The 2021 season proved to be on of Ducati’s strongest after it tallied up seven victories courtesy of Francesco Bagnaia (4), Jack Miller (2) and Pramac rookie Jorge Martin.
This secured Ducati top spot in the constructors’ standings, while Bagnaia ended the year runner-up to Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo in the riders’ championship.
Ducati was due to launch its 2022 season last week, but had to postpone its event due to Miller testing positive for COVID-19 while in Australia.
The Italian manufacturer has rescheduled its launch for Monday 7 February, but revealed a largely unchanged livery in a teaser video on Monday morning.
The new livery will make its track debut this week at the shakedown test ahead of the official two-day pre-season test at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
It will mark MotoGP’s first visit to Sepang since the 2020 pre-season, with the COVID pandemic forcing the cancellation of the last two Malaysian Grands Prix.
Ducati’s factory squad will field an unchanged line-up of Bagnaia and Miller for 2022.
Bagnaia comes into the year as a favourite for the title having amassed four wins in a breakout 2021 and ultimately missing the championship by just 26 points.
At the last two-day test following the conclusion of the 2021 season, Bagnaia topped the test outright on the 2022 Ducati.
Speaking to the media after the Jerez test, Bagnaia said Ducati had already built the “perfect” bike in 2021 but has been able to improve on it.
Ducati’s roster of riders in 2022 will swell to eight, as it brings onboard Gresini Racing – which has now split with Aprilia – as a satellite squad.
That means the factory Ducati squad, Pramac, Gresini and Valentino Rossi’s VR46 squad will be representing the Italian brand this year.
Bagnaia, Miller, Martin, Johann Zarco and VR46’s Luca Marini will have 2022-spec machinery, while Gresini duo Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio and VR46's Marco Bezzecchi will have 2021 bikes.
Gresini unveiled its new livery earlier this month, while Pramac is due to launch its season on 2 February.
