A very wide open championship!

If the predictions are to be believed, then 2019 is set to witness the closest and the most thrilling season in MotoGP. The season-opening race will be held at the Losail International Circuit this Sunday, but there is no clear favourite heading into the new championship.Reigning five-time title winner Marc Marquez of Honda is still the man to beat but the recurring shoulder injury is major concern for the Spaniard. But if the 26-year-old can overcome his injury issues, then 2019 could be another glorious chapter in his burgeoning legend.Having said that, Honda also boast triple champion Jorge Lorenzo, who is set to give his new team-mate a tough time. But despite having the best line-up, Honda doesn’t seem to be in the best shape heading into this season, and Marquez will face his toughest campaign yet with Lorenzo as a teammate, as well as the other challengers around him.Andrea Dovizioso of Ducati will fancy his chances, having come the closest to challenging  Marquez in the previous years. If the Italian can repeat his form of the past few years this time round, he’ll still be a strong contender.Then there is Yamaha’s Maverick Vinales, who has impressed in the pre-season testing. The Spaniard has changed some key pieces of his crew in order to find the balance this year and has outpaced his teammate and multiple world champion Valentino Rossi in testing.Rossi, who turned 40 recently, could be in the mix as well but consistency has been an issue with the legendary Italian. Rossi’s longevity, passion and dedication continues to amaze and inspire in equal measure but he is not the rider what he used to be, his reflexes having slowed down considerably.Rossi himself is going by the popular opinion in the paddock and reckons this year’s season could be the closest in the championship’s history. He went on to say that there are ‘seven or eight’ possible title contenders on ‘three or four’ different types of bike.Rossi said that Vinales, Ducati pair Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci, Honda’s Marquez and Lorenzo, Suzuki’s Alex Rins and himself are contenders for the title.“On paper, I don’t think there’s ever been such an even championship, with seven or eight riders, and also three or four different bikes, that can fight for the title” said Rossi at the Losail Circuit yesterday.“The factory riders are all really strong. The two works Ducati riders are going strongly, the two from Honda are a little bit behind, but surely they will arrive. The two Yamahas are going quite well, and also Suzuki, especially with Rins. It seems to me the factory bikes are all quite strong.“Then we must not forget [Fabio] Quartararo, [Francesco] Bagnaia, [Cal] Crutchlow and [Franco] Morbidelli, who in the tests have been strong. Already there are 10 of us! Maybe in one race you are on the podium and in another you make a mistake and you are fighting for seventh place. It’s difficult,” he added.Dovizioso agreed with his countryman’s views. “I have seen many very competitive riders,” said the Ducati rider. “All the top four bikes are quite strong, and close, with different characteristics. We could see a lot of riders fighting for wins, a much more competitive season than recent ones. This is the first season in which we start with so much uncertainty, at least since I’ve been in MotoGP. In the past in Qatar we’ve seen very different results in the race compared with the tests. But, more than just Qatar, there is uncertainty for all the season. At the moment we need to focus day by day, then we will see,” he added.Marquez feels that all manufacturers have taken a step forward ahead of the new campaign, which he said make the season unpredictable.“Since 2017 I’m looking at everybody. I’m looking at all my opponents in the same way because for example, in 2017, we were here and not a lot of people spoke about Dovizioso and he was the man to beat,” the current champion said.“This preseason, it was interesting to see how Yamaha improved, Ducati improved, Suzuki improved with Rins and yeah, let’s see how we start this season. But of course, we will be very fast because we tested here, but the season is 19 races and we must be focused on our work, focused on ourselves and try and do what we know. Then we will see at the end of the season.” he added.Today, the Moto3 class will get the ball rolling with Free Practice 1, followed by Moto2 practice session before the MotoGP riders head out at 3:40pm and again under lights.