The Trackhouse Racing introduction of its 2024 MotoGP team in Hollywood on Friday was a major event for American motorcycle road racing and for Aprilia. There were multiple World Champions and U.S. Champions on hand, as well as representatives from the top level of Aprilia’s motorcycle road racing efforts. 

Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola said that Trackhouse was important to the factory’s racing efforts. With four 2024-spec bikes on the track and in the hands of a team with close ties to the factory, Aprilia will gather more data, more feedback and thus follow Ducati’s example of using the maximum amount of information gathered on the track to hone its racebikes to their optimum on race weekends.

As is the case with most top-level motorsport launches, the machines displayed are not the actual vehicles the team will go racing with. Building a MotoGP machine is an incredibly complicated process, and Aprilia is still building the bikes for the upcoming season. Trackhouse Team Manager and former Grand Prix racer Wilco Zeelenberg said the 2024 machines that rider Miguel Oliveira will race already were in Malaysia for the first pre-season test. Interestingly, job one for the team from an on-track perspective is making sure that the 2024 machine is developed to a higher level of performance than the 2023 bike. Last year’s machine was good enough to win two races and nearly lock out the podium in Barcelona. Raul Fernandez, (who raced 2022 versions of the RS-GP in 2023), said when he got a chance to test the 2023 version of Aprilia’s RS-GP at the post-season test in Valencia, he had much, much more confidence tipping the bike toward the apex on the brakes, and his performance showed–he was fifth-fastest on the day, just behind eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez.

On hand were not only the current MotoGP riders and key personnel for the Aprilia project, but several U.S. racers who have competed at the sport’s highest level. Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz, 500cc Grand Prix World Champions; Superbike World Champion, 250cc World Champion, and three-time 500cc Grand Prix race winner John Kocinski; Joe Roberts, America’s most recent Grand Prix winner (in Moto2); four-time MotoGP podium finisher John Hopkins; and four-time AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes; were all on hand. (Remember, in his first and only MotoGP event, Hayes filled in for the injured Colin Edwards on the Tech3 Yamaha YZR-M1 at Valencia in 2011, led the wet morning warm-up session, and finished seventh in the MotoGP race.) All spent time talking with young American racer Rossi Moor, who has won races and the 2022 Northern Talent Cup Championship (part of the Road to MotoGP program) in Europe.

The post More From The Trackhouse MotoGP Launch In Hollywood appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

        An era ended quietly with the conclusion of the Moto2 race in Valencia. Dunlop was out of Grand Prix racing. And the next day a new era opened, with the first official test for the Moto2 and Moto3 teams on spec Pirelli tires.

        Already the control tire in World Superbike, World Supersport, and several National-level series, (as well as in Formula One car racing), Pirelli made a positive first impression in the smaller-displacement classes, beating the best-ever Moto2 lap times at Valencia and crushing the Moto3 lap record…

            “Pirelli Takes Over,” by Michael Gougis

            Giorgio Barbier, Racing Manager for Pirelli, was on hand in Valencia to give an overview of the first official test for Pirelli tires in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes, and he was quite pleased. Setting lap records will do that. Read his impressions in the latest issue of Roadracing World!

Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine is available in print and digital formats.

Click here for a sample issue of Roadracing World magazine. (Print Edition, one sample issue per household, U.S. address only.)

PREVIEW  January 2024 Issue of Roadracing World

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The post Moto 2 & Moto3 Spec Tires: Pirelli Takes Over, In The January Issue appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

This podcast is “Tech Talk – The Terrible Throttle Tell-All.”

The original podcast can be found on BuzzSprout.com or listened to via other places you get podcasts.

From the Oxley Bom Podcast:

If you want to go fast, you hit the gas. But what actually happens when a rider goes full throttle? The answer, as you might expect of a cutting edge million dollar speed machine, is a little complex. Luckily, we’ve got our very own engineering expert! Join us as Mat asks Peter everything you’ve ever wanted to know about what happens when you turn that handle.

Oh, and make sure to stick around for the end of the episode for some very cool updates about the future of the podcast…

With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club, who wrote our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!  

The post Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast: “Tech Talk – The Terrible Throttle Tell-All” appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

In addition to Trackhouse founder and owner Justin Marks, a former NASCAR racer and owner of a NASCAR team, riders Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez were on hand, as well as former and current Grand Prix racers. They were joined by Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia Racing, as well as Wilco Zeelenberg, the former 250cc Grand Prix racer who is the team manager for Trackhouse.

