Last season proved a fruitful year for Ducati, as the Bologna bullets claimed both the Teams and Constructors’ Championship and they are eyeing up even more success in 2022. Following a season where five of their six riders achieved podium finishes, the Italian outfit welcome two more bikes onto the grid as they target a first Riders’ Championship since 2007.
The Desmosedici certainly looks as competitive as ever, with factory rider Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) showing its capabilities toward the tail end of the season to launch a late title bid with four wins in six. Indeed, from 18 rounds of Championship action, a Ducati stood on the top step seven times, the most of any manufacturer, with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) sharing three victories between them.
Thanks to further efforts from Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP), the Borgo Panigale factory took 24 podiums in total, smashing their previous record of 17 from 2019. There was also a historic first-ever Ducati lockout of the podium in the season finale at Valencia as Bagnaia, Miller and Martin finished the year in style.
Not to mention the numerous pole positions and front row starts, it was a year of astounding success for Ducati and gives them plenty to build on as they come into the new season. They’ll certainly be looking to end their 15-year Riders’ Championship drought, when Casey Stoner delivered the title back to Italy, in the coming season. They also welcome two bikes onto the grid, with Moto2™ graduates Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) and Marco Bezzecchi (VR46 Racing Team) hoping they can make an instant impact in the premier class.
There’s certainly a lot to be excited about if you are a Ducati fan, and you can see for yourself what the factory team have to say about the coming season on February 7th, when Ducati Lenovo Team host their Team Presentation. Scheduled for 16:00 (CET), you can watch the entire event LIVE & FREE on motogp.com as well as on Ducati’s Social Media channels.