The Ducati Diavel V4 won the title of “Moto più bella” (“Most Beautiful Motorcycle”) at EICMA 2022. Deciding the verdict was the audience of the International Bicycle, Motorcycle and Accessory Exhibition, which over the four opening days crowded the pavilions of the Fiera di Milano-Rho and voted either directly from the show or online.

The “Vota e vinci la moto più bella del Salone” contest, which has been organized since 2005 by the Italian magazine Motociclismo in cooperation with EICMA, sees this year's eleventh win for Ducati. The Diavel V4 took first place with 36.8 percent of the votes out of the approximately 23,000 fans, including visitors to the Fair and users of the Motociclismo website, who expressed their preference.

The announcement of the Ducati Diavel V4's victory came on Sunday, November 13, the final day of the Fair, followed by the official award ceremony at the “Motociclismo” booth. Collecting the prestigious award for the Bologna company was Andrea Amato, Chief Motorcycle Designer of the Ducati Centro Stile.

The awarding was the last act of an intense week of exhibitions and events that saw a number of visitors close to pre-pandemic numbers, a value that confirms the strong recovery of the Milanese event.

Since the opening day of the show, the public has flocked to the Ducati stand in which the Borgo Panigale company displayed the new products presented during the 2023 World Première. The new Diavel V4 represents the perfect synthesis between a maxi sport naked and a muscle cruiser. It is as powerful in design as it is effective in riding and showed the EICMA 2022 audience all its personality, winning the prestigious award.

At the heart of Ducati's booth was the “Next Gen Freedom” Ducati Scrambler, featuring the three models Icon, Full Throttle and Nightshift. Adventure lovers could admire the new Multistrada V4 Rally and the DesertX in the new “RR22” livery, inspired by that of the Audi RS Q e-tron. Also present at the Ducati Stand were the new Panigale V4 R, the spearhead of the Bolognese supersport family with its 240.5 hp, and the new Streetfighter V2 in Storm Green livery, V4 S in Grey Nero coloring, and V4 SP2, the family's top-of-the-line model, produced in a numbered series. Finally, the Monster SP, which completes the Ducati range, and the new Futa AXS e-Bike.

Also on display at EICMA was the V21L prototype, the bike with which the Bologna-based manufacturer will participate from next year in the FIM MotoE™ World Cup as sole supplier. For the Bologna-based company, this bike represents an exciting technological challenge to write a new, exciting chapter in Ducati's great racing history and redefine the future of electric mobility on two wheels.

Admired by the entire EICMA audience were the two 2022 World Champion motorcycles: the DesmosediciGP on which Pecco Bagnaia won the title in Valencia and Alvaro Bautista's Panigale V4 R, which won the World Superbike Championship with its two podiums in Mandalika. In the opening days of the show, fans flocked to photograph the two queens of motorcycling whose successes added to that won by the Diavel V4 in an unforgettable week for the Bologna-based manufacturer.

World Champion Francesco Bagnaia, his new team-mate Enea Bastianini (third in the final standings of the 2022 MotoGP season), “Pecco's” Desmosedici GP22 arrived directly from Valencia, and all the products of the new Ducati range. With these extraordinary ingredients, the Bologna-based manufacturer created the evening event titled “Passion. Design. Technology. Made in Italy.”.

An extraordinary opportunity in a fascinating location, which allowed Ducati to celebrate the magical combination of beauty and technology that makes the company unique in the world, to celebrate the MotoGP Triple Crown and to experience the pleasure of sharing and being together in full Italian style. The event was attended by several guests including institutions, sponsors, partners, licensees and influencers.

The event in Milan represented Francesco Bagnaia's first public appearance as MotoGP World Champion, but also the perfect moment to officially welcome Enea Bastianini to the Ducati Lenovo Team. The event was moderated by the Italian voice of MotoGP par excellence Guido Meda, who after recounting race by race this incredible season, retraced its highlights and then commented on them together with Bagnaia, Bastianini, Ducati Lenovo Team Manager Davide Tardozzi and official tester Michele Pirro.

From today until Sunday 13 November the 79th edition of EICMA fair opens its doors to the public and Ducati is ready to welcome all fans to Hall 15, stand N10. Awaiting them is the Desmosedici GP with which Bagnaia brought the MotoGP World Riders' Title back to Borgo Panigale after 15 years, on whose fairings the signs of the battle in the last race at Valencia are clearly visible. On display alongside the MotoGP is the Panigale V4 R of Alvaro Bautista, who this weekend will stake his chances of also becoming World Champion in WorldSBK, and also the “V21L” prototype, the electric bike with which the Bologna-based manufacturer will participate in next year's FIM MotoE™ World Cup as sole supplier.

