History repeats itself. World champions! Thanks to first place in the Valencia Grand Prix, the all-Italian duo of Francesco Bagnaia and the Desmosedici GP of the Ducati Lenovo Team won the MotoGP World Title for the second consecutive year, taking the general classification ahead of two other Ducati riders: Jorge Martín ( Pramac Racing Team) and Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Racing Team). The all-Ducati podium in MotoGP crowns a record season for the Borgo Panigale motorcycle manufacturer, winner in all the main two-wheeled World Championships.
As well as being a source of enormous joy for Ducatisti all over the world, Bagnaia’s splendid confirmation in MotoGP, Álvaro Bautista’s title defense in WorldSBK and Nicolò Bulega’s first success in WorldSSP are the demonstration of a clear philosophy: in Borgo Panigale the desire to improve has no limits!
The common thread that unites all the successes of Ducati Corse’s racing season lies in the engineering excellence that led Desmosedici GP, Panigale V4 R and Panigale V2 to be the best bikes on the grid in their respective championships. In fact, the conquest of the three World Ducati Rider Titles is combined with a triple victory in the rankings reserved for Manufacturers in a story that once again speaks of Made in Italy talent, passion and dedication.
No other motorcycle manufacturer before Ducati had managed to confirm the World Riders’ and Manufacturers’ Title in MotoGP and WorldSBK for two consecutive years. For Ducati, the only non-Japanese brand capable of winning a MotoGP World Championship, this is the third Riders’ Title in its history, while the Superbike World Titles won by the riders from Borgo Panigale are 16.
The 2023 MotoGP season tells of a notable technical supremacy of Ducati motorcycles, which have rewritten some significant records of the most important two-wheeled World Championship, such as the highest number of overall seasonal victories (17 Grands Prix out of 20) and the rider record winners in at least one Grand Prix (6: Bagnaia, Bastianini, Bezzecchi, Di Giannantonio, Martín, Zarco).
“A year ago I remember that together with fans from all over the world we celebrated the MotoGP and WorldSBK World Titles, being overwhelmed by joy and enthusiasm. Today we find ourselves once again in a state of extraordinary happiness, but at the same time I like to define this like the ‘victory of awareness’: that of us being the best in the world at this moment in racing. Pecco has had an incredible season and on this day rewrites our history again, becoming the first Ducati rider to be a two-time World Champion in MotoGP”, said Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati.
“I also want to congratulate Jorge for having ignited the duel to win the title until the last race and to Bez, who has been part of the world championship challenge for a long time. The podium in the MotoGP general classification rewards three Ducati riders and it is the greatest and most evident demonstration of our supremacy in the top competition on two wheels. Confirming ourselves at these levels after the fantastic 2022 season was a complex challenge, which we welcomed with passion and pride. The competence and dedication with which all the people have worked during this season have allowed us to improve on last year’s results, adding the Supersport title to the MotoGP and Superbike World Titles. To all the Ducati and Ducati Corse women and men I want to say that I couldn’t be more proud, while to the Ducatisti, I promise that we won’t be satisfied this time either, but we will work to win again”, he added.
At the checkered flag of the Valencia Grand Prix, Bagnaia’s world encore was welcomed with great enthusiasm inside the Ducati Lenovo Team garage, in the Ducati Grandstand of the Spanish circuit and also in Borgo Panigale, where the Ducati employees experienced this last race of the season with our eyes glued to the giant screen set up in the company for the occasion.
For Ducati it is now time to celebrate the MotoGP, WorldSBK and WorldSSP World Championships. The appointment is set for next December 15th in Bologna, when all the protagonists of this unforgettable sporting season will celebrate the results obtained. More updates on the event will follow in the coming weeks.
Some numbers of Ducati dominance in the 2023 season
In MotoGP:
17 – The victories achieved by Ducati riders in the 2023 MotoGP World Championship – All Time MotoGP Record
6 – The various Ducati riders capable of winning in at least one race this season (Bagnaia, Bastianini, Bezzecchi, Di Giannantonio, Martín, Zarco) – All Time MotoGP Record
9 – The races of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship in which the podium was made up entirely of Ducati riders – MotoGP records
44 – The podiums won by Ducati riders during the 2023 season with 8 different riders (all Ducati riders participating in the MotoGP Championship stood on the podium at least 1 time in the season)
17 – The pole positions obtained by Ducati riders during the 2023 MotoGP season
46 – Consecutive MotoGP races in which at least one Ducati rider finishes in the Top 3 (also all Sprint Races of the 2023 season ended with at least one Ducati rider on the podium)
In WorldSBK:
27 – Victories achieved by World Champion Álvaro Bautista in the 2023 WorldSBK season – All Time WorldSBK Record
59 – Álvaro Bautista’s overall victories aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 R in WorldSBK, making him the most successful rider in Ducati history in Superbike ahead of legends Carl Fogarty (55) and Troy Bayliss (52) – All Time Ducati Record
45 – The podiums won by Ducati riders in the 2023 Superbike World Championship races
79 – The triumphs in WorldSBK obtained by the Panigale V4 R from the debut season (2019) to today
In WorldSSP:
16 – The victories achieved by World Champion Nicolò Bulega in the 2023 WorldSSP season
33 – The podiums won by Ducati riders riding Panigale V2 in the races of the 2023 World Supersport Championship
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