Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia (born 14 January 1997) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer competing in
MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
for the
Ducati Lenovo Team. He is the current
MotoGP World Champion and a previous
Moto2 World Champion. He is the first rider from the VR46 academy to win a world title in the premier class.
Career
Early career
Born in
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
, Bagnaia was already successful early on in Minimoto, as he won the European MiniGP championship in 2009. Bagnaia made his pre-GP 125 Mediterranean championship debut with Monlau Competición team in 2010 and finished 2nd in the championship. In 2011 he took part in the Spanish Championships in the 125cc category, winning a race, and finishing third in the final standings. In the
2012 CEV Moto3 season he rode a Honda NSF250R and once again finished 3rd in the championship behind
Álex Márquez
Álex Márquez Alentà (born 23 April 1996) is a Grand Prix motorcycle rider from Spain racing for Ducati satellite team Gresini Racing MotoGP. He has competed in MotoGP since the 2020 season, having previously become World Champion in the 2 ...
and
Luca Amato, with a race win and two 2nd places in seven races. Bagnaia was recruited to be a member of the VR46 riders academy, and is still part of the academy to this day.
Moto3 World Championship
Bagnaia made his Grand prix debut in the
2013 Moto3 World Championship, with Team Italia FMI riding a Honda alongside his teammate
Romano Fenati
Romano Fenati (born 15 January 1996) is an Italian motorcycle racer who has competed at Grand Prix level. He raced for the early part of the season in Moto2, before being sacked by principal Luca Boscoscuro. In September 2022, Fenati signed wi ...
. The season was a disappointing year for Bagnaia as he did not manage to get a single point in the 17 races he participated in. His best race was a 16th-place finish at
Sepang.
![Francesco Bagnaia -4 (9666108564)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Francesco_Bagnaia_-4_%289666108564%29.jpg)
In
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, Bagnaia switched teams to join the newly formed
Sky Racing Team by VR46
The VR46 Racing Team is a motorcycle racing team owned by Valentino Rossi and based in Tavullia (Marche, Italy). The team enters Grand Prix motorcycle racing in the MotoGP category with Ducati motorcycles and in the Moto2 category with Kalex ch ...
, riding a
KTM
KTM AG (Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, formerly KTM Sportmotorcycle AG) is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and sports car manufacturer owned by Pierer Mobility AG and the Indian manufacturer Bajaj Auto. It was formed in 1992 but traces ...
with
Romano Fenati
Romano Fenati (born 15 January 1996) is an Italian motorcycle racer who has competed at Grand Prix level. He raced for the early part of the season in Moto2, before being sacked by principal Luca Boscoscuro. In September 2022, Fenati signed wi ...
again. After failing to score points in his rookie season, Bagnaia made clear improvements, finishing in the top 10 five times during the first 7 races, with a 4th-place finish at
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
as his best result, where he also set the fastest lap of the race. Bagnaia missed the races at
Assen
Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
and
Sachsenring
The Sachsenring () is a motorsport racing circuit located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany. Among other events, it features the annual German motorcycle Grand Prix of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship ...
due to injury. After scoring 42 points in the first 7 races of the campaign Bagnaia slumped badly during the second part of the season, only finishing in the points twice of the last 9 races, clearly affected by his injury. He finished the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
in 16th position with 50 points.
In
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
, Bagnaia made another team and bike change, this time joining
Aspar Team
Aspar Team (formerly Ángel Nieto Team) is a Grand Prix motorcycle racing team from Spain, competing in the Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE World Championships.
History
The team was created by former world champion Jorge Martínez in 1992, when he was s ...
on a Mahindra, with new teammates being
Juanfran Guevara and
Jorge Martín
Jorge Martín Almoguera (born 29 January 1998), nicknamed the Martinator, is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer riding for Pramac Racing. In 2021 Martín moved up to the premier class with Pramac Racing, and won the 2021 Styrian motorcycle G ...
. In the fifth race of the season in France, Bagnaia got his first podium at
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
, finishing the race in 3rd place behind
Romano Fenati
Romano Fenati (born 15 January 1996) is an Italian motorcycle racer who has competed at Grand Prix level. He raced for the early part of the season in Moto2, before being sacked by principal Luca Boscoscuro. In September 2022, Fenati signed wi ...
and
Enea Bastianini
Enea Bastianini (born 30 December 1997), nicknamed "La Bestia" (The Beast), is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, riding for Ducati Lenovo Team in the MotoGP class. He won the 2020 Moto2 World Championship.
Career
Early career
Born in Ri ...
.