Wayne Rainey, a three-time 500cc Grand Prix World Champion and now President of MotoAmerica, and 1993 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Kevin Schwantz were both on hand, representing the period of Grand Prix racing that was utterly dominated by American riders. From 1978 to 1993, Americans won 13 of 16 500cc Grand Prix titles.

Trackhouse is based in North Carolina, but the satellite team will operate out of Noale, Italy, in conjunction with the Aprilia racing department. Oliveira will start the season on a 2024 RS-GP, while Fernandez will start racing on the 2023 version of the machine and transition to a 2024 during the season. Oliveira is a multi-time MotoGP winner with KTM, and Fernandez is a multi-time winner in Moto2 and runner-up in the Moto2 World Championship in 2022.

The post Trackhouse Racing Introduces 2024 MotoGP Team In Los Angeles appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

         While many manufacturers have used carbon-fiber for parts of their MotoGP machines, few have committed to full composite chassis. The most successful were the Ducati Desmosedici GP09 and GP10 models in the hands of Casey Stoner, but after going winless in 2011, the Italian company, which had used steel trellis frames until adopting the carbon monocoque design, fell in line with orthodoxy and built its GP12 with a twin-spar aluminum frame.

            KTM has been MotoGP’s technical rebel in recent years, sticking with a steel frame and its own suspension components when all others adopted variations on aluminum twin-spar frames and Öhlins…

            “Back To The Future,” by Michael Gougis

            Now KTM has gone where others have feared to tread, equipping its factory RC16 racebikes with full carbon-fiber chassis. KTM’s Technical Manager for MotoGP, Sebastian Risse, explains why the company feels it is not only the correct choice, but will soon be the only choice for MotoGP machines. It’s in the latest issue of Roadracing World!

Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine is available in print and digital formats.

Click here for a sample issue of Roadracing World magazine. (Print Edition, one sample issue per household, U.S. address only.)

PREVIEW  January 2024 Issue of Roadracing World

Click to SUBSCRIBE NOW ! Or call (909) 654-4779, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

—Read the January2024 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology with your online subscription. Log in HERE

Available at Cycle Gear and other motorcycle retailers.

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The post MotoGP Analysis: Are Carbon-Fiber Frames Back For Good? In The January Issue… appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

The deeper dive into 75 years of racing starts with some of the biggest names in the sport: the Champions

Thursday, 25 January 2024

As we celebrate the 75 years of competition that have brought us to 2024, we’re taking a deeper dive into some of the facts and stats – starting with some of the biggest names in the sport! Check them out, and head to our all-new 75th anniversary page to enjoy some of the best content from then and now, with plenty more to be added throughout the season.

ALL CLASSES

126 Champions

126 riders have won Championships. 56 have more than one, leaving 70 riders with one Grand Prix motorcycle racing Championship to their name – in some cases, so far, as they include a number of familiar names from the current grid.

Champions with the most titles

Giacomo Agostini leads with 15: 8 in the premier class and 7 in the 350cc category. Next up it’s Angel Nieto with 12+1 titles – 7x125cc and 6x50cc – before 3 riders who have 9 titles each: Carlo Ubbiali (6x125cc, 3x250cc), Mike Hailwood (4x500cc, 2x350cc, 3x250cc) and Valentino Rossi (7x500cc/MotoGP, 1x250cc, 1x125cc).

The only current rider able to join that club soon is Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), who has 8: 6xMotoGP, 1xMoto2 and 1x125cc. After all the former riders who have 7, 6, 5 or 4 titles each, the next current competitor with most titles overall is reigning MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who has 3: 2xMotoGP and 1xMoto2
.
Championship Streaks

One rider holds the overall record: Giacomo Agostini, with 7 titles in a row in the 500cc class from 1966 to 1972, and 7 in a row in the 350cc class from 1968 to 1974.

PREMIER CLASS

Champions with the most premier class titles 

Looking at the premier class only, the rider with the most doesn’t change – it’s Giacomo Agostini (8). Then it’s Valentino Rossi with 7, ahead of Marc Marquez on 6 – putting the number 93 in reach of another piece of history.

The only rider with 5 premier class crowns is Mick Doohan, and 4 have 4: Mike Hailwood, John Surtees, Geoff Duke and Eddie Lawson.

Some riders have only won titles in the premier class. Those with the most are Mick Doohan (5), Eddie Lawson (4), Wayne Rainey (3) and Kenny Roberts (3).

