MotoGP 2022: Who is confirmed and which seats are still up for grabs?

The 2022 MotoGP World Championship grid has almost taken shape following a smattering of recent announcements, headlined by the news Valentino Rossi WILL retire at the end of the season.

With many riders in the midst of two-year contract cycles, the 2022 MotoGP grid will look relatively similar to this year’s one, especially among the factory teams where only two seats from 12 could change.

With Aprilia and Gresini Racing splitting to focus on their own respective projects next season, from 2022 there will be an increased 12 teams and 24 confirmed riders on the grid.

Who is confirmed for the 2022 MotoGP season?

Suzuki and Honda confirmed its 2022 MotoGP rider line-up more than a year ago with two-year deals that pinned down its factory-equipped candidates.

Though its title defence isn’t quite going to plan this year, Suzuki will enter into a fourth season with 2020 MotoGP World Champion Joan Mir and Alex Rins, which will no doubt be a relief for the latter given his difficult campaign thus far.

Similarly, Honda will have an increased focus on 2022 after what has been a humbling period as it contends with a temperamental RC213V package and a Marc Marquez still recovering from injury. He remains for what will be his tenth season with the manufacturer, with Pol Espargaro alongside him.

Yamaha, meanwhile, initially had its rider pairing of Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Vinales locked in but the latter has agreed an early conclusion to his two-year deal. Instead, the Spaniard will leave at the end of the year and switch to Aprilia Racing, where he will join Aleix Espargaro and replace Lorenzo Savadori, while Franco Morbidelli is odds-on to be promoted from Petronas SRT Yamaha for 2022.

Following a major overhaul for 2021 that saw it take on the (slightly unwitting) role of nurturing its young talent, Ducati has discovered it doesn’t need the ‘big signing’ it was originally targeting to enjoy success, with Jack Miller, Pecco Bagnaia and Johann Zarco proving more than capable of filling that void between them.

Miller and Bagnaia will stay in factory colours for 2021 with Zarco getting another year with Pramac, alongside Jorge Martin, whose pole and podium in only his second race all but sealed his extended stay prior to his time-out through injury even before he went on to secure a sensational maiden win in Austria.

KTM will also hold onto its race-winning protege Brad Binder for 2022 - the first season of a bold three-year deal - while Miguel Oliveira has gone on the record to say he has a deal with the manufacturer for next season too despite no formal announcement from the Austrian firm.

Of the remaining satellite teams, LCR Honda will get another year with Takaaki Nakagami and Alex Marquez, while Tech 3 KTM will feature an all-new rookie pairing after promoting its Moto2 racers Remy Gardner - son of 1987 500GP World Champion, Wayne Gardner - and Raul Fernandez.

Gresini Racing returns as an independent using Ducati machinery and has recently confirmed a rider line-up of rookie Fabio di Giannantonio and 2020 Moto2 champion Enea Bastianini who crosses over from Avintia Racing for 2022.

The available 2022 MotoGP seats and who could fill them

As it stands only Yamaha and the incoming VR46 Racing Ducati team - which takes the entry held by Avintia Racing - have seats on the 2022 MotoGP grid left to fill.

With Morbidelli expected to replace Aprilia-bound Vinales in the Factory Yamaha set-up and Rossi announcing his retirement, SRT Yamaha - which loses Petronas backing for next year - is now facing a task to fill both of its seats.

With first choice Toprak Razgatlioglu turning down an offer in favour of two more years in WorldSBK, Garrett Gerloff also sticking in the production-based series and Raul Fernandez being retained by KTM, SRT Yamaha has a dwindling candidate list despite its race-winning credentials.

With this in mind, Petronas SRT's lead Moto2 rider, Xavi Vierge, is strongly tipped to be promoted, while recent rumours have suggested its Moto3 racer Darryn Binder - brother of KTM rider Brad - could be in line for a sensational double promotion in 2022.

Leading Moto2 racer Marco Bezzecchi has also been mentioned, though he is anticipated to be taking one of the VR46 Racing Ducati rides alongside Luca Marini, who is all-but-confirmed to get a second season in the top flight,

How the 2022 MotoGP grid is shaping up

* Italics indicate unconfimed but expected or rumoured