MotoGP Sepang Test: ‘Riders agree on weak point’ - Tardozzi

With eight riders on the MotoGP grid for 2023, Ducati has a wealth of speed, determination and potential to tap into again this season.

While the factory Lenovo team has the obvious pedigree, with reigning champion Pecco Bagnaia partnering Enea Bastianini - who claimed third in last year’s title fight - the talent, and accompanying support from the Bologna manufacturer doesn’t stop there.

“We are quite happy about the overall performance of the Ducati riders,” Team Manager Davide Tardozzi confirmed from Sepang as the three day pre-season test concluded.

“We have the World Champion and number three on the list, so we think that we are a very, very strong team but we are sure that our opponents grow a lot on the bikes and we have a lot of respect.

“There are many riders of MotoGP that we know that can win races and championships.

“I guess that Marc Marquez and Fabio Quartararo will be the top on the list of our competitors, but there are so many other riders that can win races. We never give orders last year so it’s not a matter for us. Who is faster, is leading.”

While the factory team expects to take the majority of the headlines, it was three other Ducati riders who topped a day each at Sepang. Marco Bezzecchi led the times on Friday with his Mooney VR46 teammate closing the show on Sunday, while Prima Pramac’s Jorge Martin split the pairing for Saturday’s rain-struck session on day two.

“We have a lot of respect for our riders, whoever is on a Ducati has our approval and the team’s,” Tardozzi explained. “The Pramac riders is exactly like a factory team - they have factory bike and factory contract. Bezzecchi is growing a lot, Marini in the end of the year was very, very fast and we expect also a big, big step ahead