Enea Bastianini has been signed a contract to race for the Ducati Lenovo Team from the 2023 MotoGP season.
The Italian has inked a new, two-year deal with the Bologna marque, meaning he and Francesco Bagnaia are set to be team-mates for the next two years.
The race for the seat had come down to Bastianini and Jorge Martin, the latter of whom has been confirmed as staying on with Prima Pramac Racing following the factory’s news, as has Johann Zarco.
Bastianini is currently in his second season in the premier class, both of which he has spent on previous model Desmosedicis.
He has three wins on a GP21-model Ducati with Gresini Racing, after picking up two podiums on a GP19 last year with Esponsorama Racing.
“I am thrilled to be able to wear the colours of the official Ducati team starting next year,” said the 24-year-old.
“It was my dream, and now it has come true. In these two years in MotoGP, I have learned and grown a lot, and I believe that I can only improve with the engineers and men of the Ducati Lenovo Team.
“I want to thank Claudio [Domenical, Ducati Motor Holding CEO], Gigi [Dall’Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager], Paolo [Ciabatti, Ducati Corse Sporting Director] and Davide [Tardozzi, Team Manager] for trusting me and giving me this incredible opportunity.
“Still, I also want to thank Nadia [Padovani, Team Prinicpal] and the whole Gresini team for the great support I have received from them during this wonderful season together.
“I will try to close out this 2022 in the best possible way before tackling my new adventure as a factory Ducati rider with total commitment and the right team spirit.”
Ducati had held off on making a call on which second-year MotoGP rider it would promote after Martin had mid-season hand surgery, and Dall’Igna said the call was “not an easy choice”.
“We are delighted to have Bastianini in the factory team,” he said.
“Enea is a very talented rider who has matured a lot in these two years with Ducati.
“He has been able to grow quickly, scoring two podiums in his debut year in MotoGP and then taking three stunning victories this year with Gresini Racing in Qatar, the USA and France.
“We are convinced that next year, as an official Ducati Lenovo Team rider, he will be able to take another step forward and be among the protagonists in every race.
“It was not an easy choice. Enea and Jorge Martin are two very fast and young riders, which is precisely why we still wanted to ensure the same material and technical support for both.
“We are sure they will be able to show all their great talent on track.”
As Dall’Igna stated, Bastianini and Martin will nevertheless ride the same specification of motorcycle next year, with Pramac effectively Ducati’s B team.
Bastianini is sixth and Martin ninth in the championship ahead of next weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix at Misano.
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