The Ducati riders are among the protagonists of the fair, through meetings with the thousands of fans expected at EICMA 2022. On Thursday 10 November it was Ducati Lenovo Team riders Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini who inaugurated the 'Meet&Greet' sessions, while on Friday 11 November at the stand there will be Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi of the Ducati Mooney VR46 Team, whose meeting with fans is scheduled at 3.20 pm. 

*Maximum power obtained in racing configuration with oil developed by Shell in collaboration with Ducati Corse

Today, November 6, 2022, Francesco Bagnaia and his Ducati Desmosedici GP22 write a page that will remain in the history of motorcycling, winning the 2022 MotoGP World Riders' Title. 

For the first time in the history of MotoGP rider and bike from the same nation win the World Title.

A magical combination possible only in Italy: the expertise and technology of the fastest bike in the world – the Desmosedici GP22 – the passion, talent and determination of Francesco Bagnaia, who won the title after an historic comeback, never before achieved by any other rider in the premier class. A red tide of Ducatisti who suffered and rejoiced throughout the championship. This is today's victory.

A racing story that is unrepeatable anywhere else on the planet that starts in Borgo Panigale, in the heart of the Motor Valley of Emilia-Romagna with its technology and innovation, and meets Turin, Francesco Bagnaia's hometown, until arriving in Pesaro, where Pecco lives and has experienced consecration as a world-class rider. 

For Ducati, the only non-Japanese brand capable of winning a World Championship in MotoGP, this is the second Riders' World Title, after the one won by Casey Stoner in 2007. 

A success that comes at an extremely positive moment for the Company from all points of view and that, never before, best expresses the values of “Style, Sophistication and Performance” that characterize it. 

Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO: “This is a fantastic day for all of Ducati! Ducati Corse has worked steadfastly and resolutely to achieve this second MotoGP Riders' Title that makes our hearts burst with joy today. Racing is so tied to the passion of Ducatisti and my path in Ducati is also so tied to racing that I am really extremely happy today. First of all, I want to congratulate Pecco, who had an incredible season, in which he had the great merit of always believing, even when the comeback seemed impossible. Thanks to the “three musketeers” Gigi, Paolo, Davide and all the women and men of Ducati Corse and Ducati Lenovo Team, who worked on this incredible bike and also to the employees who work in Borgo Panigale and make emotions like these possible. The World Title is for them and for all Ducatisti. It has been a long chase but today the team is as strong as it has ever been and this result is extremely important to take the pressure off and be more focused than ever to do well in the future. I really believe it can be the opening of a very positive path for Ducati.”

At the checkered flag, Bagnaia's triumph was greeted with incredible enthusiasm inside the Ducati Lenovo Team box, on the Ducati Grandstand at the Valencia circuit and also in Borgo Panigale, where Ducati employees shared first the tension and then the joy, living this last race with their eyes glued to a big screen set up in the Company.

For Ducati, it is now time to celebrate the Triple Crown together with Ducatisti and the entire city of Bologna. The appointment, already set in the calendar, is for next December 15 when all the protagonists will celebrate this fantastic result together. More updates on the event will follow in the coming weeks.

Following last week’s announcement that Tommy Bridewell will contest the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship for PBM Ducati, the team is delighted to confirm that Glenn Irwin will join him in Paul Bird’s two-rider squad.

32-year-old Irwin, from Carrickfergus in County Antrim, returns for a second stint with the Lake District-based team having raced for them from 2016 to 2018, winning two races in that time and finishing third overall in the 2018 standings.

Irwin, who won five races this season and finished runner-up in BSB 2022, will contest the 2023 series on a factory-supported Ducati Panigale V4R for the eight-times British Superbike champions.

The Ulsterman has also won on a PBM Ducati at the International North West 200 and Macau Grand Prix where he is hoping to return next season.

Glenn raced in the National Superstock 600 and British Supersport Championship, where he was a Supersport Cup champion, prior to his move into British Superbikes where he now has 178 career starts with a total of nine victories and 23 additional podiums.

As well as his two Macau Grand Prix wins, Glenn has a double Ulster Grand Prix podium to his credit and an incredible six successive North West 200 Superbike race wins. He became the fastest newcomer at the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races with a lap speed of 129.849mph but the PBM team have no plans to contest the 2023 event.

