Why MotoGP’s newest winner can be a menace in the coming races

Enea Bastianini etched himself into the history books as MotoGP’s newest winner with a stunning ride to victory in last Sunday’s 2022 season-opening Qatar Grand Prix. He has pricked the ears of a number of rivals and can prove to be a real menace in the early races of 2022

Enea Bastianini's maiden MotoGP victory will long live in the memory of those within his Gresini Racing team, not least that of team owner and principal Nadia Padovani.

The 2022 campaign marks Gresini's first since 2014 where it has run as a truly independent team, having been used as Aprilia's factory entrant since it returned to MotoGP in 2015. Towards the end of 2020 Fausto Gresini, the double 125cc world champion who founded the team, announced his squad would be cutting ties with Aprilia and moving forward on its own.

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Author Lewis Duncan

Lewis Duncan is Autosport's International Editor and primary MotoGP reporter. A motorsport fan from a young age, Lewis became interested in journalism when he won the star letter competition in the February 2012 issue of F1 Racing Magazine. A member of the Autosport Academy from 2017, Lewis became a freelance motorcycle racing correspondent for Autosport in 2019 before becoming a full-time staffer in 2020 as International Editor.

While MotoGP coverage is his priority, Lewis also covers other motorcycle racing across the Motorsport Network, and hosts the Tank Slappers Podcast. He has also occasionally commentated on 750 Motor Club meetings. Away from motorsport, Lewis is a keen record collector with a collection unashamedly largely featuring Iron Maiden and Rush and an avid guitar player.