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Reigning world champion Bagnaia can be joined on the manufacturing unit squad by four-time race winner Bastianini in 2023 after the latter fought off Pramac’s Jorge Martin to assert the manufacturing unit seat vacated by KTM’s new signing Jack Miller.
There have been a number of flash factors throughout the 2022 season through which Bagnaia and Bastianini locked horns on observe, most notably on the penultimate spherical of the marketing campaign in Malaysia when the previous may have wrapped up the championship.
Ducati then needed to subject questions concerning a doubtlessly tense relationship between each riders as team-mates in 2023 – although Ciabatti instructed Motorsport.com final November that it was “a luxury” to have the line-up it does.
In an interview with Motorsport.com’s Spanish version on the Sepang pre-season take a look at, Ciabatti stated there was no discussions since concerning primary rider standing throughout the staff and believes Bastianini can be extra “calm” in 2023 than he was final yr.
Enea Bastianini and Francesco Bagnaia can be team-mates at Ducati in 2023
Photograph by: Motorsport Images
“What wanted to be clarified was already completed final yr,” Ciabatti stated at Sepang. “Enea wished to show that he deserved the official bike.
“Now that he has it, his mentality has modified and he has understood that he has to work along with Pecco. We see them each with the identical prospects to battle for all the pieces.
“Final yr, Enea had a distinct motivation than now. I hope I am not incorrect, however I feel we can be fairly calm as a result of Enea is aware of he has extra duty.”
Ducati loved a clear sweep of the three days of testing in Malaysia, with VR46 rider Luca Marini topping the outing total with a 1m57.889s on his 2022-spec bike forward of Bagnaia.
The manufacturing unit riders felt the 2023 Desmosedici was already on the degree of the title-winning 2022 bike and at the moment are searching for refinements on the second take a look at in Portugal subsequent month earlier than the season begins on 26 March on the Algarve Worldwide circuit.
