        It was late 2019 when Andrea Iannone tested positive for doping, following the Malaysian GP. A few months later he was banned by WADA for a period of four years. A &lsquo;sentence&rsquo; that the Italian is still serving today then, and that will finally be up in December 2023. His goal is to return to being a rider, something that Pramac team principal Paolo Campinoti also hopes to see. Campinoti: "Iannone was fighting on equal terms with Marc Marquez"  Talking to Sky Sport, Campinoti admits: &ldquo;I have a weakness for Andrea Iannone, I think a lot of him and am sorry about what he&rsquo;s going through. I think he deserves the opportunity to return&rdquo;. Andrea will have to wait another year and four months, after which he would be free to get back to work. The Italian manager touches on the possibility of having Iannone in his garage: &ldquo;It would be a great challenge, but a lot of things would have to be worked out &ndash; the decision doesn&rsquo;t just come down to me unfortunately&rdquo;. Campinoti wouldn&rsquo;t hesitate in fact, the team principal dusting off one particular memory that backs up his theory: &ldquo;If it was up to me alone, I&rsquo;d say yes because I think Andrea has a talent that very few possess. He&rsquo;s one of few who was able to fight on equal terms with Marc Marquez when they were in Moto2&rdquo;. And this says a lot about his abilities. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, 2023 pre-season test schedule: the dates       

The Italian is still banned following his disqualification for doping, but the Pramac team principal hopes to have him back on track as soon as possible

MotoGP, Campinoti: “Iannone? If it were up to me, I’d hire him for 2024”

The Bolognese manufacturer has unveiled two important new elements in the UK: let&#39;s take a look to the new fairing and tail section

British GP: new fairing and winglets for Ducati

        On the day that the MotoGP rookies and test riders completed their shakedown in Malaysia, team Pramac unveiled the Ducati Desmosedici bikes that its riders Jorge Mart&iacute;n and Johann Zarco will take out on track this year. Both men are expected to play a starring role this season, after a great 2021. The Frenchman won the title of best independent rider last year and now he intends to aim even higher. "I spent almost the entire winter focusing on my physical preparation ahead of the season&rdquo;, commented the double Moto2 world champion. "We&rsquo;ll be out at Sepang in a few days and I can&rsquo;t wait to be back on track, working to regain the right feeling with the Ducati so that I&rsquo;m ready to fight up front in the first race". Zarco: "I need to be more consistent"  The Cannes native knows that he needs to improve in certain areas in order to be able to fight for the title: &ldquo;After a season like 2020, when we only ran a few races due to the pandemic, 2021 saw me struggle to maintain the right concentration all year long, and that meant I lost some consistency in the final races. This year&rsquo;s championship will be the longest ever, so I need to improve in that regard. That will be key if we still want to be fighting at the front come the end of the season&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Jorge Mart&iacute;n aims high: &ldquo;I want top four in the championship&rdquo;       

During the Ducati Pramac presentation, the Frenchman spoke about his 2021 season and his ambitions for 2022: &ldquo;I want to be more consistent and run up front"

MotoGP, Zarco: “I struggled to maintain concentration in 2021”

        He won the title of best rookie at the Valencia circuit last year, beating Enea Bastianini, and this year many&nbsp;eyes will be on Jorge Mart&iacute;n. He clearly impressed during the 2021 season, managing to win a race in Austria and demonstrating what is significant talent. Now, the Pramac rider will be looking to take another step forward aboard the Ducati. 2021 left a pleasant taste  &ldquo;I achieved my big goal last season, which was to win the Rookie of the Year title&rdquo;, began Mart&iacute;n, during the team Pramac presentation. The Spaniard went on to say: &ldquo;There were wins, podiums and pole positions, and also a big crash at Portimao, but I&rsquo;m now ready for a new season&rdquo;. Certaintly, an unforgettable first year in MotoGP for the rider: &ldquo;It was the most intense year of my life, a series of incredible emotions, some very tough moments but also some very happy ones. Together, we started to build something special&rdquo;. And there&rsquo;s no denying that 2022 will be an important year: &ldquo;The expectations will of course be higher&rdquo;. The test moves ever closer  His mind is now on the first of the pre-season tests, after a long winter during which &ldquo;Martinator&rdquo; had some fun on holiday, before getting back into some serious training: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re heading to Malaysia for the first tests. The bike will be a little different and we&rsquo;ll need to work to have a good base and find our focus ahead of the season". His hunger is nevertheless undeniable: &ldquo;My goal is to finish in the top four or five in the championship&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Marc Marquez: &ldquo;I will see how my arm is&rdquo;       

