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Paris: Italy’s MotoGP runner-up Francesco “Pico” Bagnaia has extended his contract with Ducati for an additional two years until the end of 2024, the Italian manufacturer announced Monday.
The rider, who comes from Turin, moved from the reserve team Ducati Pramac last year to the first team, to leave his mark on the conclusion of the Queen class competitions with 4 victories in the last six races. He also started from the first place six times and climbed to the podium nine times.
However, the accident he suffered while leading the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix last October cost him dearly and opened the door for French Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo to win the title for the first time in his career.
Banaya joined Pramac in 2019 following winning the Moto2 class title the previous year. After finishing 16th in the riders’ final standings in 2020, he was promoted to defending the factory team’s colors.
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The Italian, at the age of 25, has established himself as one of the most prominent riders of the new generation, along with Quartararo, who is three years younger than him.
Banaya graduated from the VR46 Academy, which was founded and supervised by Italian motorcycle legend Valentino Rossi, who announced his retirement at the end of last year’s competitions.
Banaya will once once more be among the most prominent candidates for the title, along with six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marques (Honda), if the latter manages to fully recover from his physical problems, with the start of the new year from Qatar on March 6th.