In the next race at Mugello Bagnaia finished 4th, missing the podium by 0.003 seconds. He was on his way to another podium finish at
Silverstone
Silverstone is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Towcester on the former A43 main road, from the M1 motorway junction 15A and about from the M40 motorway junction 10, Northampton, Milton Keynes and B ...
but crashed with 2 laps remaining, fighting with
Niccolò Antonelli
Niccolò Antonelli (born 23 February 1996) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, who most recently competed in the 2022 Moto2 World Championship, riding for Mooney VR46 Racing Team. Antonelli won the Italian 125GP Championship in 2011.
Ca ...
for the 3rd place. Despite improving his championship position by two places, and gaining 26 more points than the previous year on a new bike for the third straight season, this time a
Mahindra, it was still an up and down year for him. Bagnaia only finished in the top 10 during five races. He also missed points in seven races, unclassified in five of those. He finished the year 14th place in the championship standings, with 76 points.
In
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, Bagnaia started the season with a podium finish at
Losail
The Losail International Circuit or Lusail International Circuit (Arabic: حلبة لوسيل الدولية) is a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar.
Built in just under a year by 1,000 workers ...
and another podium finish at
Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cádiz Mountains. , the c ...
, finishing 3rd on both occasions. At his home race in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
Bagnaia secured another 3rd position, beating
Niccolò Antonelli
Niccolò Antonelli (born 23 February 1996) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, who most recently competed in the 2022 Moto2 World Championship, riding for Mooney VR46 Racing Team. Antonelli won the Italian 125GP Championship in 2011.
Ca ...
by 0.006 seconds. Followed by a crash at
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, Bagnaia secured his first Grand Prix win at the historic
Assen
Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
circuit, in what his 59th Moto3 race, and the first win for
Mahindra history too.
He had four podiums in the first eight races of the season, and found himself fighting for the title. After two average races and a crash at
Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
, Bagnaia got his first pole position in the rain-affected
Silverstone
Silverstone is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Towcester on the former A43 main road, from the M1 motorway junction 15A and about from the M40 motorway junction 10, Northampton, Milton Keynes and B ...
and finished second behind
Brad Binder
Brad Binder (born 11 August 1995) is a South African Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He is most-known for winning the 2016 Moto3 World Championship. In November 2019 he was confirmed as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider in MotoGP class for the 20 ...
in a thrilling race. Bagnaia won his second race of the season at
Sepang, winning the race comfortably with a big gap after
Brad Binder
Brad Binder (born 11 August 1995) is a South African Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He is most-known for winning the 2016 Moto3 World Championship. In November 2019 he was confirmed as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider in MotoGP class for the 20 ...
,
Joan Mir
Joan Mir Mayrata () (born 1 September 1997) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer riding for the Repsol Honda Team, who is best known for winning the 2020 MotoGP World Championship with Suzuki. He is the fourth Spanish rider to win the prem ...
and
Lorenzo Dalla Porta
Lorenzo Dalla Porta (born 22 June 1997) is an Italian motorcycle racer. He currently competes in the Moto2. He was the FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Champion in 2016 and the CIV 125 GP champion in 2012 . And in 2019 he won the Moto3 World Champions ...
all crashed out in the same corner during the beginning of the race, which was filled with multiple crashes. He finished the season with 145 points to place 4th in the Moto3 Championship with a total of 2 wins and 6 podiums. Bagnaia would have had an opportunity to finish 2nd in the World Championship behind
Brad Binder
Brad Binder (born 11 August 1995) is a South African Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He is most-known for winning the 2016 Moto3 World Championship. In November 2019 he was confirmed as Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider in MotoGP class for the 20 ...
, but was taken out in both
Phillip Island
Phillip Island (Boonwurrung: ''Corriong'', ''Worne'' or ''Millowl'') is an Australian island about south-southeast of Melbourne, Victoria. The island is named after Governor Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales, by explorer ...
and
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
by
Gabriel Rodrigo
Gabriel Rodrigo Castillo (born 12 October 1996) is a Spanish-born Argentine former motorcycle racer
Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include moto ...
. Rodrigo pushed out
Fabio Di Giannantonio
Fabio Di Giannantonio (born 10 October 1998) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, riding for Gresini Racing in MotoGP.
Career Early career
Born in Rome, in 2015 Di Giannantonio finished as the runner-up in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup ...
in Australia who went down and collected Bagnaia with him. In Valencia Rodrigo made a highside crash on the first lap approaching the last corner, Bagnaia was unable to avoid.
Moto2 World Championship
![Francesco Bagnaia leads the pack 2018 Motegi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Francesco_Bagnaia_leads_the_pack_2018_Motegi.jpg)
After 4 seasons in the Moto3 category, Bagnaia moved up to Moto2 racing for
Sky Racing Team VR46
The VR46 Racing Team is a motorcycle racing team owned by Valentino Rossi and based in Tavullia (Marche, Italy). The team enters Grand Prix motorcycle racing in the MotoGP category with Ducati motorcycles and in the Moto2 category with Kalex ch ...
