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Although Ducati shot its bolt a day early by by accident revealing 2022 MotoGP title winner Francesco Bagnaia could be working the #1 on its web site, that reality was lastly confirmed on Monday morning on the Italian marque’s launch occasion within the Dolomites.
And thus the controversy over the draw of the #1 plate continues: followers both really feel passionate that a world champion should carry the #1 plate, as if it have been some kind of birthright or – like this author – you do not actually care both means.
The #1 hasn’t appeared on the entrance of a MotoGP bike since 2012, when Casey Stoner rode what could be his closing season within the collection with the quantity to mark his second world title. It is becoming, then, that Bagnaia – who ended Ducati’s 15-year drought final season since Stoner’s first world title in 2007 – picks up the mantle for 2023 on his Desmosedici.
The arguments for and in opposition to are convincing in their very own proper. Those that are in favour of it name out the truth that not everybody generally is a world champion, and working #1 is an assertion of your standing because the rider to beat.
Additionally they say it is higher for these watching to establish who the champion is. Possibly that may have been the case within the 1990s however, in a world the place you possibly can Google something you need in your cell phone, not being instantly conscious of who the world champion of a collection is will not take you lengthy to determine.
On the opposite aspect of the aisle, it may be argued that model recognition goes out of the window when an everyday full-time quantity is changed with the #1.
Whether or not we prefer it or not, athletes within the trendy world are their very own model, and their followers like having a singular identifier to carry onto. There is not any extra a living proof of that than with Valentino Rossi, who at no level in his grand prix profession ran something aside from #46 regardless of his 9 world titles.
Valentino Rossi resisted the attract of the #1 after his many titles, sticking with the well-known quantity 46
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
The symbolism of a singular quantity is a robust factor. Simply as #46 will all the time be related to Valentino Rossi, #44 with Lewis Hamilton, #23 with Michael Jordan, and #99 with Wayne Gretzky, it stands to purpose that the #63 will maintain significance for Ducati followers going ahead.
That is one thing Bagnaia – considerably contradictorily – famous throughout Ducati’s launch occasion on Monday: “63 means numerous issues to me and I am very near that quantity. It is true that on my plate I’ll have the #1, additionally on my pitboard, however for the remaining I’ll stay with the #63. For a lot of issues the #63 shall be my quantity as all the time, as a result of I believe folks establish me with the #63.”
In an additional contradiction, Bagnaia says it might be a mistake for him to think about himself the world champion in 2023 if he hopes to defend his title. That shall be one thing onerous to disregard with #1 subsequent to your identify on the entry listing.
“I believe I’ve to do not do the error of considering I’m a champion, as a result of it is one thing that may calm down you,” he stated. “So, I’ll attempt to have the identical method, the identical mindset of final 12 months, of all of the years in my life.
“I believe this 12 months I discovered the teachings from the errors, so I can begin this 12 months higher. The brand new bike could be very near the 2022 bike, so I believe we will begin nicely from the primary day of testing. The schedule of the weekend could be very totally different, so this could change issues. However I am fairly positive if we work nicely as final 12 months we could be on prime.”
Regardless, Bagnaia will race with #1 in 2023 and he’ll attempt to do one thing no rider has performed within the trendy MotoGP period: retain their crown utilizing that quantity.
Can Bagnaia retain the #1 in 2023?
Photograph by: Ducati Corse
Of the 29 riders who’ve gained premier class titles since 1949, solely 12 have efficiently defended a crown. Within the trendy MotoGP period, starting in 2002, solely Nicky Hayden (2007), Casey Stoner (2008 and 2012) and Jorge Lorenzo (2011) have raced with the #1 plate in defence of their titles. Lorenzo, after all, gained three titles, however in 2013 and 2016 used his conventional #99 as a substitute. When attempting to resolve on what quantity to make use of for 2016, Lorenzo stated “it might be good to make use of the #1, however #99 represents me”.
None of these riders did win the title once more working the #1 plate, with these since Stoner in 2012 and previous to Bagnaia in 2023 – Lorenzo, Marc Marquez, Joan Mir and Fabio Quartararo – all sticking to their commonplace race numbers.
Not since Mick Doohan in 1998 has a rider within the premier class efficiently defended the #1 plate, when the Australian legend took the fifth and closing 500cc title of his profession.
If Bagnaia does handle to defend his title in 2023, will probably be one other little bit of historical past – after turning into the primary rider ever to beat a 91-point deficit and 5 DNFs in a season to win his first crown – to bolster his legacy. And maybe it would usher in a change in mindset for future champions on the subject of working the #1.
For now, a minimum of Bagnaia followers can sit up for bagging some closely discounted #63 t-shirts from final 12 months in January now house must be made for the brand new #1 inventory!