Championship Streaks: premier class

Pecco Bagnaia became only the third rider in the MotoGP era to defend the crown when he did so in 2023. The others are Valentino Rossi, who won from 2002 to 2005 (adding to his maiden premier class 500cc crown in 2001), and then again in 2008 and 2009, and Marc Marquez – he reigned 2013 and 2014, and then from 2016 to 2019.

Over 75 years of premier class history, Giacomo Agostini leads the way with the longest winning streak: those 7 premier class titles we mentioned above.

There are two riders in second on the list of most premier class crowns in a row, with 5 each: Valentino Rossi from 2001 to 2005, and Mick Doohan from 1994 to 1998. Completing the top five, there are two riders who have four in a row: Marc Marquez (2016 to 2019) and Mike Hailwood (1962 to 1965).

HISTORY ON THE LINE

As the most decorated rider on the grid as it stands, there’s history on the line for Marc Marquez this year. He could:

– Join Carlo Ubbiali, Mike Hailwood and Valentino Rossi as a nine-time Champion

– Equal Valentino Rossi in second on the list of riders with most premier class titles

– Become the first rider with an Independent Team to win the crown in the MotoGP era

– Join only Valentino Rossi (Honda – Yamaha) and Casey Stoner (Ducati – Honda) as riders who have won Championships in the MotoGP era with more than one manufacturer

Join us for the Sepang Shakedown to see our first glimpse of 2024 before we see Marc Marquez start his new adventure, in new colours, at the Sepang Test from the 6th to the 8th of February. And then it’s one more test before we start a record-breaking 2024 calendar!

The post MotoGP: The Best Of The Best Over The Last 75 Years appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

        Why did Marc Márquez quit a hugely lucrative factory Repsol Honda ride to race a second-hand Ducati for an independent team? The six-time MotoGP World Champion ended the first half of the 2023 season crashing Honda’s uncompetitive RC213V seven times during June’s German and Dutch Grands Prix.

        Even for Márquez, who has always ridden on the ragged edge, that was a lot. He knew he couldn’t go on like this. “After the summer break I said to myself, ‘I will ride more calmly,’ so I started riding in a safety way,”  says the 30-year-old Spaniard. “But that was so boring! For me it was like a nightmare to go to a circuit and ride in easy mode and fight for 15th place. I said to myself, ‘Can I do one more year like this?’ ”

            “Marc Marquez Interview,” by MotoGP Editor Mat Oxley

            The short answer is no, Marc Marquez could not see himself doing one more year on the Honda RC213V. He explains why he quit Honda to race an independent-team Ducati in 2024, why the Ducati is MotoGP’s best bike, and why he wouldn’t wish his recent injuries on anyone. It’s all in the latest issue of Roadracing World!

Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine is available in print and digital formats.

Click here for a sample issue of Roadracing World magazine. (Print Edition, one sample issue per household, U.S. address only.)

PREVIEW  January 2024 Issue of Roadracing World

Click to SUBSCRIBE NOW ! Or call (909) 654-4779, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.

—Read the January2024 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology with your online subscription. Log in HERE

Available at Cycle Gear and other motorcycle retailers.

Visit www.roadracingworld.com daily for breaking news and events.

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The post Interview: Marc Marquez Tells Why He Quit Honda, In The January Issue appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

FLUO STREAM LIGHTS UP THE LAUNCH OF THE PERTAMINA ENDURO VR46 RACING TEAM IN ITALY

At Riccione, a bright shading from fluorescent yellow to white colors the Ducati Desmosedici GP of Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio who aim to be protagonists of the upcoming MotoGP season
 

Riccione (Italy), January 24th 2024 – Pure light on the Palariccione stage for the launch of the new MotoGP season of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team. Milestone of the tenth year (2014-2024) for the VR46 Racing Team, sealed by the three-year partnership with the Indonesian giant PT Pertamina Lubricants which, through the brand Pertamina Enduro, gives the new naming to the Team. New synergy between two already established companies in Motorsport ready to become a true point of reference in performance, endurance and technologies.

A 2023 to remember behind us, the best year ever in the Top class, with the fulfillment of a collective dream: the first victory in MotoGP and the third place in the Riders standings (Marco Bezzecchi ed.). Sacrifices, a big legacy and a long path over the years for achieving three victories, a total of nine podiums and ten placements in the Top3 in the Sprint on Saturday. Consolidated goals for a 2024 to be discovered: on the one hand, Marco Bezzecchi, true revelation and absolute protagonist of the last Championship, on the other Fabio Di Giannantonio ready to debut with the neon yellow of the Tavullia Team at the MotoGP test in Malaysia, next February 6th, and then in Qatar for the first race (8-10 March).
 