, where he last rode in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
. For the
2017 Moto2 World Championship
The 2017 FIM Moto2 World Championship was a part of the 69th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
The season was marred by the death of Stefan Kiefer, head of Kiefer Racing, in Malaysia. Johann Zarco was the reigning two-time series ...
, he would have
Stefano Manzi as his teammate. In just his fourth ever Moto2 race at
Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cádiz Mountains. , the c ...
Bagnaia finished 2nd. He finished 2nd in the next race as well at
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
after having qualified in 2nd place, missing pole position to
Thomas Lüthi
Thomas Lüthi (born 6 September 1986) is a Swiss sporting director at Prüstel GP, and former Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He spent 19 years in Grand Prix world championships, becoming one of only six riders to reach 300 race starts, spending m ...
by just 0.026 seconds. Bagnaia took a third podium at
Sachsenring
The Sachsenring () is a motorsport racing circuit located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany. Among other events, it features the annual German motorcycle Grand Prix of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship ...
, finishing 3rd behind
Franco Morbidelli
Franco Morbidelli (born 4 December 1994) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer in MotoGP, riding for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team. He became champion in the 2013 European Superstock 600 Championship, and the 2017 Moto2 World Champio ...
and
Miguel Oliveira
Miguel Ângelo Falcão de Oliveira (; born 4 January 1995) is a Portuguese professional motorcycle racer who competes in the MotoGP World Championship for RNF MotoGP Team, getting the step up from KTM Tech3, . At
Misano Bagnaia originally finished the race 4th behind
Dominique Aegerter,
Thomas Lüthi
Thomas Lüthi (born 6 September 1986) is a Swiss sporting director at Prüstel GP, and former Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He spent 19 years in Grand Prix world championships, becoming one of only six riders to reach 300 race starts, spending m ...
and
Hafizh Syahrin
Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah (born 5 May 1994) is a Malaysian motorcycle racer, set to race in WorldSBK in 2022 With MIE Honda. In 2018, he became the first ever Southeast Asian to race in the MotoGP category.
Career Early career
Hafizh was born ...
; however, Aegerter was later disqualified, promoting him to 3rd of his fourth podium of the season. He was crowned Moto2 Rookie of the year after the Japanese Grand Prix at
Motegi, and finished his rookie season with 174 points to place 5th in the championship standings, scoring points in 16 of the 18 races.
Bagnaia opened the season with a win in
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
, having led the race from start to finish. Bagnaia took a second win in
Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
after a hard fight with
Álex Márquez
Álex Márquez Alentà (born 23 April 1996) is a Grand Prix motorcycle rider from Spain racing for Ducati satellite team Gresini Racing MotoGP. He has competed in MotoGP since the 2020 season, having previously become World Champion in the 2 ...
winning the race with a gap of 2.4 seconds and also setting the fastest lap of the race. At
Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cádiz Mountains. , the c ...
Bagnaia finished 3rd behind
Lorenzo Baldassarri
Lorenzo Baldassarri (born 6 November 1996) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, currently competing for GMT94 Yamaha in the 2023 Superbike World Championship. Baldassarri recently raced in the Supersport World Championship, finishing run ...
and
Miguel Oliveira
Miguel Ângelo Falcão de Oliveira (; born 4 January 1995) is a Portuguese professional motorcycle racer who competes in the MotoGP World Championship for RNF MotoGP Team, getting the step up from KTM Tech3, holding his starting grid position. Bagnaia took his first pole position in Moto2 at
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
, and like the race in
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
he led from start to finish. The win was also his 3rd podium at
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
since 2015. Bagnaia took a 4th win at
Assen
Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
, starting the race from Pole Position and leading the entire race. After qualifying 3rd on the grid in
Sachsenring
The Sachsenring () is a motorsport racing circuit located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany. Among other events, it features the annual German motorcycle Grand Prix of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship ...
, Bagnaia finished the race down in 12th place, having been forced outside of the track after
Mattia Pasini
Mattia Pasini (born 13 August 1985) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.
Career
Early career
Born in Rimini, Pasini participated in his first race at the age of 9.
125cc World Championship
After several successful years in the Ita ...
, who fell down in front of him in the last corner on the second lap, and despite being down in 26th, he made up fourteen places in two laps, including overtaking
Álex Márquez
Álex Márquez Alentà (born 23 April 1996) is a Grand Prix motorcycle rider from Spain racing for Ducati satellite team Gresini Racing MotoGP. He has competed in MotoGP since the 2020 season, having previously become World Champion in the 2 ...
the final corner of the last lap. At
Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
Bagnaia finished third and lost the championship lead to Oliveira, but quickly retook the championship lead at
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, winning his 5th race of the season. Bagnaia won his sixth race of the season at
Misano from pole position. He took a 5th straight podium at
Buriram
Buriram (, , , 'city of happiness') is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in Thailand, capital of Buriram Province, about northeast of Bangkok. The town occupies ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of Mueang Buriram District. In 2012 it had a population of 27,862 ...