As the team Pramac Ducati is revealed, the Spaniard gears up for a new season in which he&rsquo;s expected to be a frontrunner &nbsp;

MotoGP, Jorge Martín aims high: “I want top four in the championship”

        Fabio Quartararo&rsquo;s main rival for the title is Johann Zarco and he&rsquo;s one of two team Pramac riders. Born in 1990, the Frenchman has already led the way in the standings this year and is performing at a very high level. Francesco Guidotti looks back at the first nine races of 2021, commenting on Zarco&rsquo;s season but also that of rookie Jorge Martin, who has also already enjoyed podium success in the top class. The highs and lows so far  &ldquo;There have been many positives during this first half of the season&rdquo;, the Italian manager tells motogp.com. he adds: &ldquo;The only low was Jorge&rsquo;s injury at Portimao, as this made it harder for him to grow in the new category, but once back in shape he again showed us his potential. We&rsquo;re confident in terms of his growth and the second part of the championship&rdquo;. There is little to add regarding Zarco: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s scored four podiums in nine races and is always in the front group, battling for the podium. What can I say? He deserves it, he&rsquo;s very focused and, considering the period of his career, his age and his maturity compared to the youngsters, I think we can only be pleased&rdquo;. Awaiting the highest step of the rostrum  Johann gets full marks from his team manager, the squad now hoping for a win: "That&rsquo;s always welcome. We came very close to victory a few years ago, but for now we&rsquo;re happy and satisfied with our work, our riders and Ducati&rsquo;s support&rdquo;. It&rsquo;s not exactly an obsession: &ldquo;In the end, everyone wants victory, but it&rsquo;s not our main target. Our mission is to grow the riders, support Ducati and develop the bike, and offer our support in discovering fresh talent. We&rsquo;ve done a good job up until now&rdquo;. And it&rsquo;s smooth sailing with Ducati: &ldquo;Our agreement will continue for another three seasons, which means that both parties are pleased with the collaboration. We&rsquo;ve been growing with Ducati since Gigi Dall'Igna came on board to manage the race department. We hope the collaboration continues for long to come&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Rossi-Marini together: Luca dreams of having Valentino in the garage       

"Our mission is to grow the riders, support Ducati and develop the bike&rdquo;, comments the Pramac team manager, satisfied with the first nine races of the season and confident about the future

MotoGP, Guidotti: “Victory isn’t our main target”

He&rsquo;s one of three MotoGP rookies and has already enjoyed the sweet taste of the podium but also the bitter flavour of an injury that saw him miss four rounds. We&rsquo;re talking about Jorge Martin, who shone in Qatar to reach the third step of the rostrum, before suffering a serious accident at the next round of Portimao which meant he was only able to return to the track for the Catalunya GP, two months later.  &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t feel 100% yet&rdquo;, the Spaniard told Marca newspaper. &ldquo;I realise I&rsquo;m lacking a little strength and we&rsquo;re working to try and recover and get back to the same level of fitness as before as quickly as possible&rdquo;.  &nbsp;A violent crash  The accident was serious, the rider breaking seven bones, not an easy situation for the 23-year old: &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t think about quitting, but it&rsquo;s true that many things go through your head and it&rsquo;s hard not to consider them. In that moment, you really show your strength, when you&rsquo;re able to continue with the same hunger as before&rdquo;.  He then considers the five races he has completed to date: &ldquo;I made a great start, but the injury was serious and has meant that I&rsquo;ve not had much time to understand the bike and gain experience, which is the most important thing. We need to be able to deal with mistakes and so I&rsquo;m focusing solely on how I can continue to improve, as if we were starting over from scratch&rdquo;.  &nbsp;His prediction  As for the championship, the Pramac rider has few doubts about who might win this year&rsquo;s title: &ldquo;Fabio (Quartararo) is very, very strong, he has control of the bike and it&rsquo;ll be tough for anyone to beat him&hellip; Anything can happen, and there are still many races to come, but he&rsquo;s the only favourite&rdquo;. As for the second part of the season, Martin concludes: &ldquo;My aim is to keep on improving. My potential is very good and once I&rsquo;m feeling 100% again I&rsquo;ll be able to run some more great races&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Suzuki with no rear holeshot: the riders are keen to use it 

