Ducati won't look elsewhere for 2021 riders now
Ducati sporting director Paolo Ciabatti says the Italian marque will not look outside of its existing roster of factory-contracted riders when deciding on its 2021 line-up.


Both Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci’s contracts with the works Ducati squad are up at the end of the year, but the manufacturer's’ preferred alternatives Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo both signed for Yamaha at the start of the year.
Ducati was also understood to have been keenly pursuing Joan Mir, though the 2017 Moto3 world champion is set to remain with Suzuki.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Ciabatti says its current factory line-up, as well as Pramac riders Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia and Avintia’s Johann Zarco – all of whom are directly contracted to Ducati – are the five riders it is looking at for 2021.
“We have a rider like Andrea Dovizioso, who has won the most races aside from [Marc] Marquez in recent years and is the only one who has been able to seriously challenge him for the world title,” Ciabatti said. “I don’t think he can or should be doubted.
“It is true that a few days ago he turned 34, but it is an age that a fit rider allows you to look ahead two or three years no problem.
“We have Petrucci, who went very well in the test in Qatar. One of the reasons we were sorry that we could not race is precisely our belief that Danilo could have expressed himself at a high level. He was the only one to do a full race simulation and did it with very quick laptimes.
“We have Miller and Bagnaia at Pramac, who are two young riders and who are among the best talents there are today in MotoGP.
“Then there is Zarco with the GP19 at Avintia. He is a rider who has already proven to be fast when he was in the Tech 3 [Yamaha] team [in 2017-18].
“I would say we have five riders who have expiring contracts with Ducati, but who have a very close relationship with us. So we will reasonably look to them to understand what our 2021-22 set-up may be.”
Asked if there were any talents in Moto2 Ducati was keeping an eye on, Ciabatti added: “We have been following some young Italians for a long time.
“Certainly, Enea Bastianini is a rider that we are following, even if in recent years he has not had the form that could be expected.
“[Lorenzo] Baldassarri last year had a spectacular start to the season, then got lost. This year, in the only race we have been able to see in Qatar, he did a great job.
“We always have an eye on Moto2 and Moto3, but I believe for 2021 and 2022 we will make choices among the riders that I mentioned, even if we haven’t made any decisions yet.”

Crutchlow: No reason to think I'll retire this year
Avintia in the "red zone" amid enforced MotoGP hiatus

Latest news
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
OPINION: The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. This is why.
How in-form Quartararo is evoking Marquez in MotoGP 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success.
Why Marquez's surgery is about more than just chasing on-track success
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP's Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations