“El Diablo” finds the circuit that fits him well. His first two MotoGP victories occurred there, in 2020, during the Grand Prix of Spain and Andalusia respectively due to Covid.

And most impressively, since 2019, the MotoGP world champion has always started from the first place.

“In Portimao we were lucky because the circuit fits our bike well,” he admitted. Before continuing, I am confident: “Jerez is another of those circuits that plays on our strengths. Last year, I could have won easily had it not been for my arm problem. I will try again this year!”

In 2021, he was already on his way to winning the race after taking first place and setting the fastest lap in the race, but he had a muscle problem in one arm (compartment syndrome) which then required surgery, and he finished 13th.

Short straight line, circle cut for Yamaha

“Quarta” enters the 2022 edition of the Spanish Grand Prix as the leader of the world championship with 69 points, tied with Alex Rins (Suzuki). If the Spaniard has shown impressive regularity since the start of the season – four times in the top five – he hasn’t shone much in Andalusia, with just one podium (second in 2019) in four games.

The Knights are ahead of Spaniard Alex Espgarago (Aprilia), who scored his first victory in Argentina at the beginning of the month, the third with three units and the man in his form at the start of the Italian season, Ina Bastianini (Ducati). ) The fourth is eight lengths.

The winner of the Qatar and Americas Grand Prix, Bastianini crashed in Portugal, causing him to lose the championship lead, but he is still ambushed on a circuit that does not appear to be cut to show Ducati’s power.

The Angel Nieto circuit is located in a small valley in the southwest of Andalusia near Jerez de la Frontera, and is 4.4 km long. At 607 metres, the longest straight line is less evil for the Quartararo and Yamaha in their chronic lack of top speed.

Ducatis factory in poor condition

Frenchman Johan Zarco (Pramac Ducati), who is fifth in the general classification with 51 points, will try to climb to the second podium after Portugal where he finished second, a performance he has not repeated since 2018.

Ducati’s two official riders, Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia, who were very competitive last season, are having a hard time handling their machines this year.

They share a ninth place overall with 31 points and wouldn’t necessarily get an edge out of that road, even if the Jerez did them perfectly in 2021, finishing double in the top two places.

Marc Marquez’s tally also reached 31 points, after he missed the two rounds in Indonesia and Argentina due to injury. The six-time MotoGP world champion had already missed four races in 2021 but above all the entire 2020 season after a hard fall at … Jerez during the first race of the weekend.

So he is expected to return to Jerez, who for nearly a year swung between resurrection and disappointment. The winner of the Americas World Championships and Emilia Romagna at the end of last season before he again had to leave due to a physical problem, has not yet achieved better than fifth place in 2022 (Qatar). Disappointing for those who walked on discipline 2013-2019…