Enea Bastianini debuts on the Desmosedici GP of the Ducati Lenovo Team alongside Pecco Bagnaia in the Valencia Test
 

MotoGP | MotoGP Valencia Test - November 2022 | Tuesday 8 November 2022

Enea Bastianini debuts on the Desmosedici GP of the Ducati Lenovo Team alongside Pecco Bagnaia in the Valencia Test

Two days after the end of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, which saw Pecco Bagnaia and Ducati clinching the Riders' World Title, the Ducati Lenovo Team was back on track today at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Cheste, Spain, to tackle the first day of official testing in preparation for the 2023 season.

The Valencia test was the first chance to see Enea Bastianini wearing the factory colours. After finishing the 2022 season in third place in the standings with four wins and six podiums taken with the Desmosedici GP of the Gresini Racing team, the rider from Rimini officially began his new adventure with the Ducati official squad, which will see him working alongside Bagnaia next year. After an initial "shakedown" performed by tester Michele Pirro, Enea could finally try out the red Desmosedici GP and then begin testing new components and different setup configurations.

Both Bastianini and Bagnaia tested the bike in the 2023 configuration, as well as some new aero packages developed by the engineers at Borgo Panigale. With a total of 54 laps and a fastest time in 1:30.592, Enea ended the day in 10th position, while Pecco finished 12th in 1:30.655 after completing 59 laps.

Enea Bastianini (#23 Ducati Lenovo Team) - 10th (1:30.592 - 54 laps)
"I am really happy with how this first day inside my new team went! To wear the colours of the Ducati Lenovo Team is a dream come true! Today's test was mainly to get to know my team and get acquainted with the new structure. I have a new crew chief, and only the electronics engineer is the same one I had in the Gresini team. It was a positive first contact, and I liked the atmosphere inside the box. It's a pity only for a small crash I had in the last run because of a hole! I tried the new bike, which is very similar to the one I rode this season but more stable. I also tried some new aerodynamic solutions. The feedback was positive, but we will need to ride on other tracks to get a clearer idea. I also confront myself with Pecco: having the World Champion as a teammate is a great motivation source for me."

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) - 12th (1:30.655 - 59 laps)
"Today has been quite positive: I felt good with all the new solutions we tried, which means our work paid off. Both the new fairing and the new engine gave positive feedback. More work will surely be needed to develop them in the best possible way, but I am happy. After this test, I will still have a busy week with Ducati, but then I will try to disconnect to rest, enjoy the title win and the winter break."

With the 2022 season and the Valencia test over, the Ducati Lenovo Team riders will now return to Italy to attend EICMA on Wednesday, 9th November and Thursday, 10th November, which is held this week at Rho - Fiera Milano. The next official tests for Bagnaia and Bastianini will be held next year from 10-12 February 2023 at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia