Valencia Stats Smorgasbord – MotoGP by the numbers…

MotoGP 2022 – Round 20 – Valencia

MotoGP Facts and Stats

At the Malaysian GP, Francesco Bagnaia won for the 11th time in MotoGP and the seventh time so far this season, becoming only the second Ducati rider to take seven or more wins in single MotoGP season along with Casey Stoner in 2007 (10 wins).

Bagnaia also became the sixth rider to take seven (or more) wins in a single MotoGP season since its introduction in 2002 along with Valentino Rossi (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008), Casey Stoner (2007 and 2011), Jorge Lorenzo (2010, 2013 and 2015), Dani Pedrosa (2012) and Marc Marquez (2014, 2018 and 2019).

Bagnaia became the third different rider to win in dry conditions after failing to qualify within the front two rows so far this year along with Jack Miller (Japan) and Alex Rins (Australia).

Enea Bastianini finished second at the Malaysian GP for his sixth podium so far this season along with his four wins in Qatar, Americas, France and Aragon, and second place in San Marino.

With Bagnaia and Bastianini, this is the 25th successive MotoGP race with at least one Ducati rider on the podium, extending the Bologna factory record in the class.

Ducati riders have also scored 31 podiums since Qatar. Ducati becomes the first manufacturer with 31 podiums or more in a single premier class season since Honda in 2011 (34 podiums).

Fabio Quartararo was third in Malaysia for his eighth podium this season and first since he was second in Austria. This is Quartararo’s 28th podium with Yamaha in MotoGP and he is now tied with MotoGP Legend Max Biaggi in sixth on the list of riders with most premier class podiums with Yamaha (Valentino Rossi leads on 142).

To retain the title, Quartararo must win in Valencia while his rival Francesco Bagnaia must not finish better than P15. On Quartararo’s 11 MotoGP wins, four (almost 1/3) came while Bagnaia crashed or retired: Andalucia 2020, Italy 2021, Catalunya 2022 and Germany 2022.

At the Malaysian GP, Marco Bezzecchi finished fourth, equalling his second-best result in his rookie season in MotoGP from the previous race in Australia, after the Dutch TT when he was second.

With Bagnaia and Jack Miller, who finished sixth in Malaysia, the official Ducati Team clinched the Teams’ title
for the third time along with 2007 and 2021.

Marc Marquez finished seventh at the Malaysian GP as the top Honda. This is the first time ever there is not a single Honda rider in the top six in the premier class at Sepang.

At the Malaysian GP, Luca Marini retired due to a technical problem, which is the first time he failed to cross
the line since his MotoGP debut in Qatar last year.

Two of the five MotoGP rookies have previously won at Valencia in the smaller classes: Raul Fernandez in
Moto3 in 2020/1 and in Moto2 in 2021, and Bezzecchi in Moto2 in 2020/1. Fernandez also finished third in
Moto3 in 2020/2. Remy Gardner finished third in Moto2 in 2020/1 and Fabio Di Giannantonio finish second
in Moto2 last year, his most recent podium.

Grand Prix Racing in Valencia

This will be the 25th time that the Circuit Ricardo Tormo has hosted a Grand Prix since the first visit in 1999. The track is named after Spanish racer Ricardo Tormo, who won the 50cc title riding for Bultaco, in 1978 and 1981. In addition to 15 Grand Prix victories in the 50cc class, he also took four 125cc wins. His career ended in 1984 due to leg injuries suffered in a crash in testing. Tormo sadly died from leukaemia in 1998.

Most successful riders at Valencia

1. Dani Pedrosa – 7 wins (4 x MotoGP, 2 x 250, 1 x 125 cc)
2. Jorge Lorenzo – 4 (4 x MotoGP)
3. Marc Marquez – 3 (2 x MotoGP, 1 x Moto2)
4. Miguel Oliveira – 3 (2 x Moto2, 1 x Moto3)
5. Casey Stoner – 3 (2 x MotoGP, 1 x 125 cc)

Spaniards have taken 12 premier class wins in Valencia (half of the 24 premier class races held at the track): Sete Gibernau on a 500cc Suzuki in 2001, Dani Pedrosa in 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2017, Jorge Lorenzo in 2010, 2013, 2015 and 2016, Marc Marquez in 2014 and 2019 and Joan Mir in 2020(/1).

