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MotoGP | Round 14 - Valencia GP 2021 | Wednesday 10 November 2021

Valencia GP: the Ducati Lenovo Team returns to Spain for the final round of the 2021 MotoGP season

After less than seven days from the last Grand Prix held in Portimão, which saw Bagnaia dominating the race and Ducati winning its third MotoGP constructors' world title, the Ducati Lenovo Team is ready to take to the track again, in Spain, for the final round of the 2021 season at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Cheste for the Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana.

The track located near Valencia is one of the shortest on the calendar and has seen Ducati score 11 podiums so far, the last one last year with Jack Miller, second with the Desmosedici GP of the Pramac Racing Team. In total, the Bologna-based manufacturer has won three races on the Spanish track. The first was in 2006, when Troy Bayliss, newly crowned World Superbike Champion, won the Grand Prix participating as a substitute for injured rider Sete Gibernau. The second victory came in 2008 with Casey Stoner, while the third, the most recent, came in 2018 with Andrea Dovizioso.

After another sensational weekend at Portimão, Pecco Bagnaia arrives at Valencia determined to close out t with a victory in the season's last race. The Italian rider, who with last week's success has already confirmed his second position in the Championship, will aim to repeat his performance this weekend and bring to four the number of victories in MotoGP.

Jack Miller, third at Portimão, is also aiming to continue his positive momentum and close his 2021 season on a high. After last Sunday's race, the Australian rider is now fourth in the overall standings, a position he'll have to try to defend from fellow Ducati rider Johann Zarco, who sits in fifth place, just two points behind Miller.

This Sunday will be decisive for the Teams' Championship, which sees the Ducati Lenovo Team leading the standings with 28 points.

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) - 2nd (227 points)
"After the weekend in Portimão, I feel really charged up for the last race of the season. In the last GP in Portugal, everything was perfect. Since Friday, we had been fast, and we hadn't had to make any particular set-up changes to the bike, so I hope the same will happen here in Valencia. This is a track I like a lot, and in 2020, I was back to having positive sensations on my Desmosedici after two difficult GPs in Aragon. This year, we arrive in Valencia at a particular moment, where everything is going really well, and my feeling with the bike is very good. I'm ready to fight for the win again and try to take the team title after winning the constructors' title last week".

Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) - 4th (165 points)
"To be back on the podium at Portimão was really good, and now the goal is to finish the season fighting for another good result at Valencia. I am really excited to be racing here again this weekend. It's a really fun track and probably one of my favourites on the calendar. The characteristics of the Ducati are well suited to this track, and last year I came very close to winning, so I'll try again this year. After the constructors' title, we have a chance to win the team title here, so I'll do everything I can to help my team reach that goal too!"

The Valencia GP will start this Friday, 12th November, from 9:55 am local time (GMT +1.00) with the first free practice session.

Circuit information

Country: Spain
Name: Circuit Ricardo Tormo
Best lap: Marc Márquez (Honda) 1:31.116 (158.2 km/h) – 2019
Circuit record: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1:29.401 (161,2 km/h) – 2016
Top speed: Dovizioso (Ducati), 337,0 km/h – 2020
Track length: 4,0 km
Race distance: 27 laps (108,1 km)
Corners: 14 (9 left, 5 right)

2020 Results
Podium: 1° Morbidelli (Yamaha), 2° Miller (Ducati), 3° Espargaro (KTM)
Pole Position: Morbidelli (Yamaha), 1:30.191 (159.8 km/h)
Fastest lap: Miller (Ducati) 1:31.378 (157.7 km/h)

Rider Information

Jack Miller
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 43
GPs started: 171 (116 x MotoGP, 49 x Moto3, 6 x 125 cc)
First GP: Qatar 2015 (MotoGP), Qatar 2012 (Moto3), Germany 2011 (125 cc)
Wins: 9 (3 MotoGP + 6 Moto3)
First Win: Netherlands 2016 (MotoGP), Qatar 2014 (Moto3)
Pole positions: 9 (1 MotoGP + 8 Moto3)
First pole: Argentina 2018 (MotoGP), USA 2014 (Moto3)
World Titles: -

Francesco Bagnaia
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 63
GPs started: 151 (46 x MotoGP, 36 x Moto2, 69 x Moto3)
First GP: Qatar 2019 (MotoGP), Qatar 2017 (MotoGP), Qatar 2013 (MotoGP)
Wins: 13 (3 MotoGP + 8 Moto2 + 2 Moto3)
First Win: Aragón 2021 (MotoGP), Qatar 2018 (Moto2), Netherlands 2016 (Moto3)
Pole positions: 13 (6 MotoGP + 6 Moto2 + 1 Moto3)
First pole: France 2018 (Moto2), Britain 2016 (Moto3), Qatar 2021 (MotoGP)
World Titles: 1 (Moto2, 2018)

Championship Information

Riders' standings
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 2º (227 points)
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 4º (165 points)

Manufacturers' standings
Ducati – 1º (332 points)

Teams' standings
Ducati Lenovo Team – 1º (392 points)