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Bagnaia ended a 15-year title drought for Ducati courting again to 2007 final season, when he clinched the championship on the remaining spherical of the marketing campaign.
The Valentino Rossi protege needed to overturn a 91-point deficit on the halfway stage of the season to win the title, making him the primary rider in MotoGP historical past to have staged such a comeback.
Stepping as much as the manufacturing facility Ducati squad in 2021, Bagnaia is contracted to the Italian producer by the top of 2024.
For this season, Bagnaia shall be joined by Enea Bastianini, who has been promoted from Gresini Racing after a breakout 2022 through which the 2020 Moto2 world champion gained 4 races and completed third within the standings.
At its launch in Italy on Monday morning, Ducati unveiled the colors it would race this season, with Bagnaia revealing for the primary time his selection of the #1 plate – having beforehand raced #63 since he stepped as much as MotoGP in 2019.
Bagnaia is the primary rider since Casey Stoner in 2012 to run the #1 plate for his or her title defence season.
Ducati will improve its racing involvement within the MotoGP World Championship this season, because it takes over from Energica as the only bike provider for the MotoE World Cup.
It is going to additionally proceed to area 4 groups on the MotoGP grid, with the manufacturing facility squad joined by Pramac Racing, Gresini Racing – who unveiled its new search for 2023 final weekend – and VR46 Racing.
Whereas the reigning champions’ colors for 2023 have not modified a lot from 2022, it has gained sponsorship from Monster Power.
Ducati has inherited this from Suzuki, which give up MotoGP on the finish of final 12 months, and has pressured Bastianini right into a change of backing having beforehand raced as a Crimson Bull athlete.
The 2022 season wasn’t with out its controversies for Bagnaia and Ducati, with the previous concerned in a drink-driving incident in Ibiza through the summer season break – for which he later apologised.
In World Superbike, Alvaro Bautista can even carry #1 on his bike after successful the 2022 title with Ducati.
