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Less than seven days after the Italian GP, held last Sunday at Mugello, the Ducati Lenovo Team is ready to return to action again this weekend for the Catalan GP at Montmeló circuit, near Barcelona (Spain). The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which has been on the calendar since 1992, is full of memories for the Italian manufacturer. In 2003, its debut year in MotoGP, Ducati achieved its first success in the premier class here with Loris Capirossi. In addition to this first historic victory, it has triumphed on three other occasions at the Catalan track: in 2007 with Casey Stoner, in 2017 with Andrea Dovizioso and 2018 with Jorge Lorenzo.
After a difficult Italian GP, overshadowed by the tragic death of Moto3 rider Jason Dupasquier, which shook the entire MotoGP paddock last Sunday, the Ducati Lenovo Team riders are ready to get back on track in Catalonia on their Desmosedici GP bikes.
Francesco Bagnaia, third in the overall standings, is looking to redeem himself after crashing at Mugello while he was leading the race. Last year the Italian rider had been the protagonist of a great comeback race at Montmeló: as he started fourteenth on the grid, Bagnaia had finished sixth behind his teammate Jack Miller.
The Australian rider, sixth at Mugello last Sunday, is looking forward to fighting for the podium at the Catalan track, where he has been able to train on several occasions with his Ducati Panigale V4 S. After the first six rounds of the 2021 MotoGP season, Miller is fourth in the standings, while Ducati and the Ducati Lenovo Team are in second place in the constructors' and teams' standings.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) - 3rd (79 points)
"It's only been a few days since the Italian GP, and it's already time to get back on track. On Sunday, we will be racing at Montmeló, where I was able to make a great comeback last year, finishing sixth after starting fourteenth. This year it will be important to start the weekend on the right foot from Friday and then have a good qualifying session on Saturday. Compared to 2020, we will be racing at a different time of year, and the layout of the circuit has slightly changed after the modification made to Turn 10. I'm ready to get back on track to move on after everything that happened at Mugello."
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) - 4th (74 points)
"After a few days off, we're back racing at another track that I like a lot: the Montmeló circuit. I know the track very well also because living in Andorra, I often come here to train with my Panigale V4 S. Now it is finally time to go back there with my Desmosedici GP! I feel ready for this Grand Prix: in 2020, I finished the race in fifth place, but this year the goal will definitely be to fight for the podium!"
The Ducati Lenovo Team will take to the track for the first free practice session of the Catalan GP on Friday 4th June at 9:55 am, while the race (24 laps) is scheduled for Sunday 6th June at 1 pm local time. On Monday 7th June, the Italian team will remain at Montmeló for a day of collective testing.
Circuit information
Country: Spain
Name: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Best lap: Lorenzo (Ducati), 1:40.021 (166,5 km/h) – 2018
Circuit record: Lorenzo (Ducati), 1:38.680 (168,8 km/h) – 2018
Top speed: Bagnaia (Ducati), 352,9 km/h – 2020
Track length: 4,6 km
Race distance: 24 laps (111,1 km)
Corners: 14 (6 left, 8 right)
2020 Results
Podium: 1° Quartararo (Yamaha), 2° Mir (Suzuki), 3° Rins (Suzuki)
Pole Position: Morbidelli (Yamaha), 1:38.798 (168,5 km/h)
Fastest lap: Quartararo (Yamaha), 1:40.142 (166,3 km/h)
Rider Information
Jack Miller
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 43
GPs started: 160 (105 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: 140 (35 x MotoGP, 36 x Moto2, 69 x Moto3)
First GP: Qatar 2019 (MotoGP), Qatar 2017 (MotoGP), Qatar 2013 (MotoGP)
Wins: 10 (8 Moto2 + 2 Moto3)
First Win: Qatar 2018 (Moto2), Netherlands 2016 (Moto3)
Pole positions: 8 (1 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) – 3º (79 points)
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 4º (74 points)
Manufacturers' standings
Ducati – 2º (123 points)
Teams' standings
Ducati Lenovo Team – 2º (153 points)
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