Team director of the Borgo Panigale factory Paolo Ciabatti stated that both riders will have official bikes like Francesco Bagnaia's in 2023, but the decision on who will be alongside the Italian in the factory team will only be taken after the Austrian GP
Ducati has not yet decided who will be alongside Francesco Bagnaia in the factory team in 2023. Team sporting director Paolo Ciabatti has pointed out that the Bologna-based company sees Enea Bastianini and Jorge Martín as "potential champions" and therefore sees the choice as "difficult".
According to Ciabatti, Bastianini and Martín will have official bikes in 2023, the same equipment as Bagnaia, but the decision of who will be next to the Italian in the main team will come out only after the Austrian GP, the second race after the return from vacation.
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The manager pointed out that although the Gresini starter started the championship in better shape, Enea lost his way after the Italian GP. Jorge, on the other hand, started 2022 with physical problems, but was more competitive before leaving for the vacations.
Having completed the first part of the season, Bastianini is fifth in the World Drivers' Championship standings with 105 points, 67 behind leader Fabio Quartararo. Jorge Martin, on the other hand, is 11th with 70 points.
"We would like to have Bastianini and Martín with us in 2023, they are both very talented," Ciabatti told Italian broadcaster Sky Sport. "Enea made a fantastic start to the season, but after Mugello he lost his way a bit. Martín started the year with some physical problems, but in the last races he did very well," he assessed.
"It's a difficult choice. Both Bastianini and Martín are potential world champions in the future, so we decided to wait for the races in England and Austria in August before deciding," he warned. "Both will have our official support next season on the same bike that Bagnaia will have in 2023," he assured.
MotoGP is on vacation and will only return to action on August 7, with the British GP at Silverstone.GRANDE PRÊMIO is following all the activities of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship.