MotoGP season opener

“The stress factor has never been so high”

World champion Francesco Bagnaia impressed at the winter tests.(Bild: APA/AFP/KARIM JAAFAR)

Kick-off for the MotoGP season! At the floodlit spectacle in Qatar, 21 rivals set off in pursuit of world champion Francesco Bagnaia.

For the MotoGP aces, 3600 kilometers at full racing speed on 21 tracks are on the agenda this year - more than ever before! "This season will be tough for everyone - especially because of the format of the events. You have to deliver the first time on Friday afternoon," says Mike Leitner, who spent decades in the paddock alongside Dani Pedrosa and later as KTM team boss. The stress factor has never been as high as it is now, partly because of the sprint races on Saturdays that were introduced last year.

"With the tight calendar and the constant stress, as a rider you have to stay healthy first and foremost. We also saw that with Bagnaia last year: In his crash in Barcelona, when Brad Binder ran over his foot, his world title could have been gone already." Bagnaia was lucky back then, miraculously remained uninjured, stood on the podium again just one week later in Misano and was crowned MotoGP World Champion for the second time in a row.

The challengers are lurking
Leitner does not believe that Bagnaia's title hat-trick will be a runaway success this year: "Ducati will of course be competitive. But I don't see a clear favorite yet, because I simply know this sport too well." Last year's world championship rival Jorge Martín will be joined by Marc Márquez and Pedro Acosta, two other Spaniards with high ambitions. "Marc showed in Doha at the last test that he can handle the Ducati. And for the first time in a long time, he is starting a season uninjured. But we'll have to wait and see to what extent he can compete for victory," says Leitner.

And newcomer Acosta? "He's built up a lot of confidence in recent years - but he'll need that in MotoGP too! His speed at the test was impressive. In racing, he will still have to learn all the procedures under pressure." The first chance to do so will be tomorrow in Qatar: The sprint starts (5pm).