, winning the race with his teammate
Luca Marini
Luca Marini (born 10 August 1997) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, competing for Mooney VR46 Racing Team in the 2023 MotoGP World Championship. He finished as runner-up in the 2020 Moto2 World Championship. He is the maternal half-br ...
in second place. He took his 8th win of the season at
Motegi after
Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo (; born 20 April 1999), nicknamed El Diablo, is a French Grand Prix motorcycle rider racing in MotoGP for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. Having won the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, he is the first French World Champion in th ...
, who initially won the race, was disqualified due to low tyre pressure. After finishing 3rd at
Sepang he was crowned Moto2 World Champion with his 12th podium of the season, his teammate
Luca Marini
Luca Marini (born 10 August 1997) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, competing for Mooney VR46 Racing Team in the 2023 MotoGP World Championship. He finished as runner-up in the 2020 Moto2 World Championship. He is the maternal half-br ...
taking his first ever Moto2 win as well, his 5th podium of the campaign.
Bagnaia finished every single Moto2 race he participated in, 36 in total. He scored points in 34 of them and was on a 30-race point scoring streak, starting from
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
in 2017. The streak ended when he retired from his first MotoGP race at
Losail
The Losail International Circuit or Lusail International Circuit (Arabic: حلبة لوسيل الدولية) is a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar.
Built in just under a year by 1,000 workers ...
.
MotoGP World Championship
Pramac Racing (2019–2020)
= 2019
=
After two seasons in the Moto2 category championship, Bagnaia was promoted up to take part in the
2019 MotoGP World Championship with
Pramac Ducati. He was previously offered a ride in MotoGP in
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
by Pramac after his stellar rookie season in
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, where he took four podiums and finished 5th in the championship behind
Franco Morbidelli
Franco Morbidelli (born 4 December 1994) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer in MotoGP, riding for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team. He became champion in the 2013 European Superstock 600 Championship, and the 2017 Moto2 World Champio ...
,
Thomas Lüthi
Thomas Lüthi (born 6 September 1986) is a Swiss sporting director at Prüstel GP, and former Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He spent 19 years in Grand Prix world championships, becoming one of only six riders to reach 300 race starts, spending m ...
,
Miguel Oliveira
Miguel Ângelo Falcão de Oliveira (; born 4 January 1995) is a Portuguese professional motorcycle racer who competes in the MotoGP World Championship for RNF MotoGP Team, getting the step up from KTM Tech3, and
Álex Márquez
Álex Márquez Alentà (born 23 April 1996) is a Grand Prix motorcycle rider from Spain racing for Ducati satellite team Gresini Racing MotoGP. He has competed in MotoGP since the 2020 season, having previously become World Champion in the 2 ...
, but Bagnaia decided to stay, with an opportunity to take the championship title. He replaced fellow Italian rider
Danilo Petrucci
Danilo Carlo Petrucci (born 24 October 1990) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer who has competed in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York. After losing his KTM ride in MotoGP at the end of the ...
, who went to the
Factory Ducati Team, replacing three-time MotoGP World Champion
Jorge Lorenzo
Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three MotoGP World Championships (, and ) and two 250cc World Championships ( and ).
After winning the 2006 a ...
, who took the seat vacated at
Repsol Honda Team by
Dani Pedrosa
Daniel Pedrosa Ramal (born 29 September 1985) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle racer who retired from regular competition after the season. He grew up in Castellar del Vallès, a village near Sabadell. He is a ...
after he decided to retire after 13 seasons in MotoGP, becoming an official test rider for
KTM
KTM AG (Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, formerly KTM Sportmotorcycle AG) is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and sports car manufacturer owned by Pierer Mobility AG and the Indian manufacturer Bajaj Auto. It was formed in 1992 but traces ...
.
