives in Alcañiz. He is expecting a difficult weekend in Aragon. El Diablo‘s best premier class result there to date is his top-5 finish in 2019. But he is, as ever, fully determined to put in 100% effort to get a top position and defend P1 in the overall results.

Fabio Quartararo

“I think the Aragon GP will be the toughest race of the GPs that we have left. But I‘m focused. I want to make it a great race. I‘ve never done better than a top 5 there before. Hopefully, we can be really strong, do a great race, and be proud of ourselves.”

Bagnaia arrives into the Gran Premio Animoca Brands de Aragon with four wins in a row, the first rider to do that on a Ducati, and Marquez’ long-awaited comeback has now been confirmed.

Francesco Bagnaia

“I am happy to be back racing at Aragón, where I took my first MotoGP win last year. In general, it’s a very good track for us, and I think we can be even faster this year than last year. In any case, we’ll face the weekend with the same approach as always: to give our best from Friday and focus exclusively on the race weekend, without thinking about the Championship.”

Team-mate Jack Miller also arrives at Aragón determined to redeem himself after his crash at the last Grand Prix. At Misano, the Australian rider had once again demonstrated his excellent form by taking the pole position, but in the race, he crashed while in the lead. After the fourteenth round of the 2022 season, Miller finds himself in sixth place in the Championship, 88 points off the lead.

Jack Miller

“In the last race at Misano, we couldn’t capitalize on the great work we did over the weekend, so I hope to do that here at Aragon. Racing in Spain is always great because of the warmth of the crowd. My feeling with the Desmosedici GP continues to be excellent, and in the Misano test, we gathered more information to improve our bike further. I’m determined to do well and fight for the top positions in this last weekend in Europe before the two races in Asia“.

At Aragón, Ducati will also have the first “match point” to conquer, for the third consecutive year, the Constructors’ Championship, where it occupies the first position with 110 points. On the other hand, in the team classification is the Ducati Lenovo Team in the first place, with a 25-point advantage over Aprilia Racing.

Aleix Espargaro has put a series of critical races behind him, which began with the injury at Silverstone, and is now aiming for more friendly tracks for both himself and the RS-GP, where the objective will be to return to the high levels of competitiveness shown before the summer break. Despite the injury to the little finger of his left hand, fractured during the recent Misano test.

Aleix Espargaro

“For us a series of important races begins. The situation in the championship doesn’t preclude us from any results, there are tracks where both I and the Aprilia can return to high levels. I am positive because since the beginning of the year I had indicated Austria and Misano as the two stages that worried me the most, we overcame them with two sixth places and without losing too much ground on the leader. Now we can and must go for it“.

Maverick Vinales has been on the podium three times in the last four races. The hard work and patience in trying to get on with his Aprilia are bearing fruit, a trend that Viñales has absolutely no intention of interrupting.  

Maverick Vinales

“We are undoubtedly in a good moment and we have to take advantage of it. We have worked hard to get to this level, the first part of the championship was difficult but we managed to improve the stages that were limiting us. There is still room for growth but the real breakthrough is knowing that we can be competitive anywhere. Every weekend I learn something about myself and my opponents, I will use the data to try to take another step forward“.

Bastianini is back on top form and went oh so close to breaking Bagnaia’s winning streak last time out.

Enea Bastianini

“It’s going to be a difficult trio, but we’re charged up and we have momentum. I have a great feeling with Aragon and even last year I did well there in my MotoGP debut. Regarding Japan and Thailand, it will all be a discovery with my Ducati, but I believe that right now we can be fast in every condition. The goal is to finish the season the best way possible, and this trio will be key.”

Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) has two best ever finishes under his belt recently, and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) has his own point to prove…

Luca Marini

“Aragon is not one of my favorite tracks, I have never been able to be really fast there even in the lower categories. It will be crucial to start strong on Friday, immediately keep the pace of the group and focus as much as possible on the electronics and the tires choice. The long straight could be an advantage, whoever arrives as well as possible in the race will be able to make a real difference.”

And neither Johann Zarco, Marco Bezzecchi or Fabio DiGiannantonion can be ruled out of the top ten mix.

Marco Bezzecchi

“I’m happy to be back on track at Aragon: we were fast at Misano, but the mistake in the race has left a bitter taste in my mouth. At the tests then, we make a further step forward, fixed the 2/3 points where I was not able to be perfect during the weekend. Let’s start from here, I’m very curious, the track will not be easy to tackle on the MotoGP bike.”

