The Ducati Lenovo Team arrives in Japan to contest the sixteenth round of the 2022 MotoGP season 22.09.2022: Just a few days after the Aragon GP held last Sunday in Spain, the Ducati Lenovo Team is ready to return to the track this Sunday in the Land of the Rising Sun to face the Japanese GP, the sixteenth round of the 2022 MotoGP season.

Just a few days after the Aragon GP held last Sunday in Spain, the Ducati Lenovo Team is ready to return to the track this Sunday in the Land of the Rising Sun to face the Japanese GP, the sixteenth round of the 2022 MotoGP season.

The event will be held at the Mobility Resort Motegi, which returns to host the MotoGP circus after a two-year stop due to the pandemic. Located north of Tokyo, the track has hosted the World Championship continuously from 1999 to 2019 and has seen Ducati triumph on several occasions. The Borgo Panigale manufacturer boasts five victories at Motegi and nine podiums, the most recent being Andrea Dovizioso's third place in the last Grand Prix held here.



Pecco Bagnaia is just back from an exciting GP in Spain, which saw him finish second in the race to reduce the gap from the top of the overall standings to just 10 points. Therefore, it will be important for the Italian rider to continue with his momentum this weekend. Jack Miller, who finished fifth in the last Grand Prix at Aragon, also wants to return to fighting for the top positions at Motegi.




Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) - 2nd (201 points)


"I am happy to return to Motegi, where we haven't raced for three years and where I won my last Moto2 race in 2018. After the last GP at Aragon last week, our gap in the championship has closed a lot, so now more than ever, it will be important not to make mistakes.



We will have a long session on Friday to try to get confident with the track, which looks good on paper, but the weather could play a key role this weekend. Let's try to stay focused and do our best."




Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) - 6th (134 points)


"I'm happy to be back on track after only a week since the last Grand Prix. I like when we have back-to-back races! We are now towards the end of this season, and I am determined to finish my last races with the Ducati Lenovo Team in the best possible way.



It's been since 2019 that we haven't raced at Motegi, and in the meantime, our bike has improved a lot, so I'm curious to get on track here in Japan again! My goal, as always, will be to fight for the top positions."



The Japanese GP will follow a different schedule than the previous Grands Prix and officially kick off on Friday, 23rd September, at 3:05pm local time with a 75-minute first free practice session.




Circuit Information

Country: Japan
Name: Mobility Resort Motegi
Best Lap : Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1:45.350 (164.0 km/h) – 2014
Circuit Record: Lorenzo (Yamaha), 1:43.790 (166.5 km/h) – 2015
Top Speed: Ianonne (Ducati), 314.3 km/h – 2015
Track Length: 4.8 km
Race Distance: 24 laps (115.2 km)
Corners: 14 (6 left, 8 right)




2019 Results

Podium: 1° M. Márquez (Honda), 2° Quartararo (Yamaha), 3° Dovizioso (Ducati)
Pole Position: M. Márquez (Honda), 1:45.763 (163.4 Km/h)
Giro più veloce: M. Márquez (Honda), 1:45.766 (163.4 km/h)




Rider Information


Francesco Bagnaia
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 63

GPs Started: 167 (62 x MotoGP, 36 x Moto2, 69 x Moto3)
First GP: Qatar 2019 (MotoGP), Qatar 2017 (Moto2), Qatar 2013 (Moto3)
Wins: 20 (10 MotoGP + 8 Moto2 + 2 Moto3)
First GP win: Aragón 2021 (MotoGP), Qatar 2018 (Moto2), Netherlands 2016 (Moto3)
Pole positions: 18 (11 MotoGP + 6 Moto2 + 1 Moto3)
First pole: Qatar 2021 (MotoGP), France 2018 (Moto2), Britain 2016 (Moto3)
World Titles: 1 (Moto2, 2018)



Jack Miller
Bike: Ducati Desmosedici GP
Race Number: 43

GPs Started: 187 (132 x MotoGP, 49 x Moto3, 6 x 125 cc)
First GP: Qatar 2015 (MotoGP), Qatar 2012 (Moto3), Germany 2011 (125 cc)
Wins: 9 (3 MotoGP + 6 Moto3)
First GP win: Netherlands 2016 (MotoGP), Qatar 2014 (Moto3)
Pole positions: 10 (2 MotoGP + 8 Moto3)
First pole: Argentina 2018 (MotoGP), USA 2014 (Moto3)
World Titles: -




Championship Information



Riders' Standings
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 2º (201 points)
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 6º (134 points)



Manufacturers' Standings
Ducati – 1º (346 points)



Teams' Standings
Ducati Lenovo Team – 1° (335 points)





Artur Vilalta - photo Ducati