Last Sunday, November 6, Francesco Bagnaia and Ducati wrote an important page in MotoGP history at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Cheste (Spain), claiming the 2022 Drivers’ World Championship. In addition to the Constructors and Teams titles with Ducati Lenovo, the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer claimed its third title of the season, its best performance in the top class.
⦁ With 7 victories, 10 podiums and 5 pole positions, Bagnaia takes his first top-level world title in the final Grand Prix of the 2022 season in Valencia. This is the second MotoGP driver’s title for the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer, following Casey Stoner’s World Championship win in 2007.
⦁ Bagnaia became the first Italian rider to win the Desmosedici GP (MotoGP Riders World Championship) on an Italian motorcycle. Last in first class was Giacomo Agostini, exactly 50 years ago in 1972, when he won the 500cc World Championship with the MV Agusta. Valentino Rossi, on the other hand, was the last Italian driver to win the MotoGP World Drivers’ Championship in 2009, 12 years ago.
⦁ Championship victory thanks to a historic comeback: After the tenth race in Sach Forest (Germany), Bagnaia’s biggest gap to the leaders was 91 points, which he then closed in eight Grands Prix. In the process, Bagnaia broke the previous record set by Rainey, who was 65 points behind in 1992.
⦁ Bagnaia is also the first Ducati rider to win four consecutive victories in Assen, Silverstone, Spielberg and Misano.
⦁ In 2022, Bagnaia completed 189 laps as the leader and set the fastest lap three times: at the Spanish, French and Italian Grands Prix.
⦁ With 11 Desmosedici GP victories, Bagnaia is third among all drivers Most victories in the top class with Ducati (23 victories for first-place Stoner, 14 for second-place Dovizioso).
⦁ The 2022 season is Ducati’s best season in MotoGP: in fact, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer has a total of 6 different drivers (10 Bagnaia, 7 Miller, 6 Bastianini, 4 Zarco, 4 Martin, 1 Bezeki), including 12 wins (7 Bargna, 4 Bastiani, 1 Miller).
⦁ In the last 26 races, Ducati has always been on the podium.
⦁ Ducati has taken 16 pole positions this season with 7 different drivers, a record for the Borgo Panigale manufacturer. Only Suzuki has ever achieved pole position with 5 different drivers in a single season. That year, Ducati also tied the single-season pole position record previously held only by Honda.
⦁ In the past 40 races, Ducati has always placed at least one Desmosedici GP in the front row of the grid.
⦁ Six times this year Ducati has executed a front lock by placing all Desmosedici GPs in the first three positions on the grid.
⦁ At both Austin (US GP) and Mugello (Italian GP), the top five positions were taken by Ducatis.
⦁ For the third year in a row, and fourth in its MotoGP history, Ducati won the top class constructors’ title by 448 points, 192 points clear of the runner-up.
⦁ The Ducati Lenovo team participated in MotoGP for the second consecutive year and the third time in its history, and won the MotoGP team world championship title with a total of 454 points at the end of the season.
⦁ Factory-backed Ducati team Pramac Racing has been named MotoGP’s Best Independent Team for 2022 for the second year in a row.
⦁ VR46 Racing Team rider Marco Bezzecchi won MotoGP 2022 Best Rookie Rider.
⦁ Enea Bastianini was named the best driver in the independent Gresini Racing Team. With six podiums and four victories, the rider from Rimini finished third in the MotoGP World Championship.