2022 Moto2 World Championship: Crash.net’s contenders vs pretenders

With just eight days to go before lights out in Qatar, here’s Crash.net’s 2022 Moto2 contenders vs pretenders list, do you agree?

Following a titanic battle which saw Remy Gardner get the better of Raul Fernandez last season, we’ve picked out seven riders who could find themselves in a similar position, along with three riders we consider to be pretenders despite having the talent to be in the mix. 

With Gardner and Fernandez winning 13 races between them in 2021, the Red Bull KTM Ajo team heads into the 2022 campaign as champions, and if testing is anything to go by, yet more dominance could be on the cards. 

Moto3 world champion Pedro Acosta was fastest during last weekend’s three days Portimao test, while team-mate Augusto Fernandez finished second. 

With Acosta already being linked to MotoGP as early as 2023, plus incredible performances which continue to take place, there’s no better place to start regarding our contenders list than the 17 year-old.

Contenders: Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo)

Acosta, who has a multi-year contract with KTM, could and most likely will be targeted for another immediate step-up-in-class should he start the season with regular top five finishes, podiums or even wins. 

Typically the Red Bull KTM Ajo team likes to give its intermediate class riders two years before switching to MotoGP, but with Honda and many others already circulating around Acosta, KTM might not have much choice. 

The young Spaniard was sensational in 2021 as he continuously showed maturity and consistency that are well beyond his years. 

And given the pace he’s already demonstrated so far this pre-season, there’s nothing that suggests he can’t have a similar type of season as Fernandez did last year. 

As was the case for Jaume Masia last season, Augusto Fernandez will start the year as the more experienced of the two Spanish riders. 

With that comes expectation that he ‘should’ get the better of his team-mate, however, it’s clear that Acosta is a special talent and therefore someone who demands to be seen as such. 

While this may lead Fernandez to having a very challenging inter-team battle on his hands, we believe the Spaniard has what it takes to become a consistent threat in 2022. 

Although Fernandez is yet to win a race since 2019, his second year with Elf Marc VDS in 2021 was a much needed return to form, the like that made the Madrid-born rider a title contender before. 

Like Acosta, Fernandez has shown very high potential during testing which is why the 24 year-old starts the season as a contender. 

Pretender: Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) 

The first rider to fall into our pretender list is American Joe Roberts. 

The Italtrans rider was seen as a potential MotoGP rider back in 2020 following a very promising start to the season. 

And while the Californian still has a decent chance of becoming the first American grand prix rider since the late Nicky Hayden, a big year will need to happen for that to come true.

Roberts, who is still without a win in Moto2 despite taking several pole positions, has just one podium which is why consistency, or rather a lack thereof, is the biggest reason for listing him as a pretender, something that could very well change once racing gets underway. 

Contender: Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS)

A clear-cut contender in our view, Sam Lowes arguably has his best chance at winning a world title in 2022.

With Enea Bastianini, Luca Marini, Gardner, Fernandez and Marco Bezzecchi all stepping up to MotoGP within the last two years, Lowes has seen a lot of his main rivals leave the class.

The Brit, who begins the year as the rider with the most Moto2 wins (9), is suffering from a tendinitis issue in his left hand which could lead to a slower start to the year than he hoped for.

But with that said, Lowes remains a firm favourite in our eyes due to his blend of experience, talent and continuity with the Elf Marc VDS team which could be key - set for a third straight season with the team.

Contender: Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40)

Following a solid rookie season in 2020, new Flexbox HP40 rider Aron Canet is an obvious name to watch after claiming five podiums in 2021. 

The former 2019 Moto3 runner-up was quickest during day two of the Portimao test, also included setting a new all-time lap record. 

Although a win didn’t come his way last year, Canet was at times the biggest challenger to Gardner and Fernandez, which therefore leads us to believing similar or better performances are on the cards for the 22 year-old.

Pretender: Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40)

Jorge Navarro is without doubt the toughest rider to gauge heading into this season. 

While hugely talented, crashes and a lack of consistency continue to plague his career, making it impossible for us at Crash.net to put him as a contender. 

Should Navarro rectify those weaker areas of his game, then a title challenge is not out of the realms of possibility. 

Navarro will also have a tough team-mate to contend with as he lines-up alongside the above-mentioned Canet in 2022.

Contender: Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team)

The Mooney VR46 Racing Team rider is someone many eyes will be watching this season. 

Vietti, who impressed more often than not in 2021, took significant steps forward from his first Moto3 season to his second, which is something we expect to once again be the case in Moto2. 

With Vietti lining-up in one of the better-backed teams on the grid, and a potential future in MotoGP very much in his hands due to ties with nine-time world champion and recently retired Valentino Rossi, there’s nothing holding Vietti back from making a real statement in 2022. 

Should Vietti achieve a number of podiums or even wins then being a contender should be automatic. 

Contender: Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspra Team)

The second Brit to make the contenders list is GASGAS Aspar Team rider Jake Dixon. 

Following a breakthrough 2020 season, Dixon seemed to take significant steps backwards last season. 

However, the former 2018 BSB runner-up once again showed his talent during two MotoGP stand-in rides for Petronas Yamaha, and after looking good during pre-season testing, we have cautiously put Dixon as a title contender. 

Adding more consistency and better qualifying performances will remove the cautious element mentioned. 

Pretender (but with an above-average chance of being a contender): Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed UP)

Starting as a pretender solely based on age and experience, Fermin Aldeguer, the current CEV Moto2 champion, is a name that if you haven’t heard much of until this point, will likely change in 2022. 

The Spaniard is considered a sensational talent, which was demonstrated during a couple of replacement rides in last season’s world championship. 

After stepping in for Yari Montella at Speed UP in Mugello, a round where he claimed points on his debut, Aldeguer took a best of seventh three races later at Aragon - finished 1.6s behind new MotoGP rider Fabio Di Giannantonio. 

Aldeguer, who will make his full-time Moto2 debut in 2022, finished last week’s Portimao test fourth fastest. 

Contender: Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia)

Finally, Japanese rider Ai Ogura is the last contender included on our list. 

Like Vietti, Ogura had several impressive performances last season, and after already boosting experience of battling for a world title (2020), Ogura is someone we believe has the tools to do so again.

Ogura, who claimed a best finish of second during the 2021 Austrian round, remains without a win in his world championship career thus far, however, Ogura has shown a knack for being there when it counts, meaning race wins should be a matter of when not if.