After a spectacular debut season with Ducati, Gresini has revealed its MotoGP 2023 look for new rider Alex Marquez and team-mate Fabio di Giannantonia.
After parting ways with Aprilia and enduring the pain of losing team boss Faust Gresini, Enea Bastianini provided instant success to the new-look Gresini Ducati partnership, ending the team's 15-year MotoGP win drought at the season opener in Qatar.
The Italian went on to score three more wins and third place in the classification on the year-old Desmosedici, earning him promotion to the factory Ducati team alongside world champion Francesco Bagnaia in 2023.
Stepping into Bastianini's place is another former Moto2 world champion, Alex Marquez, who joined motorcycling's elite class in 2020 alongside his brother Marco at Repsol Honda. Meanwhile, Fabio di Giannantonio remains at Gresini for his second season in this class.
The MotoGP team's latest livery – unveiled alongside the Moto2 and MotoE projects today in Italy, at a ceremony attended by Ducati Corse CEO Gigi Dall'Igna – continues the recognizable 'retro' light blue with the addition of red, which he designed Aldo Drudi.
However, (Ducati's) red is now more prominent, occupying the lower half of the rider's protective suit and a slightly larger part of the motorcycle.
While Felo is Gresini's title sponsor in MotoE (replacing red with yellow) and QJMOTOR entered Moto2 this year, Gresini remains without a main sponsor in the MotoGP class. The 'Next' text from last year, present where the title sponsor should have been and indicating the team's next chapter or challenge, has been removed for 2023.
After Marco's hand injury, Alex Marquez impressed by taking Honda's only podium of the year, but he already knew he would be moving to the LCR satellite team in 2021.
The younger of the Marquez brothers' results on the poor-performing RC213V have been in decline since then, with world championship bests of fourth and 16th in his first year in the LCR followed by seventh and 17th overall last season.
The two-time world champion now starts afresh at Gresini for what is likely to be a top season as he looks to revive his winning form from the Moto3 and Moto2 classes.
"This team has a long history and I'm so excited to be here," Marquez said at the launch. "I tested dozens in Valencia, it was difficult to draw many conclusions, but the potential was there. The first feeling was pleasant, even with the team. We know what this motorcycle can do. Every season has its ups and downs, but if we work together through it all, we can have a really good season."
Di Giannantonio, who was promoted from Moto2 to MotoGP by agreement with the late team boss Faust Gresini, had a bittersweet debut season in the MotoGP class.
The young Italian delighted his team with home pole position in the tough conditions at Mugello, part of a promising mid-season run that culminated in eighth place in Germany.
But he later went six races without a point before finishing 15th in the final in Valencia to become the 20th and final Ducati rider in the world championship.
Di Giannantonio will work with Suzuki winner Joan Miro's crew chief Frankie Carchedi this season as he and Marquez re-use the year-old Desmosedic.
"We start 2023 with a pinch of more red, which means determination, passion, fire... I want to keep growing and doing well," said di Giannantonio.
“We want to approach this new season race by race, knowing that this is the right time: top ten should be the norm, while top five is a realistic goal. The squad is loaded and I've been training 300% - we're ready!”
Marquez and di Giannantonio will take to the track in the new colors during the official test in Sepang from 10-12 February.
Gresini's current contract with Ducati machinery expires at the end of this season, but the additional red paint on the bikes may hint at an extension of the partnership.
If you wish, you can donate to us quickly and securely via PayPal. Every contribution helps us, your team World of Speed!
You can donate at this link ->Donate