2005 Ducati GP5 LC2
Loris Capirossi’s Malaysian GP winner and Japanese and Qatar Pole Position GP5, acquired directly from Ducati.
-
Overview
Winner of the 2005 Malaysian GP
Pole Positions in Japan and Qatar
Ex-Works Factory GP5
Unquestionable provenance
Acquired by the previous owