The Ducati Lenovo Team is ready to tackle the fifth round of the MotoGP World Championship, the French GP, which will be held from 12th-14th May at the historic Le Mans circuit.
Located in the Sarthe region, the famous French track, which will host the World Championship for the 36th time, has seen Ducati triumph in the last three editions of the Grand Prix. The Borgo Panigale manufacturer’s first victory at Le Mans bears the signature of Danilo Petrucci, who will return aboard the Desmosedici GP this weekend to replace the still-injured Enea Bastianiani. The rider from Terni, currently competing in the World Superbike Championship with the Barni Racing Team, scored a fine victory on this circuit in the wet in 2020. In 2021, on the other hand, Jack Miller took the Desmosedici GP to the top step of the podium, while Bastianini achieved his third seasonal success at Le Mans last year.
Coming back from a splendid success in the last GP, held in Spain in Jerez, Francesco Bagnaia arrives in France determined to keep up with the momentum. Bagnaia currently leads the Championship Standings with 87 points and a 22-point lead over fellow Ducati rider Bezzecchi (VR46 Racing Team).
Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st (87 points)
“I am happy to be back racing in France, where the atmosphere is always incredible, thanks to the many fans. Le Mans is a track I really like, and where I was fighting for victory last year before the crash. However, compared to 2022, we expect lower temperatures and rain all weekend. It will be a tricky weekend where it will be important to stay focused.”
Danilo Petrucci (#9, Ducati Lenovo Team)
“Coming back to race together with the Ducati Lenovo Team in MotoGP is an indescribable emotion for me, especially because I will do it on a track where I got my last World Championship victory in 2020. I will have the honour of trying the World Champion bike! It certainly won’t be an easy weekend, also considering the weather conditions, but in the past, in the wet, I have always been competitive. However, the goal is to have fun and work well with the team.”
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will take to the track for Practice 1 on Friday, 12th May, at 10:45am local time. The Sprint race will be run on Saturday at 3:00pm, while the French GP will be held on Sunday at 2:00pm over a 27-lap distance.
Circuit Information
Country: France
Name: Le Mans
Best lap: Bagnaia (Ducati) 1:31.778 (164,1 km/h) – 2022
Circuit Record: Bagnaia (Ducati), 1:30.450 (166,5 km/h) – 2022
Top Speed: A. Márquez (Honda), 323,7 km/h – 2022
Track Length: 4.19 km
Sprint Distance: 13 laps (54.47 km)
Race Distance: 27 laps (113.13 km)
Corners: 14 (5 left, 9 right)
- from Ducati Media House
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