With just eight days to go before lig♕hts out in Qatar, here’s mahbx.com’s 2022 MotoGP contenders vs pretenders list, do y𒆙ou agree?

Although current world champion Fabio Quartararo and Francesco Bagnaia may be considered the 2022 title favourites, we beli🍬eve several riders have the opportunity to put themselves in the mix regarding a serious title challenge.&nbs🐲p;

This list will pick out six firm title favourites in our eyes, along with four pretenders who also have the ability to consiste𓄧ntly challenge at the front, but are thought of as less likely to do so at present.

To get things underway, there’s🅘 no better place to start than with Quartararo.

Contender: MotoGP champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha)  

Although pre-season testing has been solid for defending world champion Quartararo, the Yamaha rider has lamented a lack of development from the Japanese manufacturer, es𝔉pecially when it comes to top speed. 

Quartararo🤡 has remained one of the slowest on the straights, however, the French rider finished both the Sepang and Mandalika tests inside the top five, once again showing his ability to make up for potential deficiencies of the M1. 

While this is a clear reason why Qu🐈artararo remains a title contender, the #1 reason Quartararo is a strong possibility to repeat as world champion is due to his stunning consistency. 

Quartararo♉ finished just five of 19 races💝 outside the top five in 2021, while also being off the front row on only four occasions. 

The 22 year-old is out of contract at the end of 2022, and although the belief is that a ꩵdeal between he and Yamaha will get done, there’s no gua✱rantee that Quartararo wouldn’t look elsewhere, especially if other teams take significant steps forward, something that has already looked to be the case during testing. 

Of course, Quartararo is likely to face a much tougher obstacle in regards to defending the world title this year, as Ducati, who now have eight bikes on the g𒐪rid, are just one of his main challengers. 

That leads us onto ou🅺r next two contendꦍers, who are not teammates but do ride for the same manufacturer. 

Contenders: Francesco Bagnaia (Lenovo Ducati) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Ducati) 

Starting with Bagnaia🙈, the Italian was sensational to close out last season. 

His run of four wins from six and five🌸 poles from six was a record even Quartararo couldn’t match. 

Although Bagnaia failed to set pre-season testing alight, the Ducati ꦅrider still looked sharp when it ca♑me to race pace in particular. 

In fact, the 2018 Mo𒆙to2 world champion was one of the riders who focused the least amount of their time on time attacks - something he owned during 2021 - and instead on improving the set-up of his new Desmosedici GP22. 

🌠All things considered, Bagnaia is likely to be Quartararo’s main title challenger, albeit many believe Bagnaia is the outright favourite given the results he amassed at the end of last year. 

The oไther Ducati rider we believe could be a serious title challenger is Jorge Martin. 

The Pramac rider was brilliant for large parts of 2021, a season that saw the Spaniard claim several pole po𒊎sitions and a dominant race win at the Styrian Grand Prix. 

Throughout his grand prix career, Martin’s second s𒅌eason in a category has always delivered much improved results, which if that were to happen again could easily lead to several race wins and therefore a championship challenger. 

By no means are we saying Martin is a clear-cu🧸t favourite, however, the list of names ahead of him is a very short one in our estimationꦐ. 

Pretender: Johann Zarco (Pramac Ducati)

Continu♚ing the Ducati theme, but not in the best sense is Johann 🎀Zarco who is our first pretender. 

As has been🤪 demonstrated by ⛎his two Moto2 world titles and several impressive premier class performances, Zarco is someone who can without doubt deliver at the top level. 

But with that being said, Zarco’s 2021 season tailed off quite worryingly a🐲fter stꦿarting with four second places in the first eight races. 

The last of those podiums was at Catalunya as he was pipped to vic🍨tory by Miguel Oliveira. 

And while Zarco managed to eventually claim P5 in the championship, the above-mentioned podium was his last for theꦆ year. 

Add to that Zarco is still yet to win a race in MotoGP, therefore pla🌟cing him as a pretender to start the season is where we see 🎃fit. 

