Ducati will host its World Ducati Week for 2022 in Misano between 22-24 July, and it has now released the full list of names that will take part in its Race of Champions.
The Race of Champions has become a common thing at the World Ducati Week, as the Borgo Panigale brand’s top riders from the World Championships face off against each other.
This year, the very best Ducati has to offer from both MotoGP and WorldSBK will feature in the Race of Champions, scheduled for 23 July, with 21 riders in total taking part.
Firstly, from MotoGP, there is Francesco Bagnaia, runner-up in the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, and winner of two Grands Prix in 2022, including the Italian Grand Prix last weekend.
There will also be Bagnaia’s 2022 factory Ducati teammate, Jack Miller, in what has the potential to be his final World Ducati Week. The Australian has been strong in 2022 so far, taking a couple of podiums.
The official Ducati MotoGP and MotoE test rider, Michele Pirro, will also be present for the Race of Champions. Pirro is a serial winner and champion in the Italian Superbike Championship, and finished 18th when he wildcarded at Mugello last weekend.
From Pramac Ducati’s MotoGP team, there will be both Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin. Zarco has flown under the radar this year, but with podiums in Indonesia and Portugal, he has had a solid season, and was strong last week in Italy, too. Martin, on the other hand, has been suffering with nerve issues in his arm, which has limited his potential in 2022. Despite this, he was able to finish on the podium in Argentina.
Then, from Gresini Racing, Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio will make their mark in Misano. Bastianini has won three Grands Prix in 2022, more than any other rider, while Di Giannantonio took his first pole position in MotoGP at the Italian Grand Prix last weekend.
Mooney VR46 Racing Team’s Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi – both of whom were fighting at the front in Mugello last week – will also be in Misano for the Race of Champions.
Then we come to the Superbike riders. Alvaro Bautista, WorldSBK championship leader and multiple race winner; Michael Ruben Rinaldi, multiple WorldSBK race winner; and two-time Grand Prix winner and multiple-time MotoAmerica race winner Danilo Petrucci will all be at Misano, as will WorldSSP’s Ollie Bayliss.
“It will be a unique competition: a dual category race with two winners,” Ducati says. “The Panigale V4 will be lined up in front of the Panigale V2 and the riders will compete in 12 laps of the track with free practice, qualifying and warm-up.”
In addition to the Race of Champions, there will also be a lap of honor from the World Circuit Misano Marco Simoncelli, which will include Carl Fogarty, Troy Bayliss, Chaz Davies (who is set to race in the Spa 24 Hours this weekend with ERC Ducati), Regis Laconi and Ruben Xaus, as well as all of the Race of Champions participants, and will take place on 22 July.
You can get yourself a ticket for the World Ducati Week 2022 on Ducatis website, here.