This overview of the presentations provides the perfect overview of all the bikes and riders for the new Grand Prix season of the premier class of the motorbike world championship!
The Motorcycle World Championship enters its 74th season of existence in 2022. In the MotoGP era, which has existed since 2002, it will be the 21st season. And with 21 Grands Prix, the MotoGP calendar for the 2022 season is more extensive than ever before.
Twelve teams – one more than last season – will tackle the longest-ever season in the premier class in World Championship history. The 2022 MotoGP season opens on 6 March in Losail (Qatar). Testing will take place in advance with all teams on 5-6 February in Sepang (Malaysia) and from 11-13 February in Mandalika (Indonesia).
On paper, there will even be three new teams in the 2022 MotoGP season: RNF-Yamaha, Gresini-Ducati and VR46-Ducati. On the other hand, two teams from 2021 are no longer on the grid.
RNF, the new team of Razlan Razali, takes over from Petronas as the satellite Yamaha team. VR46, Valentino Rossi’s team, takes over from Esponsorama as the Ducati satellite team. Gresini is no longer Aprilia’s entry team, but now also Ducati’s satellite team. Aprilia, in turn, will compete in the new season as an independent factory team without Gresini.
The two regular riders of all twelve MotoGP teams in 2022 have been determined. In the meantime, the dates for the first presentations have also been set. We have listed the dates in the table at the end of this overview. The table will be updated regularly. And as soon as a presentation has taken place, you will also find the photos of the new motorbikes here, together with further information.
Ducati: The Ducati factory team, the world champions in the 2021 MotoGP team classification, will continue to rely on the services of Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia and Jack Miller for the 2022 season. The Italian and the Australian will be given the brand new Ducati Desmosedici GP22 by Ducati Corse. Ducati has not yet announced a presentation date.
Yamaha: The Yamaha factory team has provided the rider world champion in 2021 with Fabio Quartararo. The defending champion from France will attack in 2022 with the latest version of the Yamaha YZR-M1. Quartararo’s teammate is Franco Morbidelli. The Italian has already ridden the last five races of 2021 in preparation for his first full season in the factory team. Morbidelli will also receive a 2022 M1. The Yamaha presentation will take place on 4 February in Sepang (Malaysia).
Suzuki: In the Suzuki factory team, they want to celebrate race wins again in 2022 – something that was not achieved in 2021 as the then reigning world champion in the rider and team standings. The line-up remains unchanged: Joan Mir, the 2020 World Champion, and Alex Rins will also compete in 2022. The two Spaniards will ride the latest specification of the Suzuki GSX-RR. The Suzuki team presentation will take place on 4 February in Sepang (Malaysia), just like that of Yamaha.
Honda: The rider pairing in the Honda factory team is also unchanged compared to 2021. At least that is the plan. Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro are set. From when Marquez will actually sit on the bike again, however, is still open. The eight-time motorbike world champion is still recovering from his recent injury. What is certain is that HRC’s factory team will compete in the 2022 season with the latest version of the Honda RC213V. A presentation date has not yet been announced.
KTM: The KTM factory team is another MotoGP team where the rider pairing has not been changed for 2022. Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira will get their hands on the latest specification KTM RC16. Both the South African and the Portuguese rider managed to win a race in 2021. They both want to build on that in 2022. There is no date for the KTM presentation yet.
Aprilia: Aprilia, as mentioned at the beginning, will enter the 2022 MotoGP season as the sixth pure-bred factory team in the field. The last time the Italian manufacturer was entered in the premier class of the motorbike world championship in this constellation was in 2004. In 2022, Aprilia will continue to rely on Aleix Espargaro. His compatriot Maverick Vinales, who joined Aprilia from Yamaha in September 2021, will ride alongside him. The two Spaniards will sit on the latest version of the Aprilia RS-GP in 2022. A date for the presentation is still being awaited.
Pramac-Ducati: Pramac has regularly been the most successful Ducati satellite team in recent years. In 2022, however, they will once again compete as a fully factory-supported team. Both Jorge Martin, the 2021 Rookie of the Year, and Johann Zarco will receive the latest Ducati Desmosedici GP22. Pramac-Ducati will present on 2 February in Sepang (Malaysia).
VR46-Ducati: For VR46, Valentino Rossi’s team, 2022 is the premiere season in the premier class MotoGP. So far, the racing team has been active in the Moto3 and Moto2 promotion classes. In 2022, they will do Moto2 and MotoGP. In the premier class, VR46 is relying on Rossi’s half-brother Luca Marini and on Marco Bezzecchi. Marini, who rode for Esponsorama in 2021, gets a current Ducati Desmosedici GP22. Bezzecchi, who is riding his first MotoGP season, sits on last year’s GP21 model. There is no date for the VR46 pre-season yet.
Gresini-Ducati: Gresini, the second new Ducati satellite team, will compete in 2022 with Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio. Bastianini rode for Esponsorama in 2021 as a MotoGP rookie. For Di Giannantonio, on the other hand, 2022 will be the rookie season. In the Gresini team, which is run by Fausto Gresini’s widow Nadia Padovani, “Bestia” and “Diggia” ride a Ducati Desmosedici GP21. It is therefore the specification of the bike with which “Pecco” Bagnaia was runner-up in the 2021 World Championship. On 15 January, Gresini-Ducati will present itself to the public at the team’s location in Faenza.
RNF-Yamaha: RNF, as Yamaha satellite team the successor team for Petronas, will rely on the services of MotoGP returnee Andrea Dovizioso and MotoGP rookie Darryn Binder in the first season in the team’s history. “Dovi” will get a current 2022 Yamaha M1 in Razlan Razali’s new team. Meanwhile, Brad Binder’s younger brother will get a 2021 M1 for his first season in the premier class. RNF-Yamaha’s team presentation will take place in Verona on 24 January.
LCR-Honda: LCR, Lucio Cecchinello’s team, will also compete in 2022 as a Honda satellite team with factory support. The riders are the same as last year in the person of Alex Marquez and Takaaki Nakagami. At the first winter tests in November in Jerez, both the Spaniard and the Japanese rider tried out the 2022 version of the Honda RC213V. A date for LCR-Honda’s presentation is not yet available.
Tech-3-KTM: Tech 3, Herve Poncharal’s team, will be the second team with factory support from KTM in 2022, just like last year. Whereas there is consistency in the factory team in terms of riders, Tech 3 is relying on two MotoGP newcomers in the new season: Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez. The World Champion and runner-up in the 2021 Moto2 season complete the four-strong rookie group in the 2022 MotoGP field. The presentation of Tech-3-KTM traditionally coincides with that of the KTM factory team. The date is not yet known.
The dates of the 2022 MotoGP presentations:
15 January: Gresini-Ducati – Faenza (Italy).
24 January: RNF-Yamaha – Verona (Italy)
2 February: Pramac-Ducati – Sepang (Malaysia)
4 February: Yamaha – Sepang (Malaysia)
4 February: Suzuki – Sepang (Malaysia)
still open: Ducati
still open: Honda
still open: KTM
still open: Aprilia
still open: VR46-Ducati
still open: LCR-Honda
still open: Tech-3-KTM
By the way: How the MotoGP teams presented themselves in 2021, including their riders and bikes, can be seen in our overview.