The Pramac rider analyses his 2021 season thus far, talking about his debut and the things that run through a rider&rsquo;s mind when they suffer a serious injury

MotoGP, Martin: &ldquo;It&rsquo;ll be hard for anyone to beat Quartararo&rdquo;

        The Catalan weekend is an important one for Jorge Martin, who returns to action after his accident at Portimao. The Spanish team Pramac rider will be reunited with his Desmosedici, a bike he was riding so well prior to the Portuguese incident. The MotoGP rookie reveals how he felt watching from home and seeing Ducati do so well: "I didn&rsquo;t feel frustrated, because I&rsquo;m here to gain experience. This isn&rsquo;t the time to be on the podium all the time, I need to learn". As for the crash, what do you remember? "I was unlucky. I&rsquo;d put in new tyres and thought they were already &lsquo;clean&rsquo;, but no. And through the first right-hander I suffered a high-side and was tossed into the air. I was also lucky, because in hitting my head on the ground, I&rsquo;ve forgotten everything that happened. I had several fractures, it was no small thing. But I hope not to repeat that mistake with unclean tyres. I&rsquo;ll be more careful in future". Jorge watched his rivals sitting in front of the TV  Forced to rest up, Jorge watched TV, studying his rivals and colleagues: "At first I couldn&rsquo;t even walk I was so bad. Sure, I was watching it all on TV. Once I got mobility in my legs back and could walk again, I was back on the bike, hoping to be able to race at Mugello. But the doctors stopped me, I wasn&rsquo;t ready and it was best to wait. It was hard to watch Mugello from home though&rdquo;. Did you think of Marc Marquez as you recovered? "We know what happened to Marc, he had to miss many races. I would have come back for Mugello, but I couldn&rsquo;t. Yes, a phrase that Marquez said came to mind actually. He said: &ldquo;We have many races, but only one body&rdquo;. So I thought it was best to miss the Italian GP". Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, shoulder problems for Marquez: &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a dense fluid that&rsquo;s bothersome&rdquo;       

Jorge will be back in action at Montmel&oacute; following his accident at Portimao: "While recovering, I thought about what Marc Marquez said: we have many races but only one body. And that&rsquo;s why I missed Mugello"

MotoGP Catalunya, Martin: “The crash? I hit my head so don’t remember it”

        Jorge Martin will not take part in the Mugello GP taking place next weekend. Team Ducati Pramac has confirmed this, explaining how the Italian track represents a real physical test for riders and that it is therefore better to wait. And the doctors who are following the Spaniard&rsquo;s recovery are in agreement. Martin will be replaced by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro. Failed goal  Right from day one of his recovery, following various operations on his arm and legs following his serious crash at the Portuguese GP, Jorge Martin had said that his goal was to be back for the Mugello GP. But no. The track is too complicated and physically stressful and the fact that Martin is not yet 100% means that he has decided to delay his return. Despite confirming that the Spaniard is well on the road to recovery, the medical team following the rider also advised him not to take part in the Italian race weekend. Pirro to substitute              Visualizza questo post su Instagram  Un post condiviso da Pramac Racing MotoGP (@pramacracing)      And so it is that Ducati test rider Michele Pirro will step in. The Italian was already scheduled to race as a wildcard entry but will now be in Team Ducati Pramac colours alongside Johann Zarco. If Martin&rsquo;s rehabilitation continues to go well, he should be back for the Catalunya GP taking place in early June. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP: the collaboration between Dovizioso and Aprilia continues       

The Spaniard continues his rehabilitation but will be replaced at Mugello by test rider Michele Pirro. Here&rsquo;s why...

