Enea Bastianini confirmed as second factory Ducati MotoGP rider for 2023
Enea Bastianini has been confirmed to be joining the factory Ducati MotoGP team for the 2023 and 2024 Grand Prix seasons.
Enea Bastianini has been announced as a new Ducati factory MotoGP rider from the 2023 season.
Bastianini will go into the factory Ducati MotoGP squad from 2023 alongside Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati has announced.
The Italian has a two-year contract, confirming the #23 will be placed upon a Desmosedici for the next two seasons.
Bastianini had been involved in a battle with Jorge Martin for the second seat in the factory squad. Francesco Bagnaia was confirmed to be staying with the team for 2023 and 2024 before the 2022 season had even started, mostly thanks to his stellar end to 2021.
Although Bastianini picked up podiums in his debut MotoGP season last year, Martin came into this season as the favourite to take the second seat in the factory team having won in Austria and contended for victory on other occasions, including at the season finale in Valencia.
However, while Bastianini won three of the first seven races of the 2022 season, Martin struggled and scored only one podium, while amassing four DNFs, and an additional crash-and-remount in Spain.
Bastianini’s form dipped after his French GP win in May, but picked up again after the summer break. He finished fourth at Silverstone despite missing a front wing, and in Austria he was fighting for the win from a debut pole position before his wheel rim broke on a kerb.
The factory Ducati team will be Bastianini’s third team in three years in the premier class, after he raced for Esponsorama Racing last year, and has spent this year with Gresini Racing. On the other hand, Martin is now likely to be heading into his third season with Pramac Racing.
“I am thrilled to be able to wear the colours of the official Ducati team starting next year,” said Bastianini. “It was my dream, and now it has come true. In these two years in MotoGP, I have learned and grown a lot, and I believe that I can only improve with the engineers and men of the Ducati Lenovo Team.
“I want to thank Claudio, Gigi, Paolo and Davide for trusting me and giving me this incredible opportunity.
“Still, I also want to thank Nadia and the whole Gresini team for the great support I have received from them during this wonderful season together. I will try to close out this 2022 in the best possible way before tackling my new adventure as a factory Ducati rider with total commitment and the right team spirit."
Gigi Dall’Igna, General Manager of Ducati Corse, added: “We are delighted to have Bastianini in the factory team. Enea is a very talented rider who has matured a lot in these two years with Ducati.
"He has been able to grow quickly, scoring two podiums in his debut year in MotoGP and then taking three stunning victories this year with Gresini Racing in Qatar, the USA and France.
“We are convinced that next year, as an official Ducati Lenovo Team rider, he will be able to take another step forward and be among the protagonists in every race.
“It was not an easy choice. Enea and Jorge Martin are two very fast and young riders, which is precisely why we still wanted to ensure the same material and technical support for both. We are sure they will be able to show all their great talent on track.”
