Ducati presents its 2023 line-ups, Bagnaia and Bautista with the number "1"

Team presentations are in full swing, and Ducati has now unveiled its 2023 bikes and liveries, both MotoGP and Superbike, during an event held in Madonna di Campiglio. The Italian manufacturer readies itself for the upcoming season and has ambitious goals, particularly in light of a 2022 season that was unique in some ways. Last season, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer was able to win big in both championships, taking the riders’, teams’ and constructors’ titles in what was a record year.

Bagnaia and Bautista with the number 1

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Fans were keen to find out what number world champion Pecco Bagnaia will be using this season and, as we anticipated, the 26-year old has opted for the number 1: "I only chose the number 1 last week and I’m very pleased with my decision. 63 remains in my heart, and on my helmet, but I considered the fact that we haven’t seen the number 1 in MotoGP for a long while, and that I should respect the fact I’m the fastest in the world. I hope to see this number on the bike for as long as possible".

The Ducati factory team’s ‘new entry’ is Enea Bastianini, now an official MotoGP rider for the first time: "I’m very emotional. 2022 was a great year. I feel a lot of responsibility to be wearing red but we’ve already started work on the new bike during testing and I think we can be really fast".

And production-derived world champion Alvaro Bautista has gone for the same number as Bagnaia: "I really enjoy riding the bike, I’ve been at the top level for many years and I still have the passion inside. When you have the number 1 on the fairing, it means your only goal is to win, which is another reason why I’ve chosen this number, and also because my daughter wanted it". The Spaniard’s team-mate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, also has a clear goal: "I’m really happy to be here with our MotoGP friends, it’s really exciting. WorldSBK has reached an incredible level – I’m lacking a little speed at some tracks right now but my goal remains the same, or rather to fight for the title along with Alvaro".

Dall'Igna: "Technically speaking, Ducati has changed the face of innovation in MotoGP”

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Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall'Igna, who is responsible for the Ducatis on track, had this to say: "We're in for a tough challenge this year, but we like challenges that we can win. In recent years, Ducati has been particularly innovative, changing the way things are done in MotoGP. Last year’s championship taught us a great deal in this sense, but it also taught us to not change too much. We’ll unveil many things during the Sepang test, while others are already in place and visible on the bike, like the aerodynamics for example. As for Superbike, we’ve worked hard on the engine and on overall reliability.”