Qatar GP Verdict: Bastianini’s masterclass could have as big a say in MotoGP in 2023 as in 2022

Written by Toby Wilding…

Sadly for Enea Bastianini, now more than ever, the opening race of the MotoGP season is unlikely to be decisive in the ultimate destiny of this season’s World Championship.

With 20 more races to go – more than in any other MotoGP season in history – there is still plenty of time for the many pre-season title favourites to respond after below-par starts to the campaign under the lights in Qatar on Sunday, as Bastianini stormed to a stunning first MotoGP race win, in just his 19th outing in the class.

So with a tantalising 400 points still to race for, the 25 that Bastianini earned in such impressive style aboard his Gresini Racing satelitte Ducati in Lusail will be far from enough to make a major impact on how things play out across the rest of this year.

What they could do however, is have a huge say on how things have the potential to pan out in 2023.

At this stage of the season, the vast majority of those currently competing in MotoGP, are out of contract at the end of the year, meaning there is plenty to be decided in terms of who is riding what and where, come 2023.

While Ducati have already moved quickly and smartly to lock down this year’s pre-season favourite Pecco Bagnaia to a new contract until the end of the 2024 season, the seat alongside him, currently occupied by Jack Miller, is yet to be allocated for next year and beyond.

However, when combined with the fortunes of other Ducati riders over the course of the weekend, it is hard not to feel as though Bastianini has done himself a huge favour in terms of making his case for making the step up to the Italian factory’s marquee team for next season.

Over recent years, the theme of teams agreeing contracts with riders for the next year at