Francesco Bagnaia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Francesco Bagnaia
Bagnaia at the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix
Nationality	Italian
Born	(1997-01-14) 14 January 1997 (age 28) Turin, Italy
Current team	Ducati Lenovo Team
Bike number	63
Motorcycle racing career statistics MotoGP World Championship Active years 2019– Manufacturers Ducati Championships 2 (2022, 2023) 2024 championship position 2nd (498 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 117 30 58 24 19 1780 Moto2 World Championship Active years 2017–2018 Manufacturers Kalex Championships 1 (2018) 2018 championship position 1st (306 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 36 8 16 6 3 480 Moto3 World Championship Active years 2013–2016 Manufacturers FTR Honda (2013) KTM (2014) Mahindra (2015–2016) Championships 0 2016 championship position 4th (145 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 69 2 7 1 2 271

Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia (born 14 January 1997) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He competes in MotoGP for the Ducati Lenovo Team. He is a two-time MotoGP World Champion, winning titles in 2022 and 2023.

Bagnaia also won the Moto2 World Championship in 2018. He is the first rider from Valentino Rossi's VR46 Riders Academy to win a top-class world title. His 2022 MotoGP title was Ducati's first in 15 years. It was also the first for an Italian rider since Rossi in 2009.

Racing Journey

Starting Out in Racing

Francesco Bagnaia was born in Turin, Italy. He started riding Minimoto bikes when he was very young. In 2009, he won the European MiniGP championship. He then raced in the pre-GP 125 Mediterranean championship in 2010, finishing second.

In 2011, he competed in the Spanish Championships in the 125cc class. He won one race and finished third overall. In 2012, he was third in the CEV Moto3 championship. Bagnaia joined the VR46 Riders Academy and is still a member today.

Moto3 World Championship Races

Bagnaia began his Grand Prix career in the 2013 Moto3 World Championship. He rode a Honda for Team Italia FMI. This first season was tough, and he did not score any points. His best finish was 16th place.

Bagnaia at the 2013 British Grand Prix

In 2014, Bagnaia joined the new Sky Racing Team by VR46. He rode a KTM bike. He showed great improvement, finishing in the top 10 five times. His best result was a 4th place at Le Mans. He finished the season in 16th place with 50 points.

For 2015, Bagnaia switched to Aspar Team and rode a Mahindra. He achieved his first Grand Prix podium at Le Mans, finishing third. He ended the year 14th in the championship with 76 points.

The 2016 season started strong for Bagnaia. He had podium finishes in Qatar and Spain. At his home race in Italy, he secured another third place. He then won his first Grand Prix race at the historic Assen circuit. This was his 59th Moto3 race and the first win for Mahindra. He won a second race in Malaysia. Bagnaia finished the season in 4th place with 145 points, earning 2 wins and 6 podiums.

Moto2 World Championship Races

After four seasons in Moto3, Bagnaia moved up to Moto2. He raced for Sky Racing Team VR46 again in 2017. In only his fourth Moto2 race, he finished second at Jerez. He earned three more podiums that season. He was named Moto2 Rookie of the Year. He finished his first Moto2 season in 5th place with 174 points.

Bagnaia leading the race at the 2018 Japanese Grand Prix

Bagnaia started the 2018 season with a win in Qatar. He won again in Austin after a tough battle. He took his first Moto2 pole position at Le Mans and won the race. He won a total of eight races that season. He was crowned Moto2 World Champion after finishing third in Malaysia. Bagnaia finished every Moto2 race he entered, scoring points in 34 of 36 races.

MotoGP World Championship Races

Early Years with Pramac Racing (2019–2020)

After his success in Moto2, Bagnaia moved to the 2019 MotoGP World Championship. He joined Pramac Ducati. He scored his first MotoGP points in Argentina, finishing 14th. His best result in his rookie season was a 4th place finish in Australia. He ended 2019 in 15th place with 54 points.

In 2020, Bagnaia received an updated bike. He had a strong start at the Spanish Grand Prix, finishing 7th. In the next race, he was heading for his first podium but had to retire due to an engine problem. He later achieved his first MotoGP podium at his home race in Misano, finishing second. He ended the season in 16th place with 47 points.

Joining the Factory Ducati Team (2021–Present)

Bagnaia at the 2021 Algarve Grand Prix

For 2021, Bagnaia moved to the factory Ducati Lenovo Team. He started strong, getting his first MotoGP pole position in Qatar and finishing third. He had three podiums in the first four races. Bagnaia achieved his first premier class win at Aragon. He led the entire race from pole position. He won again the following weekend in Rimini. He secured five consecutive pole positions that year. He won two more races in Portimao and Valencia. Bagnaia finished second in the championship with 252 points.

Bagnaia (#63) at the 2022 Indonesian Grand Prix

In the 2022 season, Bagnaia was a favorite for the title. After a challenging start, he turned his season around. He won four races in a row: Assen, Silverstone, Austria, and Misano. This was a historic achievement for a Ducati rider. He gained a lot of points on the championship leader. Bagnaia won his seventh race of the season in Malaysia. At the final race in Valencia, he secured his first MotoGP World Championship. He made history by overcoming a 91-point deficit to win the title.

Bagnaia continued with Ducati for 2023. He was in a close championship battle with Jorge Martín for most of the season. Bagnaia won the championship after Martín crashed at the final race in Valencia. This made Bagnaia a two-time MotoGP World Champion. He became the first Ducati rider to successfully defend a championship. He is also one of the few riders in the MotoGP era to win back-to-back titles.

Bagnaia at the 2024 Malaysian Grand Prix

Before the 2024 season, Bagnaia extended his contract with Ducati until 2026. He won his 25th Premier class victory at the Austrian Grand Prix. He matched his previous year's total of seven main race wins. In the 2024 season, he won 11 main races, which is the most by any rider in a single season without winning the title. He finished as the championship runner-up in 2024, 10 points behind Jorge Martín.

For 2025, it was announced that eight-time World Champion Marc Márquez would be his new teammate. Bagnaia won his first race of 2025 at the Grand Prix of the Americas. He showed strong consistency early in the season.

Career Statistics

Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Summary

Fun Facts

Francesco is known as Pecco because his older sister, Carola, couldn't say "Francesco" when she was learning to talk. The nickname has stayed with him ever since!

Francesco Bagnaia married his longtime girlfriend Domizia Castagnini on July 20, 2024.

See also

In Spanish: Francesco Bagnaia para niños

• List of 500cc/MotoGP race winners - By Rider