Bagnaia Shines in Ducati Lenovo Race of Champions at Misano

The Lenovo Race of Champions was a thrilling highlight of World Ducati Week, showcasing top-tier talent and the impressive capabilities of the new 2025 Panigale V4.

Subscribe to our Telegram channel for instant updates!

Francesco Bagnaia triumphed in the third edition of the Lenovo Race of Champions. This eagerly awaited race, part of World Ducati Week, featured 15 Ducati riders competing at the renowned Misano World Circuit on the latest Panigale V4 S.

Starting from the second spot on the grid after securing a front-row position in the Day 1 qualifying, Bagnaia quickly took the lead and maintained it throughout the race. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider set the fastest lap with a time of 1:35.431, maintaining a consistent pace across the 10 laps and crossing the finish line with a lead of over a second.

Superbike rider Andrea Iannone (Team Go Eleven), who secured pole position with a time of 1:35.051, finished second after fending off Nicolò Bulega for most of the race. However, Bulega, riding for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, collided with Marc Márquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) at the last corner and fell, leaving Márquez to finish third and complete the podium.

Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, praised the event, saying, “The Lenovo Race of Champions is an incredible spectacle for all motorcycling fans. Personally, I had a lot of fun during the race, and seeing the red crowd of World Ducati Week on the grandstands of the Misano Circuit was a great emotion.”

Domenicali continued, “Congratulations to Pecco, who once again showed the world his incredible talent by winning a world-class race, and congratulations also to Andrea and Marc, who finished on the podium. We would have liked to have Nicolò on the podium, but medical checks took priority after his crash. The Lenovo Race of Champions and this WDW2024 showcased the value of the new Panigale V4, and the performance improvements since the 2022 race make us proud of our work on this motorcycle.”

Bagnaia expressed his excitement, saying, “First of all, it was fantastic seeing so many people on the grandstands. I could even hear them cheering despite my helmet on while racing; it was incredible. The race was great, and I had a lot of fun. I couldn’t gauge the gap, so I just pushed hard and enjoyed it. I’m very happy to have tried the new Panigale V4 here in Misano, and I look forward to training on it from now on.”