Contender: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda)

Following💝 two seasons that were heavily impacted by injuries, Marc Marquez should return to championship contending form, especially as he and the bike look to be at their best sinceඣ 2019.

A completely revamped RC213V - has a new engine, cha🦩ssis, fairing and aero package for 2022, while Marquez finally looks to have put shoulder ඣand eye issues behind him. 

The Respol 🏅Honda rider w🌟as extremely competitive during both pre-season tests, whether that be qualifying or race trim.

The eight-time world champion was also visibly upbeat by the ღapparent improvements made. 

Despite being a long way short of full fitness, 🤪Marquez was able to win three races in 2021, which was⛦ nearly enough to include him on the contender list alone.

While Pol Espargaro has also looked extremely quick - topped the Mandalika test - Honda’s title charge is likely to b🐓e led by Marquez who is going in searchꦆ of title #7 in the premier class, ninth in total. 

Pretender: Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) 

Coming🗹 off his second best season in MotoGP, best since joining Aprilia, putting Aleix Espargaro as a pretender was a tough call. 

However, with the Noale-bas🌺ed manufacturer nor Espargaro yet to win a race, putting Espargaro as a contender was too much to ask at this early stage.

Aprilia have seemingly made another step forward during pre-season testing - major gains are believed to have been made regarding the bike’s agility (mid-corner), while ‘the en🦂gine is﷽ a bit stronger. Aerodynamics as well’. 

But with all that said, Espargaro is in the same situatio𒈔n as Zarco as he’s yet to p🌜rove he can win a grand prix. 

Contender: Jack Miller (Lenovo Ducati) 

The third and final Ducati rider to make our contenders list is a two-time race winner fro🎶m 2021, Jack Miller. 

The Australian, who suffered a tough startജ to the 2021 campaign, so much so that rum🅺ours of being dropped following the year began to surface. 

However, a double victory at Jerez and Le Mans showe🍸d just what Miller was capable of before going on to take another three podiums.

Although Miller wasn’t quite as spectacular as Martin and in ওparticular Bagnaia, the second-year factory rider has turned himself into a perennial podium challenger. 

Therefore if Miller can find a resolution to💖 tyre degradation issues he suffered from at times last year, then a title charge is not out ofౠ the question. 

Pretenders Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM factory Racing) 

The first teammates to make an appearance on this list, Brad Binder an💧d Miguel Oliveira are two riders who without doubt have the ability to run at the front every weekend.&n♏bsp;

Both men have won races during the last two seasons, while KTM has at times been one of the bet🅷ter bikes on the grid. 

But as is the case for many riders/teams at this level, consistency is the biggest denominator between♚ success and failur💜e. 

Great race pace bagged Binder some impressive re♈sults throughout 2021, but too often the South African was havi♏ng to fight back from a Q1 elimination. 

If any KTM rider is going to challenge for regular race wins, Binder might have the best chance to 🍸do so due to his impressive pace and race craft, however, pre-season testing once again highlighted the team’s positive and negative points to a much larger degree than others.

In Oliveira’s case, the P⛄ortuguese rider claimed just four top ten r🌱esults for the entire year, all of which came during consecutive rounds. 

For these reasons, Binderཧ and Oliveira start as pretenders, albeit the potential is certainlyꦅ there. 

Contender: Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar)

The final rider on 💙our lis🧔t is Suzuki’s Joan Mir. 

World champion in 2020, Mir had a somew♌hat disappointing season in 2021 after finishing winless. 

M𝔍ir still managed to bring his GSX-RR home for P3 in the championship after what seemed like ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚa campaign where Suzuki fell behind its competitors from a development standpoint. 

But much to the delight of Mir, fears of that happening ag𝐆ain already look to be resolved as he and Alex Rins were two of the more impressive riders during testing, which is why Mir deserves and should be included on this list.&nb🅺sp;

A world champion in both the premier class and Moto3, Mir should be back to winning ways during 2022 provided the Japanese manufacturer, who will be boosted by the new addition of Team Manager, Livio Suppo, can continue itsꦛ💦 upward trend.