On November 6th, 2022, Francesco Bagnaia made history by winning the MotoGP™ World Championship at the season finale in Valencia. After an incredible 91 point comeback against Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), the Ducati Lenovo Team star brought the title back to Ducati, following in the footsteps of Casey Stoner, who captivated the world on his way to glory in 2007.
Despite Stoner's remarkable performances aboard the unforgettable Desmosedici GP7, the Australian MotoGP™ Legend was unable to defend his crown in his second year with the Bologna-based manufacturer, finishing second behind Valentino Rossi in 2008. Now, Bagnaia faces the challenge of continuing Ducati's success in a campaign where the Italian manufacturer has eight machines on the grid.
But Pecco's challenges in 2023 go beyond that. To try to surpass Stoner's legacy with the Bologna bullets, the Turin-born rider faces a couple of challenges that only a select few are lucky enough to face. Firstly, no one has tasted Championship success while donning the #1 plate on their bike since five-time Champion Mick Doohan won his last 500cc title in 1998. A particular record that has stood for a quarter of a century. It is worth remembering that Pecco is in the habit of breaking long-standing records, ending MotoGP™’s decade long wait to see the #1 plate on the grid since Stoner himself wore it in 2012, while, in turn, becoming the fourth rider to wear it in the MotoGP™ era.
Emulating Doohan is a tremendous challenge, and since the Australian's on track heroics, a hoodoo of sorts has befallen the #1 plate. Riders such as Alex Criville, Kenny Roberts Jr, Nicky Hayden, Casey Stoner, and Jorge Lorenzo, all of them enshrined as MotoGP™ Legends, could not string together two consecutive titles wearing the coveted #1. Others, such as Rossi, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team), or Fabio Quartararo, opted to wear their iconic personal numbers: #46, #93, #36, and #20, respectively. Despite being strongly associated with #63, Bagnaia couldn't pass up the opportunity to wear the Champion's #1, and who could blame him?
Both Rossi and Marquez will forever be associated with their iconic numbers as they added to their lengthy list of achievements that others can only dream of. In fact, both Rossi and Marquez are the only two riders to have won two premier class titles or more in the MotoGP™ era. No one else has achieved it, although Quartararo himself came very close last season.
With such a competitive field, the challenge seems a daunting one. Can Bagania create some history with the #1 on his GP23? We’ll know in 21 Grands Prix time. His path to retaining glory begins this weekend in Portimao.