Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP 2023 revealed

Third team to unveil its colors for the 2023 season, the official Ducati Lenovo Team met us this Monday in the Italian resort of Madonna di Campiglio. The new livery of the Desmosedici that Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini will debut at the Sepang Test changes little compared to the 2022 season, but the most important thing is elsewhere.

The main novelty on these Ducati, however, lies in the choice of the number on the Pecco side, since his bike is now adorned with the famous number 1, reserved for World Champions. This tradition, which had been lost for a decade and its use by Casey Stoner in 2012, is therefore making a comeback. Bagnaia had never hidden a certain fascination for this symbol and was delighted to be able to offer it to his loved one. He becomes the 4th driver to use it in a discipline where drivers remain strongly attached to their racing numbers. As proof, the numerous references to Pecco's 63 on his machine: “I honestly had a lot of trouble choosing between No. 63 and No. 1 and ultimately, I opted for the latter. Seeing it on the bike is magnificent, and my goal now will be to do everything to keep it. »

Pecco the tightrope walker © MotoGP

No major evolution is visible on these presentation machines, certainly closer to the 2022 model than to the motorcycles which will ride in 2023. Certain secrets deserve to remain until the first official turns of the wheel so as not to give away good ideas too early to competition.

Luigi Dall'Igna proud of his troops © MotoGP

Luigi Dall'Igna, the General Director of Ducati Corse, sets big ambitions for his team for 2023: “The start of a new season is always exciting, and this year even more so after a historic 2022 campaign. Repeating last season's results will be difficult, but our goal remains to constantly surpass and improve. In MotoGP, in addition to World Champion Pecco Bagnaia, we will also be able to count on Enea Bastianini, third in the Championship last year with the Ducati Gresini Racing team. We are convinced that our two drivers will be candidates for the crown again this year. We have been busy and are looking forward to starting this new season and defending the three titles we won last year. »

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