MotoGP | Ducati presents Bagnaia and Bastianini’s bikes for the 2023 season

Ducati has introduced the Ducati Lenovo Team bikes for the 2023 MotoGP season. The team continues with last season’s champion Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini, who replaces Jack Miller and impressed last year by challenging the official rider in several races.

They will ride the Desmosedici GP23 machines, which continue in last season’s Ducati red livery. Therefore, there is no visual or sponsor change.

Despite this, the big news is the presence of number #1 on Bagnaia’s bike, which he will use this season in reference to the title won. But, inside the “#1”, also appears in the lower right corner, the pilot’s career number, which is #63.

Claudio Domenicali (CEO of Ducati Motor Holding): “Today we live another remarkable moment for Ducati. For the first time in the Company’s history, we are launching together both MotoGP and WorldSBK official teams, the Ducati Lenovo Team and Aruba.it – Racing Ducati team. Resuming all together is a beautiful way to celebrate the value and skills of the best Ducati Corse squad ever, whose everyday work has taken us to the top of the world. After the incredible successes of the past racing season, the challenge of reconfirming ourselves fascinates us. I am happy that it starts from a location like Madonna di Campiglio, a perfect expression of the “Made in Italy” of which we are proud ambassadors. Ducati is a brand distinguished by style, performance and technology, where passion for racing is a central element. Working while having fun is part of our philosophy. It adds value to what we do and allows us to commit even more by managing fatigue better. The beauty and opportunities of the mountains that welcome us are the perfect opportunities to combine the commitments of the presentation event with moments of pure delight to give us the right energy for the start of the season.”

Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager): “The start of a new season is always exciting, and this year, even more following a 2022 destined to remain in history. Replicating last year’s results will be challenging, but our goal is always to surpass ourselves and constantly improve. In MotoGP, in addition to World Champion Pecco Bagnaia, we will also be able to count on Enea Bastianini, third in the World Championship last year with Ducati team Gresini Racing. We are convinced that both our riders will be, again this year, among the protagonists of the Championship. For sure, the competition will be even higher. There are many strong riders on the grid, and the other manufacturers will certainly have worked hard during the winter. However, we have not been outdone, so we look forward to starting this new season and defending the three titles we won last year.”

Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team): “My winter break was shorter than usual because of all the commitments after winning the World Championship, but now I am charged up and eager to start the season. I have missed the Desmosedici GP and my team, and I can’t wait to get back on track. I could not decide whether to continue using the number 63 or switch to the number 1, and in the end, I decided on the latter. Seeing it on the bike is beautiful, and now my goal will be to do everything to keep it. It won’t be easy because I expect even tougher competition than last year, with many rivals ready to fight for the title: however, I am aware that I have the best bike and team to aim high again in 2023. Thanks again to all of Ducati and my team! I am ready to resume our adventure together.”

Enea Bastianini (#23, Ducati Lenovo Team): “Wearing the colours of the official team is a great emotion, and now it is up to me to prove that I deserve this opportunity. I am excited about the new season! Fortunately, I won’t have to wait long to be able to ride my red Desmosedici GP bike on track. In a couple of weeks, we will be in Sepang for the first test of the year, and it will be a crucial moment to get to know the guys in the team better and, above all, to start working on the bike. It’s going to be a very competitive year, and there will definitely be easy and more difficult moments to face, but I’m ready for anything! Thanks again to Claudio, Gigi, Paolo, Davide and the whole Ducati! I will give 100% as always.”

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