THE top performing rider in the Ducati Lenovo Team in 2021 has been retained, as Francesco ‘Peco’ Bagnaia sings on the dotted line for a further two seasons.
Bagnaia rounded out the 2021 season in fine style, taking two wins and chasing eventual championship winner, Fabio Quartararo, to claim a fine second place in the standings.
Speaking of the signing, Peco said:
"Being a Ducati rider in MotoGP has always been my dream, and knowing that I can continue with the Ducati Lenovo Team for another two seasons makes me happy and proud. I have found a serene environment in the factory team: I feel very much in tune with my team and know that we can do great things together. Now I can only concentrate on doing well in this Championship. A big thank you to Claudio, Gigi, Paolo, Davide and all the Ducati Corse staff. I'll try to repay their trust with my results on the track!"
Gigi Dall'Igna, General Manager of Ducati Corse, added:
"We are delighted to have Bagnaia with us for another two seasons. Since he arrived at Ducati in 2019, Pecco has shown great talent and the ability to interpret our Desmosedici GP very well, adapting to ride it in any condition. He did it, especially in the last season, during which he had significant growth and got to play for the World Title. The way he managed the races at Aragón, Misano, Portimão and Valencia, scoring four fantastic victories, is proof of his maturity as a rider. With these great qualities, we are sure that he has the potential to aim for the title with us".
Born in Turin in 1997, "Pecco" Bagnaia made his MotoGP debut in 2019 with the Desmosedici GP of the Pramac Team. He continued with Pramac for 2020, notching up his first podium with the team at the San Marino GP that season with a fine second-place finish.