From 2007 to 2021, only four non-Spanish riders have won the MotoGP race in Valencia: Casey Stoner (2008 and 2011), Andrea Dovizioso (2018), Franco Morbidelli (2020/2) and Francesco Bagnaia (2021).

Honda’s last MotoGP win in Valencia: Marc Marquez in 2019. Honda is the most successful manufacturer here with 10 premier class wins with six different riders: Alex Barros (2002), Valentino Rossi (2003), Marco Melandri (2005), Dani Pedrosa (2007, 2009, 2012, 2017), Casey Stoner (2011) and Marc Marquez (2014 and 2019).

Yamaha have eight premier class wins in Valencia: Régis Laconi (1999), Garry McCoy (2000), Valentino Rossi (2004), Jorge Lorenzo (2010, 2013, 2015 and 2016) and Franco Morbidelli (2020/2).

Ducati have had four premier class wins in Valencia with four different riders: Troy Bayliss (2006), Casey Stoner (2008), Andrea Dovizioso (2018) and Francesco Bagnaia (2021).

Suzuki have had two premier class wins at Valencia: Sete Gibernau in 2001 and Joan Mir in 2020/1. Alex Rins was second on the grid in 2018 and 2020/1, which is the best MotoGP qualifying to date for a Suzuki rider at the track since Kenny Roberts Jr. was on pole in 2000.

KTM have had three podium finishes in MotoGP at Valencia: third in 2018, the maiden premier class podium for the Austrian manufacturer, and third in 2020/1 and 2020/2, each time with Pol Espargaro. Espargaro also qualified on pole at the 2020 European GP, which was the second pole for KTM in MotoGP.

Aprilia’s best MotoGP result at Valencia: Colin Edwards, eighth in 2003. The MotoGP race at Valencia has only been won by a rider who has not qualified on the front row three times: Marc Marquez (2014), Dani Pedrosa (2017) and Joan Mir (2020/1), who all won from fifth on the grid.

MotoGP Championship Points Standings

Francesco Bagnaia could clinch MotoGP title in Valencia

At the Valencia Grand Prix, Francesco Bagnaia has a second chance to clinch his first premier class world title, to become the first Italian rider to do so Valentino Rossi in 2009. Fabio Quartararo is now his only rival and the scenarios to give Bagnaia the title are:

• He finishes within the top 14
• He finishes P15 or fails to score any point and Qatararo doesn’t win.

Hence, Quartararo could clinch his second (successive) premier class world title if he wins and Bagnaia finishes P15 or fails score any point.

Moto2

Augusto Fernandez could clinch the Moto2title in Valencia

At Valencia, Augusto Fernandez will have a first chance to clinch the title while Ogura gets a second opportunity following his crash in Malaysia. The scenarios to give Fernandez the title are:

• He finishes on the podium
• He finishes P4 or P5, and Ogura doesn’t win
• He finishes P6, P7, P8 or P9, and Ogura doesn’t finish better than P3
• He finishes P10, P11 or P12, and Ogura doesn’t finish on the podium
• He finishes P13 or P14, and Ogura doesn’t finish better than P5
• He finishes P15, and Ogura doesn’t finish better than P6
• He fails to score any points, and Ogura doesn’t finish better than P7.

And the scenarios to give Ogura the title are:

• He wins and Fernandez doesn’t finish on the podium
• He finishes P2 and Fernandez doesn’t finish better than P6
• He finishes P3 and Fernandez doesn’t finish better than P10
• He finishes P4 and Fernandez doesn’t finish better than P13
• He finishes P5 and Fernandez doesn’t finish better than P15
• He finishes P6 and Fernandez fails to score any points.

