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There aren’t any trophies to be won in the winter tests, so it's a bit like everyone wins. Plus you do tons of laps on the same track and so they're all fast. Then, at the first race, the chickens come home to roost and the illusions disappear. Despite this, the days of testing at Sepang and Mandalika have given indications on what we can expect in Qatar and there are always some teams that are happier than others.
Between evolutions, revolutions and inventions, the impression is that the group will be even more compact and aggressive this year. And that is the best news for all fans.
Aprilia: The puzzle takes shape
The Italian squad stood out at Sepang, but the bonus days allowed by the concessions were too big of an advantage to allow us to get a better idea. Its performance was reconfirmed in Mandalika, a much more important signal on a new track for everyone. The engineers have done their homework well, the riders notched up the laps with their heads down and the addition of Savadori, now a full-time test rider, is clearly a benefit.
Fast enough on the straight, very agile when cornering, with trail-blazing aerodynamics. They still need to work on the details and be sure that the 2022 RS-GP does not suffer from the cold as it did with the 2021, but the path is the right one. Aleix Espargarò knows that he will have to take advantage of the opportunity if he wants to be reconfirmed, Vinales must complete his adaptation, but all in all it’s a bright new day for Aprilia.
Ducati: In search of perfection
Gigi Dall’Igna and his men never stop. The innovation that aroused a lot of discussion this time was the front lowering device, which can also be used during the lap. Then, underneath the fairing, which is an explosion of winglets and spoilers, there is a new engine and an equally new chassis (with the swingarm no longer pivoted to the crankcase). There is always a lot of horsepower and on the straight the GP22 has no rivals like the GP21, but the electronics still need to be adjusted to tame the V4.
Bagnaia, now aware of his leading role, managed the work calmly and steadily. The feeling is that for Miller, Martin and Zarco it will take a little more time to understand all the secrets of the new bike. The surprise was Marini and the confirmation was Bastianini, who with the Desmosedici 2021 and an encyclopaedia of data available will be able to take advantage at the beginning of the championship.
Honda: Joy and revolution
Never forget who HRC is. This time around the Japanese giant have taken things seriously, with an entirely new project that is rapidly approaching maturity. It was time to change the RC213V and the result seems to please everyone. On the track we saw a bike that was less cantankerous, more stable and less treacherous. The speed is there and now they just have to find out how it will behave on the various tracks.
Having Marquez right from the start can only be an immense help, both for him and for the whole team. Pol Espargarò also perked up, while Nakagami and Alex worked hard. The Honda is still not the best bike of the lot but they like it and it goes fast.
KTM: Nothing new on the Austrian front
Francesco Guidotti and Fabiano Sterlacchini are the men who have to write the new chapter of KTM in MotoGP. However, they have only recently arrived and it will take them time to make their mark. The RC16 seemed too similar to the past, as if before taking another step forward it was necessary to clarify the ideas on everything that has been done before.
Binder and Oliveira ensured that progress was made, but certainly not as much as their best opponents. The Austrian bike is not one to be scrapped (in 2021 it still won two races) but it needs to evolve. Also to convince their riders (did someone mention Raul Fernandez?) not to pack his bags…
Suzuki: So similar, so different
What everyone says is that they did a good job. The Japanese managed to improve the GSX-RR's weaknesses without affecting its strengths, a technical balancing act that is not easy to perform. Suzuki will never beat Ducati on the straight, but now it is closer to it, without having lost the rideability that its riders like so much. The results were seen on the stopwatch, which is never wrong.
The only component that the riders didn't like was the new fairing, but there will be time during the season to sort it out. Meanwhile Mir and Rins can sleep peacefully and no longer have nightmares thinking about the long straight that awaits them in Qatar.
Yamaha: Fast and unhappy
Looking at the standings (7th in Malaysia and 2nd in Mandalika) the word disaster doesn’t come to mind, yet Quartararo ended the winter by blowing his top. Because the M1 goes well, but as it did last year, but with the same problems. Which is only one: top speed. Yamaha is getting used to propping up the standings that rewards flashes of speed on the straight and this it does not sit well with Fabio, who has to make up tenths in the corners. The M1 allows him to do so, but by taking risks, not to mention that in the race things can get worse.
In the end, it's the same old story: for years the riders in blue have complained about Iwata's technical immobility, but then they win championships. To find out if it will be the same again this year, we'll just have to wait.
