Bagnaia wins World Ducati Week Race of Champions

While both MotoGP and WorldSBK were on a break last weekend, the Ducati riders were anything but as World Ducati Week presented its Race of Champions

A raft of stars took to the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli grid ahead of the eight lap clash with both V2 and V4 Panigales on show. Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia claimed pole position with Mooney VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi and test rider Michele Pirro completing the front row ahead of Luca Marini, Gresini’s Enea Bastianini and Pramac’s Johann Zarco. Jack Miller and Jorge Martin headed row three with Michael Rinaldi the first non-GP rider in the impressive line up - Aruba.it WorldSBK teammate Alvaro Bautista having qualified 15th of the 21-strong field, two behind of Danillo Petrucci on his return from MotoAmerica.

Lights out and Bagnaia was immediately in charge as Bezzecchi suffered a poor start, his teammate Marini capitalising to take second with Miller storming through to third. The Australian, however, was soon outmanoeuvred by the regrouping Bezzecchi as the Italian trio took charge at the top on home soil and never looked back. Martin enjoyed a mid-pack tussle with Pirro for control of the second group before Bastianini relieved him of fifth position at mid-race distance and leading WorldSBK independent rider Axel Bassani completed the top seven on the Motocorsa machine - ahead of Zarco, Fabio di Giannantonio and Barni Racing’s Luca Bernardi.

Petrucci completed his first race of the year on European soil in 11th with Go Eleven’s Philipp Oettl narrowly behind while Althea’s Federico Caricasulo took to the top step of the V2 rostrum after heading the Supersport field from 13th. Oli Bayliss was 16th ahead of a disappointing showing from the factory WorldsBK outfit as