Marini, Bastianini secure MotoGP entries for 2021

The MotoGP grid for 2021 is almost complete, following the signing of Luca Marini and Enea Bastianini to Esponsorama Racing for the coming season.

The Italian pair move up to the premier class with the satellite Ducati team at the expense of Johann Zarco, who’s moving to the Pramac Racing Ducati, and Tito Rabat, who seems likely to be leaving MotoGP entirely.

Both riders are currently fighting for the Moto2 World Championship, with Bastianini holding a 19-point lead over Marini with two rounds of this year’s Moto2 championship remaining. Should either of the two win this year’s championship, it will be their first.

"We are very pleased to have reached this agreement thanks to which two young Italian talents will be able to make their debut in MotoGP next year on our Desmosedici GP bikes entrusted to the Esponsorama Racing team, “ said Luigi Dall'Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager.

Luca Marini

Making his mark in national-level Moto3 championships in Italy and Spain, Marini’s progress to the premier class has been fast tracked, stepping into Moto2 full time in 2016 after just one race the previous year and one start in Moto3 in 2013. A stepbrother to Valentino Rossi, Marini has raced under Rossi’s SKY Racing Team VR46 academy in the intermediate class since 2018 after two seasons with Forward Racing Team.

The 23-year-old from Urbino will carry his SKY Racing Team VR46 colours to Esponsorama Racing in 2021, despite the team already having their own sponsors.

At time of writing, Marini has recorded six race wins, eight other podiums and six poles in Moto2, with his most recent win being at Catalunya in September, following victories at the first rounds of both the Jerez and Misano double headers.

“Having this great opportunity to race in MotoGP in 2021 is a dream come true for me, it's the desire that every rider has had since childhood,” said Marini.

“In these years with Sky Racing Team VR46 I have accumulated a lot of experience, and thanks to them, I have grown and achieved my first important results.”

Enea Bastianini

Compared to his soon-to-be team mate, Bastianini has taken a more traditional path to the premier class, starting in Moto3 in 2014 and spending five seasons in the junior category, securing three race wins and 21 podiums along the way, with a best championship placing of second in 2016.

In his final year in Moto3, Bastianini replaced outgoing champion Joan Mir at Leopard Racing before Joining Moto2 in 2019 with Italtrans Racing Team.

Bastianini’s debut season in Moto2 was interrupted by injury and he finished the year in tenth place. This year has been more positive, with a debut class win at Jerez in August, then two more at Brno and Misano. Consistency has been Bastianini’s strong suit this year, with only one DNF and one race finish outside the top ten at time of writing.

The 22-year-old from Rimini took the Moto2 championship lead at Brno, but in a see-sawing battle with Marini and Sam Lowes, comes into the penultimate round with a six-point lead over Lowes, with Marini a further 13 points behind.

"Racing in MotoGP is a dream come true for me, and I'm happy to be able to do it with Ducati, of which I've been a big fan since the days of my idol Casey Stoner,” said Bastianini.

“It will undoubtedly be an important step that will push me to grow a lot, and I would like to move up as the Moto2 World Champion, even if it will not be easy.”