After failing to score points in
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
, where he retired from the race due to a damaged front wing, Bagnaia took his first two points in the
MotoGP World Championship with a 14th place in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, having started the race from 17th on the grid. Bagnaia finished 9th in
Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
getting positions after
Marc Márquez
Marc Márquez Alentà (born 17 February 1993) is a Spanish professional Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing, road racer, who has raced for Honda Racing Corporation, Honda's Repsol Honda, factory team since his MotoGP ...
and
Cal Crutchlow
Cal Crutchlow (born 29 October 1985) is an English professional motorcycle racer who retired from regular competition after the 2020 season. He is contracted as a test rider for Yamaha Motor Racing, which he is expected to continue in 2022 and 2 ...
crashed out from the race in separate accidents, and both
Maverick Vinales
Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to:
History
* Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick
Aviation
* AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design
* General Aviation Design Bureau ...
and
Joan Mir
Joan Mir Mayrata () (born 1 September 1997) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer riding for the Repsol Honda Team, who is best known for winning the 2020 MotoGP World Championship with Suzuki. He is the fourth Spanish rider to win the prem ...
were penalised with ride through penalties for jumping the start. Prior to the fourth race at
Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cádiz Mountains. , the c ...
Bagnaia had three straight podium finishes, starting from the
2016 Moto3 season. He qualified 10th on the grid but crashed out on the sixth lap, fighting with
Pol Espargaro. At
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
where Bagnaia won the Moto2 race in 2018, he crashed out on the sixth lap after an incident with
Maverick Vinales
Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to:
History
* Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick
Aviation
* AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design
* General Aviation Design Bureau ...
. In the next race at
Mugello
The Mugello is a historic region and valley in northern Tuscany, in Italy, corresponding to the course of the River Sieve. It is located to the north of the city of Florence and includes the northernmost portion of the Metropolitan City of Fl ...
, his home Grand Prix, Bagnaia had a solid start to the weekend. He topped the second Free Practice time sheets on his way to qualify 8th on the grid. However, he crashed in the last corner on the 11th lap while in 7th place. It was the first time in Bagnaia's career that he had failed to finish three races in a row, all of them with crashes. In
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, Bagnaia had his best race weekend since his time in
Moto2
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of ...
, both in terms of his qualifying, advancing to Q2 and starting from 5th on the grid, and race pace, managing to cross the line in 7th place. At
Phillip Island
Phillip Island (Boonwurrung: ''Corriong'', ''Worne'' or ''Millowl'') is an Australian island about south-southeast of Melbourne, Victoria. The island is named after Governor Arthur Phillip, the first Governor of New South Wales, by explorer ...
Bagnaia finished the race in 4th place, his best result of the season, missing the podium by just 0.055 seconds to his Ducati teammate
Jack Miller Jack Miller may refer to:
Military
* Jack Miller (USMC officer) (1920–1942), American marine soldier
* Jack Duppa-Miller (1903–1994), British recipient of the George Cross in World War II, originally called Jack Miller
* USS ''Jack Miller'', ...
. Bagnaia finished his rookie season in the premier class with 54 points, placing him 15th in the championship standings. He missed the final race at
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
due to injury.
= 2020
=
For the
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
, Bagnaia received a GP20 bike, the same as his teammate,
Jack Miller Jack Miller may refer to:
Military
* Jack Miller (USMC officer) (1920–1942), American marine soldier
* Jack Duppa-Miller (1903–1994), British recipient of the George Cross in World War II, originally called Jack Miller
* USS ''Jack Miller'', ...
. However, in a season that was majorly affected with races constantly being postponed or cancelled due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, the first race in MotoGP wasn't held until 19 July at
Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cádiz Mountains. , the c ...
, with the first scheduled race at
Losail
The Losail International Circuit or Lusail International Circuit (Arabic: حلبة لوسيل الدولية) is a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar.
Built in just under a year by 1,000 workers ...
being cancelled for the premier class. Despite this, Bagnaia had a strong first weekend, qualifying 4th on the grid and ultimately finishing the race in 7th position. In the next race, held at
Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cádiz Mountains. , the c ...
, Bagnaia was even stronger than the previous race, qualifying on the front row of the grid in 3rd place. Unfortunately on lap 19, with 6 laps remaining, him well settled in to his 2nd place and on his way to a maiden podium, he had to retire with engine failure. Next race weekend at
Brno
Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...
Bagnaia crashed during FP1, breaking his leg, and he therefore missed the remainder of the weekend, and the two next races, being replaced by replaced by
Michele Pirro
Michele Pio Pirro (born 5 July 1986) is a motorcycle road racer from Italy, He was 2007 and 2008 the ''Italian CIV National Champion in the Superstock class'' and a test rider for Ducati factory racing in MotoGP and rides occasionally as a wil ...
. He returned for his home race at
Misano, where he took his first podium of his MotoGP career, with a second-place finish behind
Franco Morbidelli
Franco Morbidelli (born 4 December 1994) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer in MotoGP, riding for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team. He became champion in the 2013 European Superstock 600 Championship, and the 2017 Moto2 World Champio ...
, fellow VR46 Academy member. He fell into a bit of a slump after his first podium however, only scoring 8 points in the last six races, eventually finishing the season down in 16th place, with 47 points to his name.