At the Malaysian GP, Tony Arbolino won for the third time in Moto2 along with the Americas and the Thai GPs earlier this year, becoming the ninth different Italian rider to win more than twice in the class.

Alonso Lopez finished second for his fifth podium so far in his rookie season in Moto2, and his first in back-to-back races in the class following his win in Australia. J

ake Dixon finished P3 at the Malaysian GP for his sixth Moto2 podium, all achieved this year along with Austin, Assen, Silverstone, Austria and Australia (which were also third places).

Rookie Manuel Gonzalez finished fifth, equalling his best result in the class from Portugal and Australia.

Now second in the Championship and the points leader at the time, Ai Ogura crashed out at the Malaysian GP, which is the second time so far this year he fails to score any point since the Portuguese GP.

The 13 Moto2 races in Valencia have been won by 12 riders: Karel Abraham (2010), Michele Pirro (2011), Marc Marquez (2012), Nico Terol (2013), Tom Lüthi (2014), Tito Rabat (2015), Johann Zarco (2016), Miguel Oliveira (2017, 2018), Brad Binder (2019), Marco Bezzecchi (2020/1), Jorge Martin (2020/2), Raul Fernandez (2021).

Only three riders have won the Moto2 race at Valencia from pole: Michele Pirro (2011), Tito Rabat (2015), Johann Zarco (2016).

Moto2 Championship Points Standings

Moto3

At the Malaysian GP, John McPhee won for the first time since the 2020 San Marino GP and the fourth time in his Grand Prix career. This is the UK’s 12th win in Moto3, shared between McPhee (4 wins) and Danny Kent (8).

This is also McPhee’s 16th podium in Moto3, extending his lead as the rider from the UK with most podiums in the class ahead of Danny Kent (14).

Aged 28 years and 101 days old, McPhee is the oldest rider to win in Moto3 ahead of Efren Vasquez who 28 years and 54 days old in Malaysia back in 2014.

After winning with Peugeot, Honda and now Husqvarna, John McPhee became the second rider to win with three (or more) manufacturers in Moto3 along with Romano Fenati (FTR Honda, KTM, Honda and Husqvarna).

In Malaysia, Ayumu Sasaki finished second for his 11th podium finish in Moto3. With nine podiums this season so far, he and Sergio Garcia have the second most this year, behind 2022 Moto3 World Champion Izan Guevara (11).

Garcia finished third for his ninth podium so this year in Moto3, his first in back-to-back races since the German GP and the Dutch TT earlier this season. This is his 19th podium overall in the class. He is still ninth on the list of riders with most Moto3 podiums, one less than Jorge Martin, Brad Binder and Luis Salom.

At the Malaysian GP, Garcia was the top GASGAS rider while Dennis Foggia finished sixth as the top Honda rider. Thus, GASGAS took their maiden Constructor title in GP racing.

After finishing P6 on six previous occasions, Diogo Moreira was fifth at Sepang, which is now his best result.

The 11 Moto3 races in Valencia have been won by 11 riders: Danny Kent (2012), Maverick Viñales (2013), Jack Miller (2014), Miguel Oliveira (2015), Brad Binder (2016), Jorge Martin (2017), Can Öncü (2018), Sergio Garcia (2019), Raul Fernandez (2020/1), Tony Arbolino (2020/2), Xavier Artigas (2021). Only Martin won from pole.

Garcia (2019, 2020/1, 2020/2), Andrea Migno (2016, 2019), Artigas (2019, 2021), McPhee (2018) and Jaume Masia (2021) are the only riders current full time Moto3 riders who have podiums at Valencia in Moto3.

On race day at Valencia, Ryusei Yamanaka, who finished eighth in Malaysia, will be celebrating his 21st birthday.

Moto3 Championship Points Standings

2022 Valencia MotoGP Time Schedule
(AEDT)

Official statistics compiled by Dr. Thomas Morsellino