Ducati unveil 2023 MotoGP livery

Ducati Lenovo Team was one of the first MotoGP teams to unveil their rider lineup and livery for the 2023 FIM MotoGP World Championship, using the traditional location of the Madonna di Campiglio ski resort in northern Italy to present this year’s squad on 23 January.

In 2022, Ducati won the Riders’, Teams’ and Constructors’ World Championships in a history making year that also included the Riders’, Teams’ and Manufacturers’ titles in the FIM Superbike World Championship. In acknowledgement of this, both the MotoGP and WSBK teams had their official unveiling together at Madonna di Campiglio for the first time.

MotoGP – an All-Italian lineup

The 2023 Ducati Lenovo Team rider lineup of Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini will bring together two proven winners. Bagnaia took seven race wins last year on his way to securing the MotoGP World Championship, while Bastianini won four times and finished third in the championship.

This year will be Bagnaia’s third in Ducati Lenovo Team colours, while Bastianini will be making his factory Ducati debut after an impressive 2022 season on a satellite Desmosedici.

Bastianini’s arrival comes at the expense of Jack Miller, who did not have his Ducati contract renewed last year and will ride a KTM RC16 for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2023.

Bagnaia – Going with #1

What was notable in the Ducati Lenovo Team presentation for 2023 was that Bagnaia, last year’s MotoGP World Champion, will wear the #1 plate on his Desmosedici GP23 in his title defence, making him the first rider to do so since Casey Stoner.

Since 2013, every MotoGP World Champion – Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez, Joan Mir and Fabio Quartararo – has retained their race number, rather than the #1 they’re entitled to use as champions, meaning Bagnaia will be the first premier class rider to wear the #1 in a decade.

Speaking at the team presentation, Bagnaia said that going with the #1 instead of #63 he’s worn since joining MotoGP in 2019 wasn’t an automatic choice.

“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,” the 26-year-old Italian said.

“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.”

In 2022, Bagnaia overcame a 91-point deficit at the season’s midpoint to win the championship by 17 points from Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo.

"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.”

Bastianini – the Fast Mover

Bastianini, the 2020 Moto2 World Champion, comes to Lenovo Ducati after only two years in MotoGP; the first with Esponsorama Racing Ducati in 2021 and the second with Gresini Racing MotoGP last year, where the young Italian made an immediate impression, winning the first race of the season, then three more to finish third overall and the highest-placed satellite team rider.

Given his performance last year, Bastianini is already a warm favourite for the 2023 title, especially as he's now with a factory 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!” the 25-year-old enthused.

“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!”

Dall’Igna – Big Expectations

Ducati Corse General Manager, Luigi ‘Gigi’ Dall’Igna, acknowledges that the highs of 2022 will be hard to replicate, but is looking forward to the challenge.

"The start of a new season is always exciting, and this year even moreso following a 2022 destined to remain in history.

“We are convinced that both our riders will be, again this year, among the protagonists for the Championship. We look forward to starting this new season and defending the three titles we won last year."

The 2023 MotoGP World Championship gets underway at Portimao in Portugal on 24-26 March.