Ducati Lenovo Team (2021–present)
= 2021
=
![Pecco Bagnaia 2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Pecco_Bagnaia_2021.jpg)
For
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
, Bagnaia moved up to the factory Ducati team, along with former teammate Jack Miller. He started the season well, qualifying for pole position ahead of teammate Miller and the factory Yamaha riders
Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo (; born 20 April 1999), nicknamed El Diablo, is a French Grand Prix motorcycle rider racing in MotoGP for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. Having won the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, he is the first French World Champion in th ...
and
Maverick Vinales
Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to:
History
* Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick
Aviation
* AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design
* General Aviation Design Bureau ...
, at the season opener in
Losail
The Losail International Circuit or Lusail International Circuit (Arabic: حلبة لوسيل الدولية) is a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar.
Built in just under a year by 1,000 workers ...
. This marked his first career MotoGP pole position, and he would later finish the race in 3rd. In the second race in Qatar, Bagnaia finished in 6th place. At
Portimao Bagnaia initially took Pole position during Qualifying; however, his lap time was disallowed due to
Miguel Oliveira
Miguel Ângelo Falcão de Oliveira (; born 4 January 1995) is a Portuguese professional motorcycle racer who competes in the MotoGP World Championship for RNF MotoGP Team, getting the step up from KTM Tech3, 's crash and yellow flag, which meant Bagnaia started the race from 11th. During the race Bagnaia worked his way up to finish in 2nd place behind
Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo (; born 20 April 1999), nicknamed El Diablo, is a French Grand Prix motorcycle rider racing in MotoGP for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. Having won the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, he is the first French World Champion in th ...
after
Jack Miller Jack Miller may refer to:
Military
* Jack Miller (USMC officer) (1920–1942), American marine soldier
* Jack Duppa-Miller (1903–1994), British recipient of the George Cross in World War II, originally called Jack Miller
* USS ''Jack Miller'', ...
,
Alex Rins and
Johann Zarco
Johann Zarco (born 16 July 1990) is a French Grand Prix motorcycle racer, best known for winning the and Moto2 World Championships with his 2015 triumph being a record points total for the intermediate class. He rides for Pramac Racing.
Zar ...
all crashed out. He finished 2nd the following race weekend in Jerez too, making it three podiums from four races. The middle of the season saw him score regular points, before he had another 2nd place in Austria. Bagnaia took his maiden premier class win at
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...
, where he set the all time track record in qualifying, and led the entire race starting from pole, successfully defending seven overtakes by
Marc Márquez
Marc Márquez Alentà (born 17 February 1993) is a Spanish professional Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing, road racer, who has raced for Honda Racing Corporation, Honda's Repsol Honda, factory team since his MotoGP ...
during the final stages of the race. Bagnaia managed to repeat this achievement the following weekend in
Rimini
Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...
; he broke the lap record to take pole and led the entire race to take his second career victory in MotoGP. Bagnaia secured his third consecutive pole position in
Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, and finished the race in third, cutting the championship lead of
Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo (; born 20 April 1999), nicknamed El Diablo, is a French Grand Prix motorcycle rider racing in MotoGP for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. Having won the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, he is the first French World Champion in th ...
to 52 points, with three races remaining. In
Misano, Bagnaia would continue his incredible hot streak, getting pole position, setting the fastest lap of the race, before he crashed out of the lead with 5 laps to go, securing the title for
Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo (; born 20 April 1999), nicknamed El Diablo, is a French Grand Prix motorcycle rider racing in MotoGP for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. Having won the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, he is the first French World Champion in th ...
. This would not deter Bagnaia however, securing a fifth consecutive pole position in
Portimao, something which has only been done in the premier class after the 1000cc rule change by
Marc Márquez
Marc Márquez Alentà (born 17 February 1993) is a Spanish professional Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing, road racer, who has raced for Honda Racing Corporation, Honda's Repsol Honda, factory team since his MotoGP ...
in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and
Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo (; born 20 April 1999), nicknamed El Diablo, is a French Grand Prix motorcycle rider racing in MotoGP for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. Having won the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, he is the first French World Champion in th ...
earlier this season. He won the race in Portimao, as well as the season closer in
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
, finishing second in the championship, with 252 points, 26 points behind World Champion Fabio Quartararo.
= 2022
=
Going into the
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
season, Bagnaia with a strong finish from the previous year, was picked as a Championship favourite for his second year with
Ducati
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. () is the motorcycle-manufacturing division of Italian company Ducati, headquartered in Bologna, Italy. The company is directly owned by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini, whose German parent company is Au ...
.
He crashed out of 8th place taking the polesitter and fellow Ducati rider,
Jorge Martin
Jorge is a Spanish and Portuguese given name. It is derived from the Greek name Γεώργιος (''Georgios'') via Latin ''Georgius''; the former is derived from (''georgos''), meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker".
