Pecco Bagnaia MotoGP world champion and becomes the pride of Ducati, the VR46 Academy and the whole of Italy.
In his fourth season in MotoGP Pecco Bagnaia brings the world title back to Ducati, repaying the trust for a renewal of the contract signed before the start of the 2022 season. After a few races it seemed to many that the top management of Borgo Panigale had made a mistake, but the Savoy rider did word to his detractors, who have long caught him on social media.
Seven wins and three poles allowed him to close the championship going from -91 at Sachsenring to +17 after the final race in Valencia. Francesco Bagnaia has officially become the second MotoGP world champion overall for Ducati and the first Italian to win the title, after Valentino Rossi’s 2009 on a Yamaha. The 9th place in Valencia was enough for him to reach a historic milestone, which his mentor failed to achieve, that is to become the first Italian to win on an Italian motorcycle, the only one to succeed was Giacomo Agostini 50 years ago.
Pecco Bagnaia Italian pride
A surprising race that thrilled in the first laps, with a direct clash between Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo. The Ducati rider undermined the direct pursuer, so as to make him lose ground from the leading group and cut his way to victory. After all, the driver from Nice had no alternative to winning and hoping that the leader in the standings would finish 15th. In a close contact Pecco also loses a central fin of the hull, but fortunately it does not compromise his performance.
27 laps in which he had to manage without taking too many risks. “Lap after lap I was trying to ride defensively, but it was very, very difficult … I felt this weight on my shoulders to give the title back to my whole team, to the manufacturer, to Ducati, to Italy … Valentino (Rossi) he said ‘you must be proud to have this chance. Not everyone can have it. ‘ It is true that you can feel the pressure and feel fear, but you have to be proud of it and try to have fun. I tried to do it. It didn’t work out today, but honestly I’m very happy. He is our mentor, our leader“.
A victory for Ducati, for himself, for his fans, but also for the VR46 Academy which has taken over it since the summer of 2014. “The help they have given me, their passion, is incredible“, Concluded Pecco Bagnaia. “When I saw Morbidelli, in 2020, be second and with three wins, he was a point of reference for me, he pushed me. For this I thank him“.
