MotoGP 2022: Ducati Lenovo Team Combines Tech with Talent

The 2022 MotoGP season will be longer and more demanding than any in history, Ducati Lenovo Team members are redoubling their efforts to adapt and prepare for a wildly varied set of races across 17 countries.  They are relying on a broad range of Lenovo technology solutions to help them on and off the track. And while Ducati is favoured to win a third constructor’s championship, they cannot let up.

With 21 races – more than any other season in history – competition in the 2022 MotoGP will be especially fierce. And Ducati Corse is in it for the long haul.

MotoGP 2022 is taking riders to unfamiliar terrain, with courses last raced in a MotoGP season before many of today’s athletes were born. The second race of the season was MotoGP’s first street-style circuit and first time back in Indonesia since 1997. The Finnish Grand Prix will return after 39 years. New circuits to learn means anything can happen.

They’ll also return to beloved speedways that were skipped over in 2021 due to pandemic restrictions, including the stop-and-go course at Motegi, Japan and the fast corners of Phillip Island, Australia. As Technology Partner of Ducati Corse since 2018 and Title Partner beginning last year, Lenovo provides technology portable and reliable enough to journey anywhere. Lenovo is also continuing to help develop Ducati’s Remote Garage program, aimed at helping staff collaborate effortlessly around the world.

From the extreme dry heat of Qatar, where the season kicked off, to the intense humidity of Indonesia and Malaysia, the demands of MotoGP call for radically dependable technology to analyse data from the bikes. The ThinkSystem SE350 edge server is up to the task – not to mention powerful, portable, and secure.

“In terms of size, it is half of a traditional server but offers the same computing power and the same disk space, allowing us to bring compute capabilities and AI features wherever we need them,” said Gabriele Conti, Electronic Systems Director, Ducati Corse. Dependable power is imperative with expectations so high. With eight riders – a third of the field – Ducati has more bikes on the grid than any other manufacturer. Many are calling them this year’s favourite for the constructors’ championship. It would be their third win in a row.

And all eyes are on 2021 runner-up Francesco Bagnaia, who ended last season strong. After a year when eight different riders won races, 2022 is expected to be another ultra-competitive season. That means any extra advantage counts. Luckily, on a bike full of sensors—when every turn in a practice race is transformed to data—there are endless opportunities for a rider and his motorcycle to get more in-sync.  “A great thing is when you see something in the data, and then you try to do it on the track, and you succeed,” said Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Lenovo Team. “You gain two tenths, three tenths. It’s something that, without data, is impossible.”

From technicians analysing bike data with the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 mobile workstation to management turning to ThinkPad X1 Fold foldable PCs, Lenovo technology solutions are charting a smoother course for all.

That includes Ducati’s elite athletes, who use the technology not just at work, but at play.  “My favourite device is the Legion,” said Bagnaia of Lenovo’s gaming computer. “I’m using it every day when I need to relax. It lets me play with friends, to see races. What I like is the power that it has. It never has a problem. It’s so fast.”

“Traveling nowadays, I wouldn’t go anywhere without the Yoga Tab,” said Jack Miller, Ducati Lenovo Team. “I’m able to take it wherever. It’s like my third arm. The battery life is one of the biggest things I love.”

Of course, technology doesn’t just help them unwind. It also helps them be their best. Learning from data on a Saturday night means on Sunday morning riders can show up and be present, ready to put everything they have towards winning.

“You know how much tire you’re going to use; you know how much fuel you’re going to use. So, there are no real question marks coming into Sunday,” said Miller.  “You wake up free. You understand. You have no questions in your mind.”

With so many unknowns in a season, riders and fans alike can look forward to the thrill of unfamiliar courses being mastered. “Our team is powered by Lenovo and every single day on track we look at the data to improve our skills, our potential on the bike,” said Bagnaia.