MotoGP Italy: Jorge Martin to miss the Mugello GP

        Jorge Martin&rsquo;s recovery seems to be going well. Having undergone surgery to reduce various fractures at a Barcelona hospital five days ago, he&rsquo;s now published a video showing his rehabilitation work. The goal? To be back on track for the Mugello GP at the end of May. No time to lose  The Ducati Pramac rider crashed out of the Portuguese GP in the worst possible way, sustaining a total of seven fractures in the FP3 incident, which necessitated three different surgeries, or rather one on his right malleolus, one on his right thumb, and another on the fifth metacarpal of his left hand. The Spaniard, who has now been discharged from Ospedale Dexeus in Barcelona, has published footage of some of his rehabilitative exercises which he carries out on a bed, his energy and desire to recover as soon as possible clear to see. &ldquo;It will be a tough week&rdquo;  The rider&rsquo;s aim is to return for the Mugello GP at the end of May, but in the meantime he will be replaced at the Jerez GP by Tito Rabat. As we await Martin&rsquo;s return, the Spaniard has sent his fans a video message: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m heading back home to Andorra. This week will be a tough one and I&rsquo;ll be focusing on my rehab which is the most important aspect right now&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, it&rsquo;s Bagnaia who leads for team Ducati       

The Pramac rider has now left hospital in Barcelona, but already began his rehabilitation a few days ago so as to be back on track as soon as possible

MotoGP: Martin starts his rehabilitation ahead of Mugello

        In the first rounds of the season at Losail, team Pramac has proved very impressive. The Tuscan time scored excellent results, with two podiums for Johann Zarco and a third place for rookie Jorge Martin, as well as double pole position in the Doha qualifying sessions. A great way to celebrate the team&rsquo;s twentieth anniversary in the top class. Francesco Guidotti, what is behind this double podium? "A great deal of work and preparation on the part of the riders and technicians, a bike and the kind of technical support that has allowed us to do it, and a dash of good luck, which never hurts. We are working to keep everything going and personalise the riders&rsquo; needs. They have different characters, ages and personalities so need to be managed in different ways. We try to make them comfortable, help them where needed and showcase their characteristics.&rdquo; How much does this result mean to you? "It&rsquo;s a wonderful surprise, as is seeing Zarco as championship leader, though there&rsquo;s a risk it will become a significant responsibility. In the meantime, we&rsquo;re enjoying it, no one can take it away from this and it&rsquo;s great." The team has worked with Ducati since 2005, how has the relationship changed over the years? "After Dall&rsquo;Igna arrived (2015), the bike was totally redesigned and in the space of two years we were given a factory bike. The commitment doubled in 2019, but then from Iannone on, we have a kind of &lsquo;nursery&rsquo; for riders, where they can gain experience in a relatively low-pressure environment before moving to the factory team to consolidate the project. The relationship has brought significant results, from both a technical and sporting standpoint&rdquo;. Four riders have moved to the factory team so far, namely Iannone, Danilo Petrucci and current riders Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia. Do you see this continuing? "We all hope so. But we also hope that the turnover is not too fast. Seeing as Ducati now has two very promising young riders, perhaps there won&rsquo;t be the need to continue to churn out new talents. And perhaps we too can achieve something with our riders, seeing as they tend to win after leaving us&hellip;" In fact, all you are missing right now is the win. "We&rsquo;ve just missed out on it by a fraction of a second on several occasions. And of course we want to win. But we&rsquo;re not short on satisfaction, also on a technical level. We feel part of the project, Ducati supplies first-rate material and we have six engineers who support us on a daily basis. What we do is also thanks to their great support". What is your mission in MotoGP? "To support the manufacturer in every way while also trying to fully exploit everything we have available. Technical management is a Ducati prerogative, but we have structured ourselves so as to be able to fully exploit this possibility". Can a private team ever win the MotoGP title? "It&rsquo;s a bit of a thorny question. We take it race by race, but it&rsquo;s more difficult long-term. On a factory team, the riders are sharper, if only because they are more experienced, and they are supported by people who are used to managing the pressure and everything a season can bring.&rdquo; How is the new line-up? "There was immediate harmony, as if we&rsquo;d known each other for years. When you talk and immediately understand each other it&rsquo;s a lot easier, and there&rsquo;s a really nice, relaxed atmosphere among the mechanics, technicians and also between the two riders. This is down to the riders, who arrive with complete faith in our abilities. We wanted them and have welcomed them with great pleasure.&rdquo; What are Zarco and Martin&rsquo;s strengths? "Zarco has experience and has won two titles, aspects that can help him to grow further. Martin is enthusiastic, open and demonstrates a particular ability to adapt. He already has the situation under control and uses all the bike controls." So when do you expect a win? "As soon as possible. Any Sunday might be the right one. Our goal each year is to take a step closer to the factory bikes. So when the win comes, it will be too late but always very welcome&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP: Johann Zarco, from rags to riches!       

