The 2022 Moto2 World Championship gets underway at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar this weekend, with Elf Marc VDS Racing Team riders Sam Lowes and Tony Arbolino full of expectation and anticipation heading to round one.

• The Belgian team’s line-up combines an exciting mixture of experience, young potential and undoubted speed, with Lowes and Arbolino determined to be consistent podium contenders in the 21-round campaign.
• Lowes and Arbolino kick off their preparations for Sunday’s season opener at 1245pm local time on Friday, with the 20-lap season opener due to commence at 1620pm on Sunday.

/// SAM LOWES

• Lowes heads into his eighth season in Moto2 in confident mood, despite a tendonitis issue in his left wrist disrupting some of his pre-season preparations.
• With three wins and two podiums last year, the clear target for the 31-year-old is to mount a serious title challenge again in the season ahead.
• The Briton dominated a double-header in Doha last season with two commanding victories from pole position and he also memorably finished in the top six on his Grand Prix debut in 2014.

“I’m really looking forward to a great season”

“Qatar is a track that I love and obviously it was an amazing start to last season when I won both races from pole. I’m a little bit worried about how my left wrist is going to feel when I get on the bike but since the Portimao test I’ve been having daily treatment and resting as much as I can to be in the best physical condition I can be. I hope to arrive as well prepared as possible. It will feel a little different this weekend because we go straight into the race without a test in Qatar and this year we race in the day and not at night. I honestly can’t wait to get out there and get started and I’m really looking forward to a great season.”

/// TONY ARBOLINO

• A positive adaptation to the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team during a successful winter testing campaign means there is huge belief in Arbolino’s potential heading into his second season in the ultra-competitive Moto2 category.
• The Italian gained a wealth of experience in finishing 14^th overall in his maiden Moto2 campaign in 2022 and he is now setting his sights on posing a consistent threat at the front of races.
• An 11^th place finish in the second of two races held at the Lusail International Circuit last season is Arbolino’s best result in six previous appearances in Qatar.

“I’m fully motivated to start the season in a good way”

“It’s such an exciting feeling to be heading to Qatar and starting a new season with a new team. I love the track in Qatar and there’s a different feeling when racing outside of Europe. It’s an amazing track and now we need to see what we can achieve there. I’m fully motivated to start the season in a good way and to show what we as a whole team can produce. It will be important at the beginning of the season to stay calm and keep working like we have been doing in winter testing. Now is the time to find out if the hard work the team and I put in during the pre-season will pay off. I’m convinced we will be strong and take profit of all that work we’ve already done, and it will be a good weekend.”