Eric Uribe
Circle your calendars right now for March 6 because that’s when the new MotoGP season kickstarts after a long layoff. This article will get you ready for the first race and tell you what you need to know before betting. And of course, we’ll offer our own 2022 Qatar Grand Prix betting picks — completely free of cost! Read on for expert advice!
Unfortunately, the most popular online sportsbooks have yet to release betting odds for the upcoming Grand Prix of Qatar. That should change as the race date draws closer. Nonetheless, you should expect the riders that finished atop the 2021 standings to largely be favored to win outright in Qatar. Here are a few names to expect to be on the betting favorites list:
| Rider |  |  |
| Fabio Quartararo | TBD | TBD |
| Francesco Bagnaia | TBD | TBD |
| Joan Mir | TBD | TBD |
| Jack Miller | TBD | TBD |
| Johann Zarco | TBD | TBD |
2022 Qatar Grand Prix Preview
When previewing the 2022 Qatar Grand Prix, we might as well start with the most recent happenings. On February 5, the sport’s best descended onto Malaysia for the Sepang MotoGP Official Test. It was a two-day event that allowed riders to “trial run” with their 2022 bike on the Sepang International Circuit. We don’t want to read too much into the results (since it’s an exhibition), but here are the big takeaways from the weekend.
The unofficial record lap record at the track was held by Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci in 2019. It fell not once, but twice to the top two leaders of day two — Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) and then Enea Bastianini (Gresini Ducati GP21). Bastianini just finished ahead of Espargaro on day two, however, Espargaro was the leader of day one.
It’s also worth mentioning Marc Marquez rode the MotoGP bike for the first time since winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in late October. Since then, the MotoGP legend has literally been seeing double thanks to vision problems — the same double-vision issues that plagued him ten years ago. Marquez finished eighth overall, right behind the reigning defending champion, Fabio Quartararo.
The second and final MotoGP preseason test will be held the weekend of February 11-13 at Indonesia’s new Mandalika street circuit. It will be rider’s final prep before the Qatar Grand Prix opener.
MotoGP 2022 Qatar Grand Prix Betting Pick
Before making our 2022 Qatar Grand Prix betting pick, it might be helpful to know which riders fared well a year ago at this same Losail International Circuit. In 2021, MotoGP had back-to-back events in Qatar. The first one was won by old-timer Maverick Vinales, while the second one was taken by the eventual champ, Quartararo. Given those results, expect both riders to be given a high chance to win by oddsmakers again this year, especially Quartararo given how dominant he was throughout 2021.
Coming out of the test runs, Quartararo said he was “not happy” (his words, not our) with how his Yamaha bike performed. In particular, Quartararo is looking for a power upgrade to reduce the marque’s top speed deficit. We believe Quartararo is being up-front with his criticism to motivate Yamaha to improve the bike before Qatar begins. This is an interesting situation to monitor, especially at the next test run in Indonesia. If Quartararo struggles again, then it might be a smart idea to fade the champ.
Given the uncertainties with Yamaha, we’re picking Joan Mir to prevail in Qatar. He placed fifth at the test trials and third overall in the 2021 world championship standings. No, he’s never won this event before, but the Spaniard seems to always be in the thick of things no matter what event it is. That means something early on in the season when unpredictability is the highest, hence why he’s our choice.
How To Watch 2022 Qatar Grand Prix?
As we pointed out in the beginning, the Grand Prix of Qatar is on March 6 — that’s less than a month away. It’s the first of 21 “scheduled” races this season, which is the most in MotoGP history in a single year. We say scheduled because, as always, COVID could throw a wrench in the plans. Regardless, if you want to watch the MotoGP Grand Prixs, all of them, you can do so easily on television.
For those located inside the United States, the exclusive home of MotoGP is NBC and its NBC Sports Network. Every race, all year long, can be found on one of the two TV channels. Start times will vary based on the race location, but in many instances, that means early-morning start times, such as Qatar given the huge time-zone difference in the Middle East compared to the United States.
How To Bet 2022 Qatar Grand Prix?
You know who to bet on, you know how to watch the race, know all that’s left is for you to bet on the 2022 Qatar Grand Prix. Whether you’re heeding our advice or fading it, you can lock in your wager at one of the betting sites listed below — not now, but very soon. Like we said earlier, betting odds for the race haven’t been posted, but that’ll change once March 6 draws closer.
Another incentive you’ll get from the below bookmakers are killer sign-up bonuses. By killer, we’re talking hundreds to thousands of dollars in free play. The table underneath has details on what bonuses are currently available. To claim your free money, just smash one of the “play now” buttons below, which will begin the redemption process!
