The Title Race is Heating Up!
Last week’s MotoGP race was incredible and intense and has resulted in the top three drivers being separated by only 17 points.
Fabio Quartararo leads the field, with Francesco Bagnaia only 10 points back. Aleix Espargaro, the only driver without a DNF this season, is 17 points back after his third-place finish last weekend.
Will Fabio Quartararo be able to hold onto the lead? We’ll find out on September 25 when the engines start at the Moto GP Grand Prix of Japan.
Fight for the MotoGP Championship
Right now, Japan Grand Prix odds are pretty tight due to the recent resurgence of Francesco Bagnaia. For a while, most of the fans and pundits alike were 100% convinced that this was Quartararo’s year and that he would undoubtedly win the championship.
But in the last ten races, Bagnaia has won six, and Quartararo has won three. Bagnaia is now within 10 points of the leader and is in much better form.
Seven points behind Bagnaia sits Aleix Espargaro with 194. Espargaro is the only driver in MotoGP this season to finish every race.
Impressive Run of Form
If he can continue this impressive run of form and avoid crashing out, there’s a chance he can be in the top two after next weekend.
Espargaro has only won one race this season, but his persistence and his string of steady performances have kept him in the title chase.
Recent Struggles of Fabio Quartararo
Quartararo had a legendary start to the season, finishing at the top of the leaderboard with consistency and flair.
He had a stretch of six races with three wins, two seconds, and a fourth place finish. Since then, the Frenchman has had an eighth, a fifth, a DNF, and a second place.
Quartararo will have to step it back up and kick it into high gear if he expects to hold on to this lead. Aleix Espargaro is also quite consistent, and Francesco Bagnaia has been racing too well as the season rolls on.
Japan Grand Prix Odds
Quartararo needs a return to form if he is going to hold on to the championship lead after this weekend.
The Japan Grand Prix odds have changed significantly after last week; Quartararo is now +160 to win the title, while Bagnaia is +175.
MotoGP Head-to-Head Results 2022
Francesco Bagnaia has the most race wins this year with six and is 10 points back in the standings. Quartararo is next with three wins, along with Enea Bastiannini. Miguel Oliveira and Aleix Espargaro both have only one win.
Espargaro has zero DNFs this year, the best of any driver. Bagnaia has five DNFs, while Quartararo has only had two. Last week was one of the DNFs which really hurt Quartararo’s hopes of holding onto his lead.
MotoGP Japan Grand Prix Race Information
- Game: Moto GP Grand Prix of Japan
- Location: Twin Ring Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
- Day/Time: September 25th
- Television: NBC Sports
- MotoGP Japan Grand Prix Betting Lines
Moto GP Japan Grand Prix Race Prediction
This week’s MotoGP picks race is Francesco Bagnaia. I’ve been hot on Fabio Quartararo all year, but Bagnaia has shown up in incredible form for the end of the season.
He has six wins and one-second place in his last ten races. He looks incredibly quick, his team has been in peak form, and I’m expecting him to take home the win in Japan this weekend.
Most Profitable Driver
Bagnaia is sitting only 10 points behind Quartararo in the standings, and he has a legitimate chance to take the championship lead with a win this weekend in Japan.
The Italian will certainly be looking to get his bike to the front of the pack and take the championship lead away from his French rival.
Japan Gran Prix Pick: Francesco Bagnaia (+150)
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