Glenn Irwin
“Re-joining PBM after four years apart is something I’m relishing as I feel I’ve improved as a rider and as a person during that time. The experience away has taught me a lot and to be coming back to the most successful team in the paddock is a fantastic opportunity. I’m in a stronger position now and we both know how each other works so the timing is perfect. I want to win, and Birdy wants to win and with Tommy as a very strong teammate, it will drive us all on. I’ve proved I can challenge for the title this year, so the plan is to go one better next season.”  

Paul Bird, Team Owner
“With Glenn joining Tommy, I think we have an unbelievable line up for 2023 with the riders that finished second and third in this year’s championship. It’s great to have Glenn back as we have had a lot of success together in the past and he’s probably left what I would regard as one of the best, if not the best, team in the paddock to come to us. After a disappointing season for PBM, it will be good to be back at the sharp end.”

Starting from P3, Bautista took the lead halfway through the first lap but was forced to go wide at corner 9 to avoid contact with Razgatlioglu (Yamaha), who crashed. The Spanish rider's comeback came between the fourth and eighth lap when he first overtook Lecuona (Honda), Rea (Kawasaki), and Bassani (Ducati) before easily defending the first position.

Rinaldi started well from the eighth position and after two laps he was already in fifth. His race pace, however, did not allow him to stay with the podium group.

P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“I am really very happy because the team managed to give me a very competitive bike. I want to thank them because they have done a fantastic job that has allowed me to improve my feeling a lot compared to yesterday. I was lucky in the first lap because Toprak got really close to me before he crashed. Yes, of course, it is an important victory. But I remain focused.”

P5 – Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“This morning the feeling was much better than yesterday even though we knew we were still missing something compared to the podium group. At the start of the race, I felt I was quite consistent but after a few laps, I started to have some difficulties. I tried not to make any mistakes to at least finish fifth. All in all a positive result, given the circumstances, but it is clear that the aim is to take a significant step forward tomorrow.”

WorldSSP

After an incisive start, Nicolò Bulega (P11) was unable to maintain a sufficient race pace to stay with the podium group.

Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11)
“A quite complicated race. We are struggling a bit to be as fast as we have always been. We need to find the set-up that allowed me to go fast at the start of the season. I have great confidence in the team.”

Francesco Bagnaia finished with the 11th fastest time overall in Friday's free practice for the Malaysian GP, the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoGP season held this weekend at Sepang International Circuit. As he finished eleventh after a dry FP1, the Ducati Lenovo Team rider closed second FP2 held in mixed conditions after a heavy tropical downpour hit the circuit during the Moto2 session.

After a first part of the session held in the wet, MotoGP riders were able to mount slicks on the final minutes of FP2, but the track conditions did not allow changes to the combined timesheets, which therefore remained unchanged from the morning. Jack Miller, fourth in FP2 despite still sore after last Sunday's crash at Phillip Island, also finished 14th on the first day. The Australian rider, as well as his teammate, did not make the time attack in the morning's dry FP1, preferring to continue running on used tires, and hopes to find favourable weather conditions to try to improve tomorrow morning in FP3.

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 11th (2:00.770)
“I am quite calm after this first day, despite finishing only 11th, three thousandths from the top ten. Unfortunately, on the last lap, I made a mistake coming out of Turn 9, losing a lot of time. I hope to be able to find the right conditions in tomorrow's FP3 to try to get into the top ten. It will be important here, especially if qualifying should be wet. In any case, I am positive: our potential in the wet has grown a lot, and that makes me optimistic.”

Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 14th (2:01.034)
“I knew it wasn't going to be easy because the bruises I got on my leg in the Phillip Island crash are in a place where I put a lot of pressure riding the bike, and I feel a lot of pain. In any case, I was able to improve lap by lap. This morning we didn't try the time attack, so after the rain fell this afternoon, we are out of the top ten. Hopefully, tomorrow morning's FP3 will be dry and will allow us to improve our time. In general, I feel comfortable on the bike. I am just a little worried about Sunday's race which will be physically very demanding.”

The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will be back on track tomorrow at 10:50am local time (4:50am in Italy) for FP3, while qualifying for the Malaysian GP will be held from 3:05pm local time (9:05am in Italy) after FP4.  

Francesco Bagnaia will have his first match point for the World Title at the Sepang International Circuit, a Malaysian track located not far from Kuala Lumpur, which this weekend will host the Malaysian GP, the penultimate round of the 2022 MotoGP season.

