Ducati MotoGP Stars Push for Historic Suzuka 8 Hours Entry: Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio Eye Bucket List Race

Ducati riders are eager to participate in the Suzuka 8 Hours, a race they consider a "bucket list" event. "I understand the pressure involved, especially since it takes place during the MotoGP summer break, but I really enjoy this type of race," one rider mentioned.

MotoGP riders Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio di Giannantonio are encouraging Ducati to participate in the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance event.

Ducati currently holds the championship titles in both MotoGP and WorldSBK, while Suzuka remains one of the last significant competitions where Japanese manufacturers continue to lead.

Johann Zarco has become the newest MotoGP racer to be listed among the victors of the 8 Hours race. He achieved this milestone as a member of the Honda Team HRC, which partnered with Japan Post, during last month's 2024 event.

However, Ducati also participated in this year's event by supporting 'Team Kagayama,' which secured fourth place with riders Ryo Mizuno, Josh Waters, and Hafizh Syahrin.

During the event, Paolo Ciabatti from Ducati Corse announced that the factory aims to achieve a historic milestone at Suzuka soon.

"The Suzuka 8-Hours race remains crucial for manufacturers," Ciabatti explained to Motomatters.com. "No non-Japanese manufacturer has ever claimed victory in this event. Our aspiration is to become the first non-Japanese team to win at Suzuka in the near future."

"The future strategy is likely to include a factory bike from Bologna and MotoGP riders joining Yukio Kagayama's team," Ciabatti stated. "Managing this from Italy is clearly challenging."

"I'm not certain about Marc Marquez or Bautista, but it's clear that Ducati's GP riders, Pecco and Fabio Di Giannantonio, are interested in participating in the Suzuka 8 Hours in the future."

"We'll need to find another rider to join the team, and we can choose from our current GP and Superbike riders. I'm sure someone will be excited about the opportunity. It's uncertain if this will happen next year or in 2026."

At Silverstone, the current two-time MotoGP champion Bagnaia announced his ambitions for Suzuka.

Bagnaia mentioned that he is strongly urging Ducati to allow him to participate in the Suzuka 8 Hours race.

“I definitely understand the stress involved, especially since it takes place during the [MotoGP] summer break. However, I truly enjoy this type of race. In my opinion, aiming for a world championship should be a career goal for any rider.”

"What I mentioned is that they need to be ready to compete before I get there. I'd really like to go and achieve victory."

Di Giannantonio from VR46, who has secured a contract as an official Ducati Corse rider for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, expressed similar excitement:

"I'm making a strong effort, to be honest. I really want to participate in the 8 Hours of Suzuka, so I'm working hard with my team at home to make it happen."

"It's a race I've always wanted to participate in, so if I get the chance to team up with Ducati, it would be incredible to compete for them in the 8 Hours event."

After the Silverstone event, it was officially revealed that di Giannantonio has signed a new two-year deal, which includes a factory GP25 for the next MotoGP season.

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