Pecco Bagnaia was not bored during a 2022 season that started on the verge of disaster before a spectacular recovery during which a certain Enea Bastianini, now his teammate, made sure to keep him awake until the end. finish line… A unique scenario which, incidentally, earned the reigning World Champion the honor of being selected for the Laureus World Sports Awards in the climb of the year category. But the Italian now has his eyes fixed ahead where a 2023 campaign looms where he will have to justify his role as pack leader at Ducati. Which won't be easy...
The Laureus World Sports Awards have nominated bagnaia in the “Comeback of the Year” category for having managed to overcome a deficit of 91 points on the defending champion Fabio Quartararo and thus win his first MotoGP title during the last round of the 2022 season. He had fallen five times so much so that this turnaround is to be classified among the great feats of arms in the history of MotoGP. A selection that did not leave the pilot indifferent Ducati, since, last year, recognition was granted in this context to Valentino Rossi as 'Laureus Sporting Icon'.
That being said, all this is already in the past and Pecco Bagnaia focuses on what awaits him in 2023. A year which will not be easy as he saw during the Sepang test his promotion friends from the VR46 academy who are Marco Bezzecchi et Luca Marini be able to carve out croupiers with their successful GP22. For the World Champion, it is clear that, potentially, it will be two bastianini more to fight...
Pecco Bagnaia is sure of it: “ with Bezzecchi and Marini it will be like with Enea Bastianini«
« Of course they are very competitive ", said bagnaia on crash.net after the Sepang pre-season test where Bezzecchi was the fastest on Friday, then Marini dominated the timesheets on Sunday. “ They have the best bike of last year. It will be difficult – like last year with Enea Bastianini He adds.
« I'm sure they can fight for a place in the top five in every race. We just have to be better he says. " Considering the improvement seen in the test, the new bike has great potential with a good top speed. I am more proud of our work than second position on Sunday at Sepang. This is really good in a test considering the many things we tried ". We will remind Bezzecchi finished second in bagnaia at Assen last year, during a season where he won the rookie of the year title hands down.
