The 2022 MotoGP season will reach the halfway stage this weekend, when the series heads to the Sachsenring for the German GP.
For Fabio Quartararo, the trip to Saxony will offer the Frenchman the chance to further extend his lead at the top of the world standings, as he looks to claim a second consecutive title.
Indeed, with Marc Marquez, who has won the last eight MotoGP races at this circuit, absent as he continues his recovery from his latest arm operation, the door is open for others to impress.
After the events of the past few races, there are certainly a plenty of riders who will need to do just that one way or another, even if it may not come by way of being the one to end Marquez’s winning run at this track.
So with that in mind, we’ve taken a look at three riders in serious need of a positive result in Germany over the course of the next few days.
Takaaki Nakagami
Not only does Nakagami still need to find results as he looks for his first podium in over four years in MotoGP, amid links with others taking on his LCR Honda ride, but his riding style is likely to be under immense scrutiny this weekend.
The 30-year-old was lucky not to suffer serious injury, or punishment from the stewards, for his crash on the very first corner last time out in Catalunya, that also wiped out two other riders. One of those two was Suzuki’s Alex Rins, who had already made clear his displeasure with Nakagami’s riding style after a coming together between the pair at Italy the week before.
It could be argued therefore, that Nakagami will be walking the thinnest of tightropes this weekend, meaning he is going to have to try and pick up the points he needs to try and secure his place on the grid for next season, without erring in any way that could see him punished in a way that costs him further in future races.
Peco Bagnaia
Having been the second rider caught up in Nakagami’s accident in Catalunya a fortnight ago, there was nothing that Baganaia could do to avoid his non-score in that race.
But regardless of who fault that crash was, the fact he failed to rack up any points, combined with Quartararo’s dominant win in Spain, means that Ducati’s pre-season title favorite is now 66 points behind the Frenchman in the race for title glory.
That means that Bagnaia is going to have to start taking points off Quartararo sooner rather than later if he is to have a chance at claiming his first MotoGP title this year. But with the Sachsenring’s longer, more flowing corner’s likely to favor Quartaro’s Yamaha over Baganaia’s Ducati this weekend, the Italian is going to have his work cut out if he is to do that in Germany.
Franco Morbidelli
After such a frustrating year or so, it had looked briefly as though Franco Morbidelli had finally turned a corner at Catalunya, with the 27-year-old for once managing to rival his factory Yamaha teammate Quartararo’s lap times during Friday’s practice sessions.
By Sunday’s race however, that once again felt a long way away. As Quartaro stormed to victory, Morbidelli was forced to settle for a 13th place finish, coming across the line 33 seconds behind the all-conquering Frenchman.
While Morbidelli does have a contract with Yamaha for next season, there have been plenty of examples over the years of those being broken early, and with just two bikes on the grid in 2023 as things stand, the Japanese manufacturer will have to get all them can out of what they have. With that in mind, Morbidelli may have to start finding results from somewhere quickly, if he is to avoid questions arising about his long term future with Yamaha.
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