| The Ducati Lenovo Team arrives in Le Mans for the fifth round of the 2023 MotoGP season |
The Ducati Lenovo Team is ready to tackle the fifth round of the MotoGP World Championship, the French GP, which will be held from 12th-14th May at the historic Le Mans circuit.
Located in the Sarthe region, the famous French track, which will host the World Championship for the 36th time, has seen Ducati triumph in the last three editions of the Grand Prix. The Borgo Panigale manufacturer's first victory at Le Mans bears the signature of Danilo Petrucci, who will return aboard the Desmosedici GP this weekend to replace the still-injured Enea Bastianiani. The rider from Terni, currently competing in the World Superbike Championship with the Barni Racing Team, scored a fine victory on this circuit in the wet in 2020. In 2021, on the other hand, Jack Miller took the Desmosedici GP to the top step of the podium, while Bastianini achieved his third seasonal success at Le Mans last year.
Coming back from a splendid success in the last GP, held in Spain in Jerez, Francesco Bagnaia arrives in France determined to keep up with the momentum. Bagnaia currently leads the Championship Standings with 87 points and a 22-point lead over fellow Ducati rider Bezzecchi (VR46 Racing Team).
Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team) - 1st (87 points)
"I am happy to be back racing in France, where the atmosphere is always incredible, thanks to the many fans. Le Mans is a track I really like, and where I was fighting for victory last year before the crash. However, compared to 2022, we expect lower temperatures and rain all weekend. It will be a tricky weekend where it will be important to stay focused."
Danilo Petrucci (#9, Ducati Lenovo Team)
"Coming back to race together with the Ducati Lenovo Team in MotoGP is an indescribable emotion for me, especially because I will do it on a track where I got my last World Championship victory in 2020. I will have the honour of trying the World Champion bike! It certainly won't be an easy weekend, also considering the weather conditions, but in the past, in the wet, I have always been competitive. However, the goal is to have fun and work well with the team."
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will take to the track for Practice 1 on Friday, 12th May, at 10:45am local time. The Sprint race will be run on Saturday at 3:00pm, while the French GP will be held on Sunday at 2:00pm over a 27-lap distance.
Circuit Information
Country: France
Name: Le Mans
Best lap: Bagnaia (Ducati) 1:31.778 (164,1 km/h) – 2022
Circuit Record: Bagnaia (Ducati), 1:30.450 (166,5 km/h) – 2022
Top Speed: A. Márquez (Honda), 323,7 km/h – 2022
Track Length: 4.19 km
Sprint Distance: 13 laps (54.47 km)
Race Distance: 27 laps (113.13 km)
Corners: 14 (5 left, 9 right)
2022 Results
Podium: 1° Bastianini (Ducati); 2° Miller (Ducati), 3° A. Espargaro (Aprilia)
Pole Position: Bagnaia (Ducati), 1:30.450 (166,5 km/h)
Fastest Lap: Bagnaia (Ducati) 1:31.778 (164,1 km/h)
Rider Information
Francesco Bagnaia
Bike: Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 1
GP Starts: 176 (71 x MotoGP, 36 x Moto2, 69 x Moto3)
First GP: Qatar 2019 (MotoGP), Qatar 2017 (Moto2), Qatar 2013 (Moto3)
Wins: 23 (13 MotoGP + 8 Moto2 + 2 Moto3)
Sprint Wins: 2
First GP Win: Aragón 2021 (MotoGP), Qatar 2018 (Moto2), Netherlands 2016 (Moto3)
Pole position: 19 (12 MotoGP + 6 Moto2 + 1 Moto3)
First pole: Qatar 2021 (MotoGP), France 2018 (Moto2), Britain 2016 (Moto3)
World Titles: 2 (MotoGP 2022, Moto2 2018)
Danilo Petrucci
Bike: Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 9
GP Starts: 170 (170 x MotoGP)
First GP: Qatar 2012 (MotoGP)
Wins: 2 (2 MotoGP)
First GP Win: Italy 2019 (MotoGP)
Pole position: -
Prima pole: -
World Title: -
Championship Information
Riders' Standings
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1º (87 points)
Constructors' Standings
Ducati – 1º (137 points)
Teams' Standings
Ducati Lenovo Team – 4º (92 points) |
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