The Italian rider of the Ducati Lenovo Team took the lead in the overall standings last Sunday at Phillip Island in Australia, closing a gap that, after the German GP at Sachsenring, was of 91 points against Quartararo. Thanks to his third place in Phillip Island, Bagnaia is now in first place with a 14-point lead over the Frenchman and 27 points over Aleix Espargaro. Therefore, the race in Sepang, which returns to host MotoGP after a three-year absence due to the pandemic, will be crucial for the Italian rider. The Malaysian track has seen Ducati triumph on six occasions so far, while the Borgo Panigale manufacturer has scored nine podiums at Sepang. The most recent was Andrea Dovizioso's third place in 2019.

The Malaysian GP will also be important for Jack Miller from a Championship perspective. In fact, the Australian rider that arrives at Sepang after an unfortunate home Grand Prix at Phillip Island can still aim for third place in the overall standings.

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st (233 points)
“I am happy to be back racing in Malaysia. Compared to Phillip Island, where we were last week, the temperatures here will be much higher, and with this tropical weather, it is also difficult to predict whether the race will be dry or wet. In any case, I'm calm: in Australia, where we struggled more than at other tracks, we fought for the victory, while Sepang is on paper a slightly “friendlier” track, so there are all the conditions to be able to do well. Now we are first in the Championship, and we have to stay focused more than ever. The approach, however, does not change: we have to think about doing our job well, as always, to try to get ready for Sunday's race.”

Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 5th (179 points)
“After last Sunday's race in Australia, unfortunately, I can no longer aim for the title, but I am still in the fight for third place in the standings, as Espargaro and Bastianini also failed to capitalize in Phillip Island. So the goal this weekend will be to try to recover as many points as possible and get back into the fight for the top positions. Last Sunday, we really had the potential to do well, as it had happened in the last GPs of this second part of the season, but unfortunately, I was knocked out of the race and it wasn’t my fault.  I feel comfortable riding the Desmosedici GP and the sensations continue to be positive, so I am confident that I can do well here in Sepang, where I have been fast in the past. My goal is to finish the last two races I have left with the Ducati Lenovo Team in the best possible way.”

The Malaysian GP will officially kick off on Friday, 21st October at 10:50am local time (4:50am in Italy) with the first free practice session, while the race will be held on Sunday, 23rd October at 3pm Malaysian time (9am in Italy) over a 20-lap distance.  

It was the final round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch this weekend. Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Ducati Racing had a strong end to the season with a fourth, fifth and fourth in the three races. Tommy also secured a fantastic third place in the overall Championship standings, marking another successful season with the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team.

The weather was mixed again this weekend so track time was limited, Friday was half wet half dry, and just not worth going out there too much and risking doing damage during practice.

Tommy got through to the Superbikes qualifying two session and qualified for the opening race on the front row, in third. Come the race he had a steady start and had to make some progress through the pack, the leaders had made a break at this point and Tommy had to settle for fourth.

For race two he started from second place on the grid, but disaster struck just before the warm-up lap and a small technical problem saw him being wheeled off the grid. The team quickly found the issue and Tommy was forced to start from pit-lane, re-joining the pack many seconds off the last man. He got his head down and focussed on the job in hand, picking off rider after rider, lap after lap. His determination got him through to fifth place by the end of the race, a great achievement.

For the final race of the year, he was placed in fifth position, another steady start saw the leaders make a break. Tommy was fighting hard with Peter Hickman on the closing laps, and he gained another fourth place and third in the Championship standings.

This was the last race for Tommy and the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team after a great four and a half years together. The team would like to wish Tommy all the best for his future and thank him for his time with them. Also, a huge thank you to Oxford Products and all our other loyal sponsors. The team are looking forward to a strong 2023 with new riders.

Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #46)
2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship – 3rd
“It was another strong weekend; it was good to end the season with three good solid race results. I was gutted not to get any race wins, but we did have good strong race pace. My highlight was starting from pit lane and managing to get up to fifth place!

It was nice to end the season on some strong results. As most are aware it was my last race with the team, I’d like to wish the team every success in their future and a huge thank you for everything they have done for me.” 

Iain Hopcroft
Team Manager, Oxford Products Racing Ducati
“It was another great way to end the season, the team have performed so well this year with a great performance in the last three races at Brands Hatch. The team can’t thank Tommy enough for the last four and half years, it’s been a lot of fun and podium pudding!

For 2023 we have the exciting news starting our Supersport challenge, alongside a strong Superbike rider.”