Ducati uses the break between the MotoGP tests in Sepang and Mandalika to show the design of Francesco Bagnaia’s and Jack Miller’s factory bikes
Ducati has become the third manufacturer to unveil its MotoGP factory team for the 2022 season after KTM and Yamaha. A day after the Sepang test, Ducati revealed the final livery for the new season in a prepared video.
According to Ducati, the colour is a new shade of red that is intended to create a closer link to the classic Ducati red of the production models. Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller go into the new season with the goal of bringing the long-awaited second world championship title to Bologna after Casey Stoner in 2007.
“We finished 2021 on a high and I hope we can continue in 2022 where we left off last year,” commented Vice World Champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia. “My team and I have developed a lot since then. I feel comfortable with my team and I am sure that together we can achieve great things. “
“The Desmosedici GP is even more beautiful in this new colour and I can’t wait to race it again,” explained Bagnaia. “The goal for this season, as always, will be to keep improving and be competitive in every race. Our goal is to bring the MotoGP riders’ title and the team and manufacturers’ titles back to Borgo Panigale.”
Jack Miller is about to start his second season as a Ducati factory rider. The Australian won two races last year and finished fourth in the World Championship. “The championship is finally starting and I feel more ready than ever for the new season. With another year of experience in MotoGP, I definitely feel stronger and I feel like I’ve improved a lot compared to 2021, both physically and mentally,” commented Miller.
“It will be my second year with the Ducati factory team, a group of people who are really passionate about motorsport, and I am happy to be a part of it. Being a Ducati factory rider fills me with pride and means I have the support of many fans, not only in Italy but all over the world. I can’t wait for March and to hit the track for the first race of the year in Qatar,” said Miller.
A level playing field for Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller
Will runner-up Bagnaia be Ducati’s spearhead? “It makes little sense to favour one rider before the start of the season,” commented Ducati corse boss Luigi Dall’Igna. “It is important that everyone can start with the same conditions. Then we will see what happens. “
Last year Bagnaia was the stronger of the two Ducati factory riders with four wins in the final six races. “Sometimes a season takes a different course,” warns Luigi Dall’Igna. “A team like Ducati cannot treat the riders differently before the start of the season. Even during the season, I support all Ducati riders identically, if that’s possible. “
What areas Ducati have improved in the winter
The 2021 Ducati was already a very competitive bike. The success in the final third of the season suggests that Ducati had the best package at the end of the 2021 season. Bagnaia and Miller already announced after the first test at the end of 2021 that the 2022 Ducati would be another significant improvement.
What did Ducati change compared to the 2021 version? “We were very happy with the handling of the 2021 bike. But we were also a bit lucky in some areas,” notes Luigi Dall’Igna, explaining, “You can see that if you look at some races from last year. In Assen there were some performance issues that we had to fix. “
Fluid corner combinations in particular were not as easy to ride through with the Ducati as with the Yamaha or Suzuki. “It mainly affected the fast corners, especially the entry into fast corners. That was one of the most important areas where we wanted to improve the bike,” Luigi Dall’Igna described.
“The bottom line is to find the best possible compromise between all the areas. That’s the goal of all the engineers,” sums up Luigi Dall’Igna. And has Ducati made that compromise with the 2022 bike? “Absolutely. I hope that we have been able to improve with it. The latest model is always the best,” said the Ducati race director.
Ducati still has some homework to do before the season starts
The 2022 Ducati made a good impression at the Sepang test. Although the set-up was not yet perfect, Pramac rider Jorge Martin and factory rider Francesco Bagnaia were able to set top times with the new Desmosedici. But there is still some homework to be done before the season starts in a month’s time.
“I am happy with the test. It could be better, of course, but it could also be worse,” Luigi Dall’Igna summed up. “There are some areas we still need to work on. We tried some changes on Sunday, which were positive. Our path is clear. The coming test is important because it is the last of the pre-season. After that, the championship starts. “
In recent years Ducati has always been the most innovative manufacturer, inspiring the other factories to copy ideas. Examples of this are the winglets, the spoilers under the swingarms and the ride-height devices and the associated launch devices.
What will be particularly important in the coming years? “There is not one area that is clearly more important than all the others,” comments Luigi Dall’Igna. “You have to develop the bike in all areas – the aerodynamics, the chassis, the devices like the ride height device. It all affects the performance of the bike. The engine and electronics are also very important, of course. “