Fabio DiGiannantonio

“This is surely the most challenging moment of the season for many reasons: long travels, time-zone difference, food… we’re coming off a positive test and we will start off with Aragon, which is a track I like a lot and where I hope I can confirm the positive feeling found with the bike. It will be nice to return to Japan and Thailand because we haven’t been there in a while, and I can’t wait. We’re charged up for this trio.”

Marc Marquez has been consistently the fastest rider at Aragon since he moved up to MotoGP, but the #93 has been through some very tough times and this year is different. 110 days after he last competed at the Italian Grand Prix, Marquez will be back out and racing, with little expectation but an incredible amount of attention. After being passed fit, he did 100 laps at the Misano Test and the electricity was palpable… so what can he do first time out? And what will he be aiming for?

Marc Marquez

“I am very excited to return to MotoGP this weekend, especially at such a special track for me like Aragon. The objective this weekend is not to go out and fight straight away, it is to build up everything and prepare well for the future. Build myself, the bike, everything. Misano was good but the race weekend will be different, there’s more intensity and less time to rest so it will be a different kind of challenge. I have been doing a lot of recovery work and continuing in the gym as well as riding a bike again before this weekend. I am very happy to be back!”

Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), meanwhile, will want more after getting tangled up early at Misano through no fault of his own, and it’s a home race too.

Pol Espargaro

“We had a good test in Misano and I have had a positive week training and recovering at home, so I am looking forward to racing in Aragon this weekend. Of course all the local fans provide a nice boost and after what we found during the test, I’m aiming for a positive weekend. It’s important to start this period well because we have a lot of races in not a lot of time, so we need to build momentum and carry it to this series of races. Our first job is to confirm what we found in Misano and see how the weekend develops.”

Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) will want to use his experience and good memories of the MotoGP podium at MotorLand to move forward, and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) has been on pole at the venue.

Franco Morbidelli left the Misano Test with a positive feeling and this week aims to build on the work he has done so far. With the set-up of his YZR-M1 now adjusted to his specifications, he is hoping for more success. The Italian has achieved great success at this track, securing the victory at the Teruel GP in 2020, but that sort of form has long since deserted him.

Franco Morbidelli

“We have made good steps leading up to the Misano race and also during the test afterwards. We‘ve been on this positive trajectory, but we got unlucky during the race itself. This weekend we will try again. I made some great memories in Aragon in 2020 when I won the Teruel GP. We know that the competition is tough out there, but we‘ve already proven that we can get good results at this circuit too.”

After suffering an extremely big crash on the opening lap of the Austrian Grand Prix on August 21st, Joan Mir collected an injury to the talus bone and the ligaments of his right ankle. Following medical advice, Joan carried out 15 days of rest and recovery, missing the San Marino GP. Now, three weeks after the crash, the Mallorcan rider has consulted with Dr. Juan Garcías once again, and he feels ready to tentatively return to action.

Joan Mir

“I’m very glad to be able to come to Aragón, it hasn’t been easy to miss a race and watch on TV at home! Finally, I’ve recovered well from the injury to my ankle, and I think my fitness will be at about 90% this weekend, which isn’t bad. I have already been able to try riding a motorbike a little bit to check the feeling, and although I have a bit of pain now, I think by Friday I will feel even better. I can hold my weight on that ankle, but obviously riding a MotoGP bike is a bit different! Anyway, I want to fight and give my best.”

Motorland Aragón has long been a happy hunting ground for both GSX-RR riders, and Alex Rins is extremely keen to see what he can do around the Spanish circuit after taking a victory and a second place here in the 2020 double-header. It’s also somewhat of a home race for Rins, who has family in the region and spent a lot of time in the area as a child. Mir also has a great track record at Aragón, joining Rins on the podium twice in 2020, and grabbing third place last year

Alex Rins

“This is kind of a home race for me because of my family connections to the region, and it’s always special to come here and enjoy the atmosphere of the crowd. The track itself is quite tight and technical, but it suits my style and our bike. I have lots of happy memories from the last few years, including my victory here in 2020, and I am more determined than ever to bring Suzuki, and myself, a top result this weekend.”

Spaniard Raul Fernandez will be racing for the third time this year in front of a home crowd, which surely could give him an additional boost after scoring points in Misano two weeks ago with a brilliant P13 after starting from P25.

Raul Fernandez

“We had two interesting test days in Misano last week at the end of which we felt really good on the bike, so I am looking forward to heading to MotorLand Aragon, a track which I love, to try the set up we found. I am really enthusiastic about what this weekend could have in store for us, so let’s give it our all, as always.”

