Bagnaia, this season, became the first champion since Stoner in 20🐎08 to defend his championship with #1 on the front of his bike.

Baꦜgnaia’s maiden title last season was the first for Ducati since 2007 when Stoner was on top of the sport.

“I’m pꦿroud that you’re wearing #1,” Stoner told Bagnaia in a face-to-face chat at Goodwood.

“There seems to be a taboo against wearing #1. If you’re the world champion then show it with pride༒.”

Bagnaia replied: “If y൩ou have the possibility, it’s the best thing to do.”

Stoner: “I agree.”

Bagna🔯ia: “When I saw for the first time the pictures of my bike with the #1, it🐻 was incredible.”

Stoner: “It’s something you dream of.”

Bagnaia was a young fan in Italy when the manufacturer took the 2007 MotoGP championship through Stoner, their 21-year-old riಌder.

“I grew up a fan of Du🍷cati,” Bagnaia remembered. “I saw Ducati win for the first time with Casey. I was made for Vale, I was a big💫 fan of Vale’s, but I was so happy for Ducati to win the title. It was Casey winning.”

But times have changed. Stoner might have competed against legends like Valent༒ino Rossi but he believes that Bagnaia has a harder job today.

“It’s different for Pecco than it was 𒉰for me,” Stoner said. 

“We were unexpecte🔴d, nobody had any expectation of us winning a championship.

“We were very for🎉tunate𝓰 that year. Everything went in our direction, most of the time.

“Now, everybody has a chance to win, on almosꦍt any bike or manufacturer in the championshi🍎p.

It makes Pecco’s job much more difficult. 

“For me, Pecco has done a fantastic job in a difficult moment in a MotoGP serie🍎s because of the amount of pressure, and the amount of people that are able to win.”

Bagnaia came back from a 91-point deficit to pip reigning champion Fabio Quartararo t𓄧o the 2022 title at t♐he final round.

“In Valencia was the first time that I felt a big, big weight on my shoulders,” 🌄he now admits.

“It was 15 years 🎀without a title. I was feeling it.”

St🍌oner said: “Everything was in that moment. It had to go right.”

Bagnaia: “It was easy to commit mistakes. I was not able to go in the front and go away, my pace wasn’t꧙ enough. We made a strategy to block Fabio. I did a bit but the race was a nightmare!”

Bagnai🐈a finished ninth, Quartararo fourth, enough to give the𝕴 Italian his first-ever title.

It was a historic moment - Ducati’🅷s first title since 2007, and the first for an Italian rider since Ros🍸si in 2009.

Stoner recalls his own f♊eelings of pressure at his decisive race in 2007: “It was the same for me in Japan. The set-up wa♛sn’t going well in the dry, the bike was a real struggle around Motegi. 

“We didn’t believe we were going to win the title. It was my worst race of the season but we managed to wꦉin the championship🌼.”

Bagnaia smiled: “The ta🌜ste is better! In Moto2 I won the title but the feeling is 20%. In Mo♚toGP it’s another story.”

Bagnaia is three points clear at the top of the MotoGP standings now, but the momentum is fully with fellow 𝓡Ducati rider Jorge Martin.