Both on the Ducati Desmosedici GP and supported by a close-knit crew – working under the watchful eyes of its Team Owner, Valentino Rossi – and led once again by Alessio Salucci, Team Director and Pablo Nieto, Team Manager. A technical package of the highest level, which bears the Made in Italy signature of Ducati, World Champion motorcycle in the two-year period 2022/2023.
 

A real stroke of light illuminates the ambitions of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team with a modern and cutting-edge graphic design, but which brings back our memories, with its neon soul, to Tavullia. Aldo Drudi and Drudi Performance dress the fairings of the Ducati with ‘Fluo Stream’. Vale’s yellow, which goes beyond the mere concept of color and becomes FLUO. Black disappears to make room for a shading from fluorescent yellow to white: a spark, electricity, a new concept of lifestyle.
 

In front of all the actors of the 2024 season, the Riccione stage shines. A luminous effect creates the right atmosphere to welcome the entire board of PT Pertamina Lubricants to Italy from Indonesia, in the person of Mr. Werry Prayogi (President Director of PT Pertamina Lubricants), and thus renew our trust to all the realities working on this project, as the VR46 Agency, and the partners who support us, among others, eBay, Comoli Ferrari and Monster Energy.
 
 

MARCO BEZZECCHI – 72

It will be my third season in MotoGP and I am happy to be to the track once again with the same crew, at Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team and riding a Ducati. I would like to do something similar to what we did in 2023: be competitive, consistent, get on the podium and have good races. I also really like the new livery, completely different, something that has never been seen in MotoGP. I expect a hard-fought Championship, of the highest level and with many strong riders and bikes. We can do two things: have fun and try to being among the protagonists.
 
 

FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO – 49

I’m really excited, I can’t wait. For me it is the first year at Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team: we met at the Valencia test at the end of the year, when we tried the Ducati package that we will use this season and the feelings were immediately positive. We have a great potential to achieve our ambitions. The livery is crazy, you can notice it on and off the track. Wearing this yellow is a great honor for me. It will be an interesting start, there have been a lot of changes in terms of the lineup, riders and bikes. We all have to get settled, but it will be a great show!

 
VALENTINO ROSSI, TEAM OWNER

These 10 years have flown by since we started working on this project. At the beginning I was convinced that MotoGP was not our real goal, people around me pushed a lot, Uccio among the first ones. Things went well right from the start and last year was unforgettable, fantastic, everyone raised the bar. The first MotoGP victory in Argentina means the fulfillment of a collective dream. A lot of new things await us in 2024: a new title partner, a new rider together with Bez, Fabio, and a technical package of the highest level. I am very happy with the partnership with Pertamina Enduro, the Indonesian fans have always had great affection and respect towards me. Marco and Fabio are a new couple, but they are two very fast riders and two good guys. It’s been a very long winter and I can’t wait to see them on track in Malaysia and then in Qatar for the start of the season.

MR. WERRY PRAYOGI, PRESIDENT DIRECTOR PERTAMINA LUBRICANTS

This marks a historic moment for Pertamina Lubricants. At Pertamina, we take immense pride in our association with the VR46 Racing Team. We believe, with confidence that they will undergo significant growth and emerge as a great force in the racing scene. As the market leader in Indonesia, we are stepping our game, elevating our position on the global stage. Our aim is to showcase that Pertamina Lubricants products meets up to world-class quality standards. This partnership goes beyond sponsorship; it is a strategic collaboration between two entities sharing a common vision of growth. Both Pertamina Lubricants and VR46 Racing Team aspire to become influential players in the automotive industry globally. We are committed to putting in the hard work and making the best efforts to realize this dream. We believe in our ability to achieve it.
 
 

ALESSIO SALUCCI, TEAM DIRECTOR

I remember the winter of 2013 when we started working on this project. It was a beautiful journey, it required a lot of commitment, but in 10 years we have achieved goals we can be proud of. We have always had the desire and motivation to do well and we celebrate this first decade with the arrival of a new partner. I’m very happy because Indonesian fans have always had great affection and admiration for Vale. I like to think that it is not a coincidence that we signed with Pertamina Enduro, there is a lot of enthusiasm and we will all give our best. In 2024 we will be to the track with the livery designed by Aldo Drudi who revolutionised the graphic soul of the team with the inclusion on the livery of our fluorescent yellow DNA. The best hope for starting this new adventure. From a technical point of view, with Ducati we have the best available package on the grid and Marco and Fabio are very fast. I know we’ll have fun!
 

