Francesco Bagnaia and the Ducati Lenovo Team arrive in Argentina for the second Grand Prix of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship

Less than seven days after the Portuguese GP, held last Sunday, Francesco Bagnaia and the Ducati Lenovo Team arrive in Argentina to tackle the second Grand Prix of the 2023 MotoGP season. Enea Bastianini will not participate in the Grand Prix scheduled at the Termas De Rio Hondo circuit. The rider from Rimini will be forced to miss also this round after the injury sustained to his right shoulder in last weekend’s Sprint Race. As confirmed by Dr Porcellini, who examined him upon his return to Italy, Bastianini will not have to undergo any surgery but will have to keep his shoulder immobile for a week and begin rehabilitation next Monday. If the recovery goes as planned, Enea should be back on track in Austin for the Grand Prix of the Americas.

Coming off a fantastic weekend in Portugal, which saw him dominate both the Sprint Race and Sunday’s race, Bagnaia will be the only one to defend the colours of the Ducati Lenovo Team at Termas. The reigning World Champion, who is already at the top of the new standings, will try to repeat himself at the South American track, where Ducati currently has had three podiums, the most recent being the second place of Jorge Martín (Pramac Racing) in the past edition of the Argentina GP.

Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st
“In last week’s GP, everything was perfect, and I hope the same happens here in Argentina. Compared to Portimão, where we had tested a few weeks before the race, here we will have to start our work from scratch, so it will be important to take good advantage of each session. In any case, I am optimistic: my feeling with the bike is incredible, so I am confident that I can do well in any condition. This weekend I will be the only one representing my team. I wish Enea a speedy recovery, and I hope he can be back on track with us in Austin.”

Bagnaia and the Ducati Lenovo Team will hit the track for Practice 1 on Friday, 31st March, at 10:45am local time (CEST -5.00).

Circuit Information

Country: Argentina
Name: Termas de Río Hondo
Best lap: Rossi (Yamaha) 1:39.019 (174.7 km/h) – 2015
Circuit Record: M. Márquez (Honda), 1:37.683 (177,1 km/h) – 2014
Top Speed: Bagnaia (Ducati), 345,5 km/h – 2022
Track Length: 4.81 km
Sprint Race Distance: 12 laps (57.72 km)
Race Distance: 25 laps (120.25 km)
Corners: 14 (5 left, 9 right)

• From Ducati Media House