- Lenovo becomes the title partner of the Ducati factory team in MotoGP as Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia wear the official colors of the Ducati team for the first time
- Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding: “We start the new season on the basis of last year’s Constructors’ World Championship. 2021 is full of new things, from our title partner Lenovo to our drivers Jack and Pecco. We are looking forward to the new season with optimism”
- Luca Rossi, Lenovo Senior Vice President: “Lenovo and Ducati – two brands that share core values of high speed, powerful performance and relentless innovation – have decided to take their partnership to the highest level… we look forward to our technology integration into new ones Leading the heights and empowering the Ducati racing team to expand the meaning of MotoGP for years to come.”
- Luigi Dall’Igna, General Manager of Ducati Corse: “Jack and Pecco are extremely talented and have previous experience on our machine. I believe that we can not only fight for the Constructors’ title with them, but also for the Drivers’ title.”
Borgo Panigale, Bologna, February 9th, 2021 – The official presentation of the Ducati Lenovo Team 2021 took place today as part of an online event streamed on Ducati.com, Ducati’s YouTube channel, and the official Facebook page. During the presentation, Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, unveiled the new “all red” Desmosedici GP bikes that 26-year-old Jack Miller from Australia and 24-year-old Francesco “Pecco Bagnaia from Turin” will ride in theirs first season as official riders of the Borgo Panigale team in the MotoGP World Championship.
The legendary Ducati red once again dominates the liveries of the two bikes, with the Lenovo logo also standing out. Announced as the title partner of the Italian team with a three-year deal, Lenovo is a technology leader in personal computers, smart devices, data centers, services and software solutions – and became a sponsor and partner of Ducati in 2018. For the last three seasons, the company has contributed as the team’s technical partner to the development of new strategies and innovations in racing. With the new agreement, Lenovo guarantees even more support to the official Ducati team, which from this year will be called Ducati Lenovo Team.
Despite the ongoing situation, 19 Grands Prix are currently confirmed for the 2021 MotoGP season. It officially starts on March 5th in Qatar with a day of testing reserved for rookies and test riders, which will also be attended by Michele Pirro and the Ducati Test Team. From March 6th to 7th, Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia will finally take to the track with their new team at the Losail International Circuit for the first official two-day test of 2021, followed by three more days of testing, also in Qatar, starting March 10th -12. March. The Doha Circuit will also set the stage for the first two Grands Prix of the year, taking place in the evenings on March 26th-28th and April 2nd-4th.
Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding: “It is always a great feeling to start a new racing season, which we face as always with dedication and incredible passion, driven by the support of Ducatisti around the world. After winning the World Constructors’ Championship last year, we’re starting off strong, despite the complexity that has forced us to overcome obstacles and situations we’ve never faced before. There are many novelties in 2021, starting with the drivers: Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia. They are now the young riders of our official team, having gained experience with the Pramac Racing Team. This year Lenovo, who has been with us since 2018, becomes the new title partner of the Ducati Lenovo team. Along with the riders from our factory team, we also have Ducati’s MotoGP rider Johann Zarco and three of Moto2’s finest talents, Enea Bastianini, Luca Marini and Jorge Martin. They will have a very young and forward-thinking presence in the Championship. We look forward to the start of the 2021 season on March 28th in Qatar and, as always, to #ForzaDucati.”
Luca Rossi, Lenovo Senior Vice President: “The global motorsports market is expected to continue growing at 10 percent annually through 2025(1), driven in part by the role of IT in the increasingly data-driven world of motorcycle racing. That’s why Lenovo and Ducati—two brands that share core values of high speed, powerful performance and relentless innovation—have decided to take their partnership to the highest level. Through Lenovo’s mission to enable intelligent transformation, we look forward to taking our technology integration to new heights and empowering the Ducati racing team to expand the meaning of MotoGP for years to come.”
Luigi Dall’Igna, General Manager of Ducati Corse: “The start of a new season is always a special moment, and this year even more so because we have a completely new team. We have two new riders with us, Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia. Both are extremely talented, they are young but they already have a lot of experience on our bike. Jack and Pecco have great potential and I think that together we can not only fight to defend the constructors’ title we won in 2020, but also aim for the riders’ title . According to this year’s regulations, we cannot modify some components of the bike. However, over the winter we were able to work on many other aspects to improve the competitiveness of our bike and be ready for the start of the new season. From 2021 we can also count on even greater support from Lenovo, who has been our partner since 2018 and with whom we have worked very well in recent seasons. I am sure that this year we can achieve even greater successes together while entertaining and inspiring all Ducatisti around the world.”
Jack Miller (#43, Ducati Lenovo Team): “The emotions I felt seeing my all-red Desmosedici and wearing my new suit for the first time were incredible! I have yet to realize that this year I will be part of the official Ducati team. It’s been a long road to get this far and finally being ‘red’ gives me great satisfaction but also the right motivation to keep working dedicated and dedicated towards my future goals. I’m looking forward to this new adventure and will try to get some important results this season.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#63, Ducati Lenovo Team): “This will be an important season for me because it will be my first time wearing the colors of an official team. I’m proud to have achieved that first goal, and this year I’ll aim for even greater results. It has always been my dream to be part of the official Ducati team. I will do my best not to disappoint any expectations. I am confident that I have everything I need to be competitive from the start and aim high.”
About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a $50 billion Fortune Global 500 company with 63,000 employees and operations in 180 markets around the world. With a bold vision to provide smarter technology for everyone, we develop world-changing technologies that create a more inclusive, trusted and sustainable digital society. As we design, engineer and build the world’s most comprehensive portfolio of intelligent devices and infrastructure, we’re also leading an intelligent transformation – to create better experiences and opportunities for millions of customers around the world. To learn more, visit https://www.lenovo.com, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Weibo, and read the latest news on our StoryHub.
(1) Based on MarketWatch’s Motorsports Market Report Summary published December 2020
LENOVO is a trademark of Lenovo.