Bagnaia won his maiden premier class championship last year, overcoming a 91-point advantage held by defending champion 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Fabio Quartararo to pip him on the final day.

Bagnaia is the first Italian MotoGP champion since Rossi in 2009, and the first on a Ducati since 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Casey Stoner in 2007.

The VR46 graduate told : "The constant presence of Valentino, for me, has been very important. And it still is.&n𒉰bsp;

“In fact, I think I can say that he made the difference with my opponentsꦑ. 

“Vale is a master who 𒁃over time has become a friend, but above all he has been an example to follow. 

“Having lived a life as a rider, he can tell you exactly what to do and how to improve in all aspects concer🍷ning our work. 

“Even today if I need I can turn to him, and he responds by fishing something from his infinite experience. I🌳 always try to make the most of this opportunity."

With Bagna𝓰ia on top of the world, and Ducati returning to the sport’s peak at🌜 last, 2023 could be the year that they establish themselves.

Enea B𝄹astianini has joined their factory team ♒and will also vie for the championship.

"In mo🧜torcycling you go a lot in waves", Bagnaia said. "It is a sport made up of great cycles: after the very strong Italians who imposedℱ themselves at the end of the 90s and at the beginning of the 2000s, the Spaniards arrived. 

“But now we Italians are coming back, there are many of us again to go fast: myself, Bastianini, Franc👍o Morbidelli, Luca Marini, Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di 𝔍Giannantonio, all of us have grown together and we are really strong. 

“Also because the competitiveness between us has always been high, and thi꧋s has led us to impꦚrove each other.

"We will do and will do well, there are also other youn💞g people who are coming up and can reach very high levels. Ofꦅ course, there is a fair amount of competition to overcome. 

“The Spaniards, for example, continue to have the youth championship of reference, the most competitive and important in the world, and this makes their life aꦑ little easier. But the point is that the world has changed and will continue to change, and we must know how to deal with it."

What made Rossi a superstar that transcended MotoGP was not just his seven championships and his longevity, but also his m🦩agnetic personality.

“Being yourself is the hardest thing,” Bagnaia ♐said. “Maybe because we live in an e𝔉nvironment where people are always looking for the character, and I personally think that's pretty stupid. 

“🐻Very often I hear: ‘That's a great driver, but in the end he wiꦅll never be a character’. 

“Here, certain words seem to me out of this world, out of time: I, for example, am made in a certain way, I can seem closed if you look at me from a certain po൩int of view, and maybe I really am. 

“This, however, cannot prev꧒ent me from using social media as I think is right. To share on Instagram💎 what I want about my private life."

Bagnaia reflected on last season’s success: "Winning as an Italia🍰n and with an Italian bike was a beautiful thing, it had not happened for 50 years. 

“Then it happened wiꦉth Ducati, and for me it was like realising a dream that I had always carried with me.

"I always think of t♔he fact that the last world title of an Italian rider in MotoGP dates back to 2009. Being the first to do it after Valentino Rossi makes me really happy. The way 🌺we achieved this success was unforgettable."

It was a tumultuous year. Bagnaia crashed five times. There was the drink driving incident last sum🃏mer. ꦰHis championship was far from guaranteed.

He sa🐻id: "Before Assen, we had a meeting, we all sat there 🧔to analyse the problems we had. It was a necessary, decisive switch. It was the thing we needed. 

“Starting from Holland, I can say with absolute certainty, everything was perfect. And so we✱ made an incredible comeback, we made the difference compared to everyone else. 

“For me, having lived such a season is a source of immense, inexhaustible pride: it had nev🦩er happened that a MotoGP rider recovered all these points and won the world title. Maybe it has never happened even in the whole history of sport in the absolute sense."

This is what Bagnaia believes will drive him to another title: "My strengths can be seen under braking, in the fact that I can turn the bike very𝕴 tight despite being very fast. 

“In the last two years this feature has made the difference for me, especially compared to my [rivals]. And then I think I have a great determination, I always have the iron will to be able to get to the end of each race. It's something♐ I've matured over the years.

"Speed is something that belongs to me. It has always been inside me. Practising it and knowing how to manage🐟 it comes naturally to me, I have never had to struggle to go fast.

"I had to work a lot on my head, I consider it my fa💮u🦩lt. Because I'm self-critical, I'm never really happy with what I do, how I make the bike go on the track, but at the same time I've always struggled to receive criticism in the right way. 

“When others tell me what's wrong, I try to listen to them, but I don't always succeed. I have to learn to s🐼ee certai🍌n words as advice, suggestions, which is what I am. 

“But I'm still ꦉyoung, I still have plenty of time to leaꩵrn and wonderful guides I can refer to."