The Italian delivered successive titles in Valencia, just the third rider to do so in the MotoGP™ era.
Having been crowned MotoGP™ World Champion in 2022 and 2023, Francesco Bagnaia becomes the third rider to take back-to-back MotoGP™ titles since the introduction of the class in 2002, along with only Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez.
Bagnaia is the first rider to successfully race and defend the #1 in the premier class since Mick Doohan in 1998.Bagnaia is the first Ducati rider to take more than one premier class world title. In addition, he is also the third Italian on an Italian bike to take more than one premier class world title along Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) and Umberto Masetti (Gilera).
With 15 podiums in 2023, Bagnaia becomes the Ducati rider with the most podiums in a single season, overtaking Casey Stoner, who held the previous record of 14.
Bagnaia becomes the fourth Italian with more than one premier-class world title along with Giacomo Agostini (8), Valentino Rossi (7) and Umberto Masetti (2).
With 18 premier class wins, all with Ducati, Bagnaia sits in second on the list of Ducati riders with most wins in the class behind Casey Stoner (23 wins).
With 35 premier class podiums so far, Bagnaia is the third Ducati rider with most podiums in the class behind Casey Stoner (42) and Andrea Dovizioso (40).
Bagnaia is the fifth rider who has clinched the title at the end of the year winning the opening Grand Prix race since MotoGP™ was introduced in 2002 along with Marc Marquez (2014), Jorge Lorenzo (2012), Casey Stoner (2007 and 2011) and Valentino Rossi from 2002 to 2005.
This season Bagnaia has stood on the MotoGP™ podium more than any other rider (15 times), including seven wins. – www.motogp.com
