Originally Posted by ads11 (Post 5638513)

Ducati decide to give him the second seat next to Pecco. A super team.

Originally Posted by no_fear (Post 5647310)

Unlikely Ducati will remove Enea and put MM there. Personally I think Gresini is doing a major misstep letting go of Fabio and bringing MM. Di Giannantonio is getting his groove and can be a very talented rider. If Ducati had its way, they would rather have Bezzecchi on their factory Lenovo team. MooneyVR46 is looking to move from the Ducati to Yamaha frame and given Bezzecchi's immense talent, that man will be in Ducati's target.

Originally Posted by five46 (Post 5506645)

Tid-Bits: The Number# 1 Curse Prodigy

In MotoGP, the rider who holds the number 1 plate as the reigning champion, often faces difficulties in replicating their success in the next season, known as the “Number 1 Curse”.

And thus the debate over the draw of the #1 plate continues: fans either feel passionately that a world champion must carry the #1 plate, as if it were some sort of birth right, or –you don’t really care either way.

The #1 hasn’t appeared on the front of a MotoGP bike since 2012, when Casey Stoner rode what would be his final season in the series with the number to mark his second world title. It’s fitting, then, that Bagnaia – who ended Ducati’s 15-year drought last season since Stoner’s first world title in 2007 – picks up the mantle for 2023 on his Desmosedici.

Not since Mick Doohan in 1998 has a rider in the premier class successfully defended the #1 plate, when the Australian legend took the fifth and final 500cc title of his career.

If Bagnaia does manage to defend his title in 2023, it will be another bit of history - after becoming the first rider ever to overcome a 91-point deficit and five DNFs in a season to win his first crown – to bolster his legacy. And perhaps it will usher in a change in mindset for future champions when it comes to running the #1.