This weekend’s first official MotoGP test of 2022 wi💝ll see potential title contenders Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller start their preparations for the new season. 

Title contender is an especi🌠ally deserved term to use when looking at Bagnaia as the Italian was tꦚhe most in-form rider towards the end of 2021. 

Bagnaia claimed four wins from the last six races and would have had six consecutive poles had Prꦜamac Ducati rider Jorge Martin not beaten the former Moto2 champion to top spot during the closing stages of Q2 in Valencia.

While Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo is the current world champion and an obvious favourite for the title, it’s hard to look past Bagnaia as the outri𝔍ght favourite based on recent perform🌞ances. 

A big indication of where Bagnaia and Ducati stand going into nไext month’s season opener will be these two pre-season tests - Sepang and Mandalika, which the 25 year-old ‘can’t wait’ to get started.  

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s opening day of the Sepang test, Bagnaia added: "I'm very excited to get back on my Desmosedici GP finally. T💝he last test in November at Jerez was very positive, so I hope to find the same sensations on the bike right away, despite the stop of more than two months. 

"It's going to be a busy couple of days, but a lot of the work꧙ has been done by M𓃲ichele [Pirro], so we already have a good base to work from, and luckily we have three more days in Indonesia next week to continue our program. 

"I can't wait to get started so that I can be as ready as possible for the start of this se🌱ason!"

Joining Bagnaia in the factory garage is Jack Miller who managed to recover ꦜfrom a positive COVID-19 test that initially saw the team postpone its 2022 MotoGP bik𒉰e launch. 

Like Bagnaia, Mille♛r heads into his first track action of 2022 as one of the better riders come the end of last season. 

One of the key areas Miller has spoken about improv🌟ing going into his second year inside the team is tyre conservation, something he'll have a prime opportunity to test this weekend given Malaysia's extreme heat.

Miller said: "I'm thrilled to be back with my team here in Sepang. We haven't been in Malaysi♏a for two years now! 

"It's very hot, and as always, the tropical weather will be unpredictable. Still, I hope we'll have two days without rain, which will allow us to make the 🅺most of the available s🌊essions to find the feeling and work on the Desmosedici GP. 

"Michele has already 🐠lapped here earlier this week (MotoGP Shakedown test), so we will have a good starting point. I ♒can't wait to get back to work."