Tech3 team-mate Remy Gardner will be also targeting points in Aragon, a circuit he enjoys a lot and, as he will aim to put into action the information gathered last week at the Misano Test.

Remy Gardner

“Aragon always feels like a home race for me so I am eager to be heading to this round as I really enjoy it. We worked a lot during the two test days in Misano last week to try to find a good set up for me, so I am hoping that this week we will be able to make a step forward.”

Cal Crutchlow will come back to competitive racing this weekend. The Yamaha test rider is jumping on board the YZR-M1 replacing Andrea Dovizioso. After the experienced Englishman did several tests throughout this year already, he feels prepped to come back, enjoy racing and above all, help Yamaha to further develop their bikes for the final six rounds of 2022.

Cal Crutchlow

“First of all, I’m looking forward to join the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team again after a couple of races with the team last year. I know a lot of the staff from my previous years racing. It will be good to be back with them for the last six races, starting in Aragon, which is a circuit, that I know well from the years racing in MotoGP. It’s been a year since I’ve been competing in the premier class, so it’s always fun to come back. I’m sure it will be difficult to come back and be competitive, but that doesn’t mean we won’t give a 100 per cent to be that. I believe with the spirit of the team and with Yamaha we can make some good fun, first and foremost and hopefully some good results, too, enjoy ourselves as a team and seal out the year in a good manner.”

Darryn Binder continues in his mission to score points in a sometimes overlooked but at times impressive rookie season so far coming straight from Moto3.

Darryn Binder

“I’m really looking forward to the Aragon Grand Prix this weekend! We had some positives we found out during the test in Misano, so I can’t wait to get to Aragon to see if we can adapt these improvements there and further improve our feeling on the bike. Motorland Aragon is a circuit, that I’ve always enjoyed riding on, so I’m looking forward to do the race there!”

MotoGP Championship Points Standings

Moto2

After another race in Moto2, there’s been another switcheroo at the top as Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) is once again the Championship leader, and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) is once again incredibly close company, just four points off.

The bigger stories, in many ways, happened around the two key protagonists – with Alonso Lopez (CAG Speed Up) taking his first win in some style, and Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) crashing out – ceding third overall to podium finisher Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) in the process.

Fernandez and Ogura will certainly remain in the spotlight at MotorLand, but Canet will also be keen to cut the gap further, and he’s still looking for that maiden Moto2 win. Lopez could now be unleashed to an even bigger extent too, and he’s already the rider who’s led the most laps this season – an astonishing stat when considering the rookie only joined the grid part-way through the season.

On a mission to bounce back, Vietti leads the way as he looks to find his early season form, and Jake Dixon (Shimoku GASGAS Aspar Team) had an early and unceremonious end to his race in Misano after a crash on Saturday hampered his qualifying. Still, with a number of podiums already under his belt and little Championship pressure, the Brit could afford, in some ways, to roll the dice in a bid for glory.

Moto2 Championship Points Standings

Moto3

Misano also saw another twist in the Moto3 tale, with former points leader Sergio Garcia (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) crashing out, team-mate Izan Guevara taking over on top with another podium and Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) back to winning ways – ahead of fellow Championship chaser Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), no less. There was also some drama for Austria winner Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), so as the dust settles MotorLand has chance to serve up another storm.

The bad news for Guevara’s rivals is that the Championship leader has some good form in Aragon, winning no less than three times from P22 on the grid in what is now JuniorGP. Last year he also took his equal best result at the time in P4. However, Foggia won then, Masia has two victories at the venue and Sasaki some podiums. Garcia, on the other hand, will be wanting to flip his form at MotorLand.

Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) also has podium form at MotorLand and is on a roll of top four finishes, as well as still being the only rider to score every weekend. Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) has been quick, too, and Aragon is also more familiar turf for the fast field of rookies as they aim to get back in the fight at the front.

Aussie teenager Joel Kelso arrives at Aragon with a new deal for 2023 in his pocket that secures his immediate future.

There’s also a historic first this weekend in Moto3 as Maria Herrera returns to wildcard in an all-female team, which means all female from rider to crew chief to mechanics. She’ll be heading in looking to switch from MotoE and SSP experience back to where she first made her biggest mark, and at the track where she won in what was then known as the CEV and is now JuniorGP.

Moto3 Championship Points Standings

Aragon MotoGP Schedule
Times are AEST

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

2022 MotoGP Calendar