What's your opinion? Should the newly crowned MotoGP & WSB Champions sport the number 1 plate or stick with their original race numbers? Below is an extract from an interview with Pecco Bagnaia on this subject. It's the big question that circles at this time of the year: will the MotoGP™ World Champion don the number one? After both Joan Mir (Repsol Honda) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) opted to remain with their trusted numbers following World Championship success, now all eyes switch to Italy's Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) following his 2022 premier class title. Speaking at the Valencia Test in November, the 26-year-old admitted he has "always been fascinated" by riders who opted to use the number 1 in the past and he then stirred up yet more intrigue when he used a number one plate at Valentino Rossi's '100km of Champions'. A month on and Bagnaia has admitted he's still undecided over whether he should use his tried and tested 63 or become the first MotoGP™ World Champion since Casey Stoner in 2012 to use the famous number one
Very few Moto GP riders of the modern era have that indelible link with their race number. Valentino Rossi immediately springs to mind and probably Jorge Lorenzo, Maverick Vinales and Cal Crutchlow. I have at the back of my mind, one rider even swapped back to their original number part way through the season as they felt the number 1 plate was a curse, a curse that seems to crop up in conversation quite often. I’m not so sure riding with the number 1 plate has that association with kudos or cache any more especially as riders’ brands are intricately entwined with their race number. Andy
I agree, I think the last GP world champion to run with the No: 1 Plate was Casey Stoner in 2008 and of course he lost it, that year to Rossi.
They should all be made to ride with the number allocated to them by the governing body as per their results in the previous seasons championship. Anyone new to the championship gets given an unallocated number. sadly the riders put more interest in profit from their “lucky” numbers than pride in being number one. the sooner all these stupid lucky numbers are done away with the better.
It's superstition of course, just like when they were coincidentally wearing their girlfriends pants when they won their first race, so always want to wear them for a racing thereafter. And just like that lucky pair of 'pulling pants' you used to pull on every Friday night as a young lad going clubbing.
If I was fortunate enough to be one of the tiny number of people to become World Champion at anything then I would have that number 1 plate. Even if you never win the championship again you have a whole season and all of the pictures and videos of that one year. It’s a personal choice - some riders do it - some don’t - some are superstitious - some are just super motivated to build their brand and sell a bunch of merchandise. If you are Valentino Rossi or Marc Marquez and win every year in row then I guess having the number 1 plate all of that time would make selling merchandise quite difficult. So by keeping their ‘own’ number they make it a better brand and make more money. Riders have a relatively short career at the top - even Rossi with his incredibly long riding career still retired at 42. Only a very small number of racers are fortunate enough to get rich from it - many struggle to get by. All of them risk their lives and health to race - so if they want to use that small window of youth and success to make as much as they can from it then I don’t blame them. At any point injury could end their racing career. Foggy was forced to retire due to injury at 35 - it’s very fortunate for him that he had built a strong brand out of his nickname - he always took the number 1 plate when he could.
I’ve said my opinion before: if you win a title it should be mandated that you run no1 plate. The end.
It should be up to the reigning champion as to which is his favourite marketable number and font. Maybe number 1 on the back of their helmet, no one likes a show off who won something and just has to let everyone know….every fckn race weekend. Having it plastered all over your bike…….
He’s from Lancashire though and they all look old even the teenagers look 50 so hard to gauge accurately.
Mandatory. Part of the entry requirements: if you enter, and win, and are continuing in the same series you just carry 1 plate. I’ll keep saying it until those who make the rules agree
Hold your breath til they do bradders, those who win decide no one else. Rule1 no one can ride with number board 1, yeah yeah everyone knows who won last year it’s actually so last year.
Hmmmm, two of the three you mentioned have changed numbers in the premier class.... Lorenzo ran 48 for a few years then switched to 99 Vinales ran 25 then switched to 12 Didn't Danny run 2 then switch to 26 also? As for Pecco I'd be asked Ducati to give him a substantial amount of $$$ to run the No. 1 plate just think of the marketing they can do on the back of that, likewise all of their sponsors? In fact it wouldn't surprise me if Ducati/VAG haven't already had that conversation with him.
The Ducati team will display their new livery at the team launch on 23 January and Pecco will reveal the race number he's running this year.