PABLO NIETO, TEAM MANAGER

It will be a special year, the Team’s tenth in the World Championship. How long road and how much satisfaction from Moto3 and then Moto2, up to MotoGP. The truth is that we still have a lot to learn, but this gives us the right motivation and determination to continue working and doing well. The pair of riders is new: I know Marco better, he is a great talent and he had an almost perfect season. It may happen again, but we must all learn from our mistakes. It will be Fabio’s debut instead, he is hungry, he finished well in 2023 and he has a solid team behind him. Ducati’s technical package is currently the best, we have maximum support from the factory and, having the previous year’s bike, we can make the difference in the first races.

The post MotoGP: Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Presented In Italy (Includes Video) appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

The official Ducati MotoGP and WorldSBK teams were presented at Madonna di Campiglio during the second edition of the “Campioni in Pista” event

Two-time MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia, still sporting the number 1 on his fairing, is ready to embark on his fourth season with the Ducati Lenovo Team

After an injury-plagued 2023, Enea Bastianini returns to the track in search of redemption

The new Ducati Corse Sporting Director, Mauro Grassilli, was officially introduced on stage

Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, stated, “In these two days in Madonna di Campiglio, we will have the opportunity to give ourselves the right energy for a season that promises to be full of challenges.”

Madonna di Campiglio (TN, Italy) – 22nd January 2024 – For the second consecutive year, the enchanting snow-capped Dolomites served as a backdrop for the official presentation of the Ducati Lenovo Team. This morning, at the Palacampiglio in Madonna di Campiglio, the squad from Borgo Panigale unveiled the liveries of the Desmosedici GP machines with which they will participate in the 2024 MotoGP World Championship.

The livery, predominantly Ducati Red, features a fluorescent graphic detail that recalls the curve in the Ducati logo. This design element is also present on the fairings of the Panigale V4 R Superbike of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team and on the new motocross bikes of the Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team, which were unveiled on stage alongside the MotoGP bikes.

Reigning World Champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia is geared up to defend his Title as he proudly displays the number 1 on the fairing of his Desmosedici GP. Bagnaia will again be partnered with compatriot Enea Bastianini, who is entering his second year with the factory team. In the Superbike category, Alvaro Bautista’s Panigale V4 R, adorned with the number 1, will be accompanied by the Ducati featuring the number 11 of reigning Supersport World Champion Nicolò Bulega, who is making his debut in the category.

During the presentation, held at the “Campioni in Pista” event organized by Ducati in collaboration with Trentino Marketing and the Azienda per il Turismo Madonna di Campiglio (a location linked to Audi since 2013 for the enhancement of the area), and featuring the support of Lenovo, Aruba.it, Audi Sport, Monster Energy, and Shell, the new Ducati Corse Sporting Director, Mauro Grassilli, was officially introduced. Paolo Ciabatti, the new General Manager of Ducati Corse Off-Road Division, took the stage to present for the first time the Ducati’s new motocross bikes, which will be entrusted to the nine-time Motocross World Champion Tony Cairoli and Alessandro Lupino.

Everything is set for an exciting start to the new MotoGP season from 6th-8th February in Malaysia, where the Ducati Lenovo Team riders will make their first track appearance for 2024 in the official test session at Sepang.

Claudio Domenicali (CEO Ducati Motor Holding)

“It is a great pleasure to inaugurate another Ducati racing season in Madonna di Campiglio, a location that perfectly expresses the values of ‘Made in Italy’ of which we are proud ambassadors and which last year represented the starting point of an unforgettable season. The path that has led us to be the best in the world in racing is undoubtedly made up of the hard daily work of these years, but also of our ability to work as a team and have fun while putting our maximum effort into what we do. One of the strong elements of our brand is the ability to create a system and today we demonstrate this by jointly presenting the official teams for the 2024 racing season: the Ducati Lenovo Team, the Aruba.it – Racing Ducati Team and the novelty represented by the Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team . Seeing the three bikes next to each other was a great emotion for me because, although different from each other, they are part of a single project. This belonging is underlined by the basic colour of the liveries, Ducati Red, the same for all, and also by a completely new graphic sign that recalls the curve present in the Ducati logo, inspired by the most exciting part of riding a motorbike: the bend. At the same time, these bikes are also an expression of the path that Ducati has taken in recent years, investing in its future. The entry into motocross is in fact the clear example that our will to improve and our desire to win have no limits. In these two days we will have the opportunity to give ourselves the right energy for a season that promises to be full of challenges, in which we will try to confirm our leadership in the main track racing world championships and demonstrate our capabilities in a new terrain such as specialist off-road. Challenges have always encouraged us to bring out the best and we feel absolutely ready.”

Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)

“I am delighted to be back in Madonna di Campiglio to present our MotoGP and WorldSBK teams as World Champions. 2023 was truly an unforgettable year, and now we’re here to kick off the new season and embrace the challenges that lie ahead in 2024. In MotoGP, the Ducati Lenovo Team will feature World Champion Pecco Bagnaia alongside Enea Bastianini again. Unfortunately, Bastianini couldn’t showcase his full potential last year due to numerous injuries, but we are optimistic about his performance this season. In Superbike, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, led by Alvaro Bautista on the Panigale V4 R with the number 1, will also line up the reigning Supersport World Champion, Nicolò Bulega, who is making his debut in the category. We couldn’t have asked for a better lineup to face the challenges of this intense 2024 season in both World Championships. We are aware that the other constructors are working hard, and I anticipate an even higher level of competition. However, I am confident that, thanks to the dedication of the Ducati Corse team during this short winter break, we will be well-prepared to defend the titles we earned last season.”

Luca Rossi, President of Lenovo’s Intelligent Devices Group

“Embarking on a new MotoGP season alongside Ducati Corse fills us with tremendous excitement. In the last few years, the Ducati Lenovo Team has been nothing short of phenomenal, achieving remarkable milestones, notably winning the Rider’s World Championship for two consecutive years with Francesco Bagnaia. This season, the battle for the Title will be even harder. Still, we believe in the dedication and expertise of each member of the Team, as well as in the qualities of our talented riders, who have demonstrated to be able to face challenges with the spirit of true champions. We’re proud to stand by their side doing what we do best: nurture innovation, improve performance, and help every person to unleash their utmost potential.”

Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team):

“I’m thrilled to kick off my fourth season with the Ducati Lenovo Team. The last test in Valencia provided positive feedback, giving us a solid foundation for the upcoming season’s development work. I’m eager to hit the track and pick up where we left off. It’s bound to be a challenging season, but we’re ready to face it with our usual determination. As a close-knit team, we’ll give our best to aim for the Championship once again.”

Enea Bastianini (#23, Ducati Lenovo Team):

“2023 was a challenging year, and I look forward to redeeming myself in the upcoming season. We have an exciting 2024 ahead of us. Despite participating in only a few Grands Prix last year, I’ve learned valuable lessons that I’ll carry into the new season. I have great confidence in my Team, and I know we have all the potential to do well. I can’t wait to hit the track and start the new season.”

The riders of the Ducati Lenovo Team, along with those from the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team and the Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team, will be present this afternoon in the centre of Madonna di Campiglio, in Piazza Sissi at 5:00pm to meet all the fans and supporters. Entertainment provided by Monster Energy will accompany the event.

Throughout the two days of Campioni in Pista, in addition to enjoying the breathtaking ski slopes of the Pearl of the Dolomites, the riders will also have the opportunity to experience thrills on four wheels by participating in the Audi Driving Experience on the frozen lake of Madonna in Campiglio.

#CampioniInPista #ForzaDucati

The post MotoGP: Ducati Lenovo Team Officially Introduced In Italy appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

This podcast is “Hail to the King, Baby – Interviewing Kenny Roberts.”

The original podcast can be found on BuzzSprout.com or listened to via other places you get podcasts.

From the Oxley Bom Podcast:

This week we give a royal welcome to our guest, the legendary Kenny Roberts. “King Kenny” not only won the world title three times, but he also changed the face of MotoGP forever through his legendary battle with the FIM over riders’ rights, than started his own world titles-winning race team and even became a racebike manufacturer. And that’s not even getting in to some of his other (in)famous exploits…

So join Mat and Peter as Kenny takes them on a wild ride through history, from heated battles on the track to the case of a missing testicle, and discover that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Let’s go!

With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club, who wrote our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music! 

The post Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast: “Hail To The King, Baby – Interviewing Kenny Roberts” appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.