In what is team Pramac&rsquo;s twentieth season, the riders have scored three podiums in the first two races and now aim to win

MotoGP, Guidotti: “A surprising start for Pramac. The win? As soon as possible”

Team Pramac Racing is the Ducati satellite team of reference, its 2020 Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia now having moved up to the factory team. Just as Andrea Iannone and Danilo Petrucci did in the past. Paolo Campinoti is proud to present plans for the new season: &quot;We&rsquo;re ready for 2021 - comments the Pramac CEO - it&rsquo;ll be Pramac Racing&rsquo;s twentieth season in MotoGP. And this year we can celebrate with four riders, factory entries Bagnaia and Miller, and new recruits Martin and Zarco. We know we can do well, and are once again aiming high&quot;.  The expert and the rookie, the Frenchman and the Spaniard, the two-time Moto2 champion and the 2018 Moto3 champion. With Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin, team Pramac renews its commitment: &quot;This will be my second season with Ducati &ndash; states Zarco &ndash; so it would be great to be back on the podium and thinking about winning. I believe I can aim high, seeing as I already know the Desmosedici. I&rsquo;ll use everything I learned last year and will have factory support, but it&rsquo;s on track that my positive thinking needs to come into its own&quot;.  The latest Pramac hire is equally enthusiastic: &quot;Being here is a dream - starts the Spaniard - my dad rode a Ducati and now I will too. I&rsquo;ll be starting from scratch but I know I can do well right from the outset with Pramac. Zarco is strong and I hope to learn from him. The Rookie of the Year goal is possible, though I have some stiff competition&quot;.  A confident air   Engineer Gigi Dall&#39;Igna heads up the MotoGP project for Ducati. With his skill and experience, he understands the value of the satellite team: &quot;Pramac is fundamental in terms of Ducati Corse technical development, as so many parts of the factory bikes are first tested by Pramac, which carries out this dedicated work. We want to win, exploiting our satellite team as we work towards a common goal&rdquo;.  Team manager Francesco Guidotti adds: &quot;In addition to the technical side, we also take pride in the human side. Our team has changed over the years, but it has always kept things fun, that&#39;s in its DNA. We&rsquo;ll have an enthusiastic rookie in Jorge, who can do well, while Johann is more experienced and will play a leading role. I expect a consistently high level from him. And we&rsquo;ll have two beautiful Desmosedici GPs. The latest Ducati versions available. Zarco will receive factory updates, Martin will use the first races as if they were pre-season tests&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  Moto2: Forward Racing aims high with Corsi and Baldassarri 

The Ducati satellite team has unveiled the Desmosedici GPs with which Johann and Jorge will compete in the reigning class. Francesco Guidotti is confident: &ldquo;Both riders can do well, it&rsquo;s going to be fun&rdquo;

11 risultati per 'EN pramac racing'