Taking a break from competing for his third MotoGP title, Ducati Lenovo rider Francesco Bagnaia wins the third Lenovo Race of Champions, held during World Ducati Week at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
A total of 15 Ducati riders took part, riding the new Ducati Panigale V4 S this year. They includes MotoGP riders Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Enea Bastianini, Franco Morbidelli, Jorge Martin, and Alex Martin, alongside World Superbike riders Andrea Iannone, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, Alvaro Bautista, Danilo Petrucci and Nicolo Bulega, test rider Michele Pirro, and British Superbike rider Glenn Irwin.
It was Iannone who qualified on pole, ahead of Bagnaia and Giannantonio. But Bagnaia immediately took the lead and held it through the 10-lap race, also setting the fastest lap with 1:35.431. And if you thought racers might take it easy on the lightly-modified road bikes, Nicolo Bulega was fighting Andrea Iannone for second through the race until falling at the last corner when he and Marc Marquez made contact.
Francesco Bagnaia: “First of all, I want to say that it was fantastic seeing so many people on the grandstands. I was even able to hear people cheering, although I had the helmet on while racing; it was really incredible. The race was great; I enjoyed it a lot. I couldn’t understand what the gap was, so I just pushed a lot and had a lot of fun. I am very happy to have tried the new Panigale V4 here in Misano, and I really look forward to training on it from now on.”
And you can watch the whole race via Youtube:
Bagnaia also won the 2022 event, ahead of Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi. Due to the disruption of the global panedemic, the first Ducati race of champions was actually held in 2018, won by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro ahead of Tito Rabat and Xavi Fores.
It’s not often you get to see MotoGP, World Superbike and other riders compete on the same machinery, even if some might have a bit more knowledge of the Misano circuit that others. The bikes had track modifications include the fairing and racing bellypan, Brembo GP4-MotoGP brake calipers and Z04 pads, and a billet top triple clamp personalised with the rider’s name.
World Ducati Week 2024 also broke attendance records, with more than 94,000 people visiting the 12th annual event.
Keep up with all the latest Ducati bikes, customs, classics and more, here. Along with upcoming motorcycle events in the UK and around the world, here. In the past, the Race of Champions bikes have been auctioned after the event, but if you can’t quite afford that, check out the secondhand Panigale V4S examples currently being offered secondhand on eBay.
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