Ducati Stars Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio Lobby for Dream Suzuka 8 Hours Entry Amid MotoGP Break

Ducati competitors are eagerly advocating for participation in the Suzuka 8 Hours race, a highly coveted event. "I'm aware of the pressure it entails, given it takes place during the MotoGP summer hiatus, but I'm fond of such races," one of them shared.

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

Ducati currently holds the championship titles in MotoGP and World Superbike Racing, with Suzuka remaining as one of the notable competitions where Japanese manufacturers continue to excel.

In the recent 2024 edition of the 8 Hours race, Johann Zarco became the newest MotoGP competitor to join the list of winners, representing the Honda Team HRC alongside the Japan Post team last month.

Ducati ventured into this year's competition by supporting 'Team Kagayama', which secured a fourth-place finish thanks to the efforts of Ryo Mizuno, Josh Waters, and Hafizh Syahrin.

At the gathering, Ducati Corse's Paolo Ciabatti announced the team's ambition to achieve groundbreaking success at Suzuka in the coming years.

“The Suzuka 8-Hours remains a significant event for manufacturers,” Ciabatti explained to Motomatters.com. “No non-Japanese manufacturer has ever clinched victory there. Thus, the aspiration is to, hopefully in the near future, become the inaugural non-Japanese manufacturer to triumph at Suzuka.”

Ciabatti mentioned, "In the future, we aim to possibly introduce a factory bike from Bologna and have MotoGP riders join Yukio [Kagayama’s team]. This is because managing such an endeavor from Italy poses challenges."

"I'm not certain regarding Marc Marquez or Bautista, however, it's clear that within the future Ducati GP riders, Pecco along with Fabio Di Giannantonio, are interested in participating in the Suzuka 8 Hours race.

"Thus, our task is to find a third participant. Among our current Grand Prix and Superbike competitors, we're sure to find someone eager to join in. As for the timing, whether it happens next year or in 2026, it's premature to determine."

At Silverstone, the current two-time MotoGP winner Bagnaia openly declared his ambitions for Suzuka.

"I'm strongly urging Ducati to allow me the opportunity to participate in the Suzuka 8 Hours race," Bagnaia stated.

"Absolutely, I understand the tension that comes with it, especially during the [MotoGP] summer hiatus, but I really enjoy these types of races. I believe that for someone competing at a global championship level, it's a significant goal to aim for in their career."

"However, what I emphasized was that they need to be ready before my arrival if they hope to secure a victory. It would be great for me to join them and achieve a win."

VR46's di Giannantonio, who has been contracted as a formal Ducati Corse team member for the years 2025 and 2026, expressed similar excitement:

"I'm really putting in a lot of effort, to be honest. Participating in the 8 hours of Suzuka is something I'm eager to do, so I'm working hard with my team back home to make it happen.

"Competing in this race is a dream of mine, so if we end up partnering with Ducati, it would be incredible to represent them in the 8 Hours."

Giannantonio's recent announcement revealed his two-year deal, featuring a factory GP25 ride in MotoGP for the upcoming season, following the Silverstone race.

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