The Latin form ''Georgius'' ...
out at the opening race at
Losail
The Losail International Circuit or Lusail International Circuit (Arabic: حلبة لوسيل الدولية) is a motor racing circuit located just outside the city of Lusail, north of Doha, Qatar.
Built in just under a year by 1,000 workers ...
in Qatar. At the second round of the season, at a wet
Mandalika circuit, Bagnaia took home a disappointing 15th place, collecting only one point in the opening two races of the season.
Two fifth places at
COTA and the
Argentinian Grand Prix and an eight place in
portimao were followed up until
Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera (), or simply Jerez (), is a Spanish city and municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, located midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Cádiz Mountains. , the c ...
, a track where Bagnaia has had success earlier in his career. He dominated the weekend, taking a record-breaking pole position and then leading from start to finish, picking up the second
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
of his career. At
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
, Bagnaia once again dominated initially, leading the majority of the race; however, he was eventually caught up by
Enea Bastianini
Enea Bastianini (born 30 December 1997), nicknamed "La Bestia" (The Beast), is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, riding for Ducati Lenovo Team in the MotoGP class. He won the 2020 Moto2 World Championship.
Career
Early career
Born in Ri ...
who won the race, and Bagnaia crashed out of with seven laps to go. The next race at
Mugello
The Mugello is a historic region and valley in northern Tuscany, in Italy, corresponding to the course of the River Sieve. It is located to the north of the city of Florence and includes the northernmost portion of the Metropolitan City of Fl ...
Bagnaia had more of a mediocre start, Qualifying in 5th spot he eventually caught up and passed
Marco Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi (born 12 November 1998) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, competing for Mooney VR46 Racing Team in the 2023 MotoGP World Championship.
Career Junior career
Bezzecchi won the Italian Moto3 championship in 2015, and also ...
to the lead the remainder of the race for his 2nd win of the season.
In
Catalunya
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the northe ...
, Bagnaia was running 3rd and was one of the favourites to take the victory but was taken out alongside
Alex Rins by
Takaaki Nakagami
is a Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle racer, competing for LCR Honda Idemitsu in MotoGP. He won the Japanese Road Race Championship 125cc class in 2006 and J-GP2 class in 2011.
Career Early career
Born in Chiba, Nakagami joined the Japanese ...
heading into the first corner, the race was won by
Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo (; born 20 April 1999), nicknamed El Diablo, is a French Grand Prix motorcycle rider racing in MotoGP for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. Having won the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, he is the first French World Champion in th ...
. Looking to bounce back at
Sachsenring
The Sachsenring () is a motorsport racing circuit located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany. Among other events, it features the annual German motorcycle Grand Prix of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship ...
, Bagnaia however slid out from 2nd place on Lap 3. He was now at a 91-point deficit to
Quartararo, the championship leader, and stood in 6th place in championship at the exact halfway point of the season.
After that race he turned his season around strongly. He went on to win the next 4 races in
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
,
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
, at
Red Bull Ring
The Red Bull Ring is a motorsport race track in Spielberg, Styria, Austria.
The race circuit was founded as Österreichring (translation: Austrian Circuit) and hosted the Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from to . It was later sh ...
and
Misano. He made history as the first
Ducati
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. () is the motorcycle-manufacturing division of Italian company Ducati, headquartered in Bologna, Italy. The company is directly owned by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini, whose German parent company is Au ...
rider and only the 4th rider in the
MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
era to do so. The others being multi worldchampions
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi (; ; born 16 February 1979) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. Nicknamed ''The Doctor'', he is widely considered to be one of the greatest motorcyc ...
,
Marc Marquez Marc or MARC may refer to:
People
* Marc (given name), people with the first name
* Marc (surname), people with the family name
Acronyms
* MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging,
* MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system o ...
and
Jorge Lorenzo
Jorge Lorenzo Guerrero (; born 4 May 1987) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle racer. He is a five-time World Champion, with three MotoGP World Championships (, and ) and two 250cc World Championships ( and ).
After winning the 2006 a ...
. He had gained 61 points on
Fabio Quartararo
Fabio Quartararo (; born 20 April 1999), nicknamed El Diablo, is a French Grand Prix motorcycle rider racing in MotoGP for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP. Having won the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, he is the first French World Champion in th ...
in 4 races collecting a maximum of 100 points.
At
Aragón
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises th ...
Bagnaia aimed for a fifth win in a row but had to settle for second to
Enea Bastianini
Enea Bastianini (born 30 December 1997), nicknamed "La Bestia" (The Beast), is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, riding for Ducati Lenovo Team in the MotoGP class. He won the 2020 Moto2 World Championship.
