Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia (/bəˈnjaɪə/ bə-NY-EYE-ə; born 14 January 1997) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer competing in MotoGP for the Ducati Lenovo Team.^[1] He is the 2022 and 2023 MotoGP World Riders’ Champion.

Bagnaia was the 2018 Moto2 World Champion. He is the first and only rider from Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Riders Academy to win a world title in the premier class. His 2022 title was also the first Ducati rider World Championship in 15 years and the first for an Italian rider since Rossi in 2009.^[2]

Bagnaia was born in Turin, Italy, and rode Minimoto bikes from a young age, winning the European MiniGP championship in 2009. He made his pre-GP 125 Mediterranean championship debut with Monlau Competición team in 2010 and finished the season as runner-up. In 2011 he took part in the Spanish Championships in the 125cc category, winning a race, and finishing third in the final standings.^[3] In the 2012 CEV Moto3 season he rode a Honda NSF250R and once again finished 3rd in the championship behind Álex Márquez and Luca Amato, with a race win and two 2nd places in seven races.^[4] Bagnaia joined the VR46 Riders Academy, and remains a member.^[5]

Bagnaia made his Grand Prix debut in the 2013 Moto3 World Championship, with Team Italia FMI riding a Honda alongside his teammate Romano Fenati. The season was a disappointing year for Bagnaia as he did not manage to get a single point in the 17 races he participated in. His best race was a 16th-place finish at Sepang.