The Ducati MotoGP 2022 motorcycle “already in the race” after the first test – Bagnaia

The 2021 MotoGP Championship finalist won four races last season and only missed the title by 26 points after an incredibly strong second part of the campaign.

Ducati has won more races than any other manufacturer in 2021, with Bagnaia (4), Jack Miller (2) and rookie Pramac Jorge Martin (1) totaling seven of them – securing the Italian marque the constructors crown for the second year in one line.

Bagnaia said at the end of 2021 that the Ducati was a “perfect” motorcycle, but the manufacturer had improved it with its 2022 prototype during the post-season tests at Jerez, which Bagnaia outright passed.

The Italian said Ducati has taken all riders’ feedback on the 2022 motorcycle into account and believes it is ready to race in Jerez.

“I think Ducati has heard a lot about the riders, about me, about Jack, about [Johann] Zarco to Martin because I was asking for an easier bike because everyone says the Ducati is the simplest, fastest, best bike to use, ”Bagnaia told Motorsport.com’s Tank Slappers podcast .

“But that’s something I can’t understand because I’m not saying another bike is the best because I haven’t tried it.

“So it’s very difficult to say something about other bikes without trying them out.

“But I was asking for a bike that was easy to ride on a fast track with fast corners, because our bike is not that easy in this situation.

“But with the new fairing I started to feel a little better, but I also have a few weak points. So I’m sure the engineers are working a lot on this thing.

“But in testing in Jerez our time with the new bike was amazing because I did it with a full tank and also with medium tires.

“So it was amazing and [as] was the new bike, and every time you start with a new bike you have to adapt to it.

“I started well, I worked a lot every two days and the second day was already good, it was already runable. If the race was the next day, I would start with this bike.

“So the Ducati engineers have done an amazing job with next year’s bike and I’m sure for [testing in] Malaysia, we are sure to find new surprises.

Pre-season testing for the 2022 campaign is set to begin in Malaysia on February 5 for two official days, before three more days take place at the Mandalika circuit in Indonesia the following week.