Career
Early career
Born in Ri ...
with a margin of just 0.042 seconds, being overtaken on the final lap. In a race where Fabio Quartararo crashed-out after riding into the back of
Marc Marquez Marc or MARC may refer to:
People
* Marc (given name), people with the first name
* Marc (surname), people with the family name
Acronyms
* MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging,
* MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system o ...
on the opening lap, Bagnaia once more managed to decrease the gap by 20 points. Heading to
Motegi with a 10-point deficit.
At the Japanese Grand Prix, while running in 9th position just behind
Quartararo, Bagnaia crashed out of the race on the final lap, allowing Quartararo, who finished the race in 8th place, to increase his lead in the championship over Bagnaia to 18 points with 4 races to go in the season.
In the Thai Grand Prix at
Buriram
Buriram (, , , 'city of happiness') is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in Thailand, capital of Buriram Province, about northeast of Bangkok. The town occupies ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of Mueang Buriram District. In 2012 it had a population of 27,862 ...
and the Australian Grand Prix at
Philip Island, Bagnaia finished in 3rd place while
Quartararo failed to score on both occasions, leaving Bagnaia 14 points ahead of him with 2 races to go. At the
Malaysian Grand Prix
The Malaysian Grand Prix (officially the Malaysia Grand Prix from 1963–1965 and 2011–2017 and Malayan Grand Prix in 1962) was an annual auto race held in Malaysia. It was part of the Formula One World Championship from 1999 to 2017 and it ...
, Bagnaia could win the championship if he outscored
Quartararo by 11 points. He picked up the 7th victory of his season after a poor qualifying session but
Quartararo finishing in 3rd meant that the title would go down to the final round. At the
Valencian Grand Prix, Bagnaia would then go on to win his maiden premier class championship and made history as he completed the largest points overhaul(-91) for a Championship winner in premier class history. It was also the first for a Ducati rider in 15 years and the first for an Italian rider since
Valentino Rossi
Valentino Rossi (; ; born 16 February 1979) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. Nicknamed ''The Doctor'', he is widely considered to be one of the greatest motorcyc ...
in
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
.
= 2023
=
Bagnaia will continue with
Ducati
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. () is the motorcycle-manufacturing division of Italian company Ducati, headquartered in Bologna, Italy. The company is directly owned by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini, whose German parent company is Au ...
for
2023
Events
Predicted and scheduled events
* January 1
** In the United States, books, films, and other works published in 1927 will enter the public domain, assuming there are no changes made to copyright law.
** Croatia will adopt the eu ...
and 2024 alongside a new teammate,
Enea Bastianini
Enea Bastianini (born 30 December 1997), nicknamed "La Bestia" (The Beast), is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, riding for Ducati Lenovo Team in the MotoGP class. He won the 2020 Moto2 World Championship.
Career
Early career
Born in Ri ...
who replaces
Jack Miller Jack Miller may refer to:
Military
* Jack Miller (USMC officer) (1920–1942), American marine soldier
* Jack Duppa-Miller (1903–1994), British recipient of the George Cross in World War II, originally called Jack Miller
* USS ''Jack Miller'', ...
.
Career statistics
CEV Buckler Moto3 Championship
Races by year
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
By season
By class
Races by year
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Personal life
Bagnaia is known as ''Pecco'' because his slightly older sister Carola, when learning to talk, could not pronounce ''Francesco'', and the corruption stayed with him all of his life.
On 5 July 2022, Bagnaia was involved in a
DUI
Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...
crash in the early morning on the Spanish island of
Ibiza
Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...
. It was reported that he failed a
breathalyser
A breathalyzer or breathalyser (a portmanteau of ''breath'' and ''analyzer/analyser'') is a device for estimating blood alcohol content (BAC), or to detect viruses or diseases from a breath sample.
The name is a genericized trademark of the Br ...
test, with his
blood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content (BAC), also called blood alcohol concentration or blood alcohol level, is a measurement of alcohol intoxication used for legal or medical purposes; it is expressed as mass of alcohol per volume or mass of blood. For exampl ...
more than three times the legal limit for driving in Spain. Bagnaia stated he left a nighclub at around 3 am, and failed to negotiate a roundabout, with the car ending the journey with the front end off the road. He stated he was celebrating a race win at
Assen
Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
, and was normally a very light drinker.
Accidente en Ibiza del piloto Francesco 'Pecco' Bagnaia tras dar 0,87 en la prueba de alcoholemia
''Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera'' (in Spanish), 5 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bagnaia, Francesco
1997 births
Living people
Italian motorcycle racers
Moto3 World Championship riders
Moto2 World Championship riders
Sportspeople from Turin
MotoGP World Championship riders
Pramac Racing MotoGP riders
Ducati Corse MotoGP riders