Ducati Lenovo Team At the Palacampiglio of Madonna di Campiglio, in the enchanting setting of the snow-capped Dolomites, the livery of the Desmosedici GP bikes with which the Ducati Lenovo Team will take part in the 2023 MotoGP World Championship has been unveiled.
The official Ducati team, which this year celebrates 20 years since its debut in the premier class in 2003, is ready to defend the Constructors’, Teams’ and Riders’ World Titles clinched last year together with reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia in his third season with the Borgo Panigale based squad. Enea Bastianini, who finished third in the 2022 World Championship with the Desmosedici GP of the Gresini Racing team, will be alongside him wearing the official Ducati colours for the first time. Everything is set for another exciting season, with the first race out of 21 scheduled to take place in Portimão, Portugal, on 26th March. In addition to the traditional Sunday race, starting this year, a sprint race on Saturday at each Grands Prix will add more excitement to the 2023 MotoGP World Championship.
The presentation, held this morning in front of an affluent audience composed of Ducati’s partners and sponsors, local authorities, members of the national and international press, as well as other important guests, took place during the “Campioni in Pista” event, organized by Ducati in collaboration with the Azienda per il Turismo Madonna di Campiglio, Trentino Marketing and with the participation of partners Lenovo, Aruba.it, Monster Energy, Shell and Audi. As always, the unveiling of the Desmosedici GP 2023 has been the most exciting moment, with Bagnaia and Bastianini unveiling the new livery, which again this year maintains the classic Ducati red colour scheme, enhanced by some carbon details and in a lighter shade of red. Another novelty is that Bagnaia chose the World Champion’s number 1 to ride the entire 2023 season in MotoGP.
Bagnaia’s Desmosedici GP has not been the only Ducati to sport the number 1 on stage. The event was further enriched by the presence of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, the official Superbike team of the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer, which secured the Riders’, Teams’ and Manufacturers World Titles in the 2022 World Superbike Championship. Also, on the Panigale V4 R of Spanish champion Alvaro Bautista, in his second consecutive year with Ducati, the number 1 stands out. Michael Ruben Rinaldi will continue to ride alongside him for the third consecutive season as an official Ducati rider in WorldSBK.
Claudio Domenicali (CEO of Ducati Motor Holding)
“Today we live another remarkable moment for Ducati. For the first time in the Company’s history, we are launching together both MotoGP and WorldSBK official teams, the Ducati Lenovo Team and Aruba.it – Racing Ducati team. Resuming all together is a beautiful way to celebrate the value and skills of the best Ducati Corse squad ever, whose everyday work has taken us to the top of the world. After the incredible successes of the past racing season, the challenge of reconfirming ourselves fascinates us. I am happy that it starts from a location like Madonna di Campiglio, a perfect expression of the “Made in Italy” of which we are proud ambassadors. Ducati is a brand distinguished by style, performance and technology, where passion for racing is a central element. Working while having fun is part of our philosophy. It adds value to what we do and allows us to commit even more by managing fatigue better. The beauty and opportunities of the mountains that welcome us are the perfect opportunities to combine the commitments of the presentation event with moments of pure delight to give us the right energy for the start of the season.”
Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“The start of a new season is always exciting, and this year, even more following a 2022 destined to remain in history. Replicating last year’s results will be challenging, but our goal is always to surpass ourselves and constantly improve. In MotoGP, in addition to World Champion Pecco Bagnaia, we will also be able to count on Enea Bastianini, third in the World Championship last year with Ducati team Gresini Racing. We are convinced that both our riders will be, again this year, among the protagonists of the Championship. For sure, the competition will be even higher. There are many strong riders on the grid, and the other manufacturers will certainly have worked hard during the winter. However, we have not been outdone, so we look forward to starting this new season and defending the three titles we won last year.”
Luca Rossi (President of Intelligent Devices Group at Lenovo)
“After an extremely successful year, we’re thrilled to kick off this new season together. We are proud of all that we’ve achieved over the past five years, since the beginning of our technology partnership with Ducati, and we are excited to continue working together to lead innovation and constantly improve on-track performance. Technology plays a crucial role in the challenging world of motorsports. From real-time data analysis, artificial intelligence, and simulations to smart collaboration and augmented reality, Lenovo is working closely with Ducati to unleash the value of digital transformation and achieve even better results. Building on our common values of speed, dedication, team spirit and a focus on results, we’ll continue moving forward toward a faster, safer, and more exciting sport.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team)
“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. I have missed the Desmosedici GP and my team, and I can’t wait to get back on track. 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. 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, with many rivals ready to fight for the title: however, I am aware that I have the best bike and team to aim high again in 2023. Thanks again to all of Ducati and my team! I am ready to resume our adventure together.”
Enea Bastianini (#23, Ducati Lenovo 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! Fortunately, I won’t have to wait long to be able to ride my red Desmosedici GP bike on track. In a couple of weeks, we will be in Sepang for the first test of the year, and it will be a crucial moment to get to know the guys in the team better and, above all, to start working on the bike. 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! Thanks again to Claudio, Gigi, Paolo, Davide and the whole Ducati! I will give 100% as always.”
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders, together with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team duo, will be in Piazza Sissi, in the centre of Madonna di Campiglio, at 5:00pm to greet all their fans accompanied by the entertainment offered by Monster Energy, a new partner of Ducati Corse.
Tomorrow, Bagnaia and Bastianini will also experience the thrills on four wheels by participating in the Audi Driving Experience on the frozen lake in Madonna di Campiglio and enjoying a day of skiing on the spectacular slopes of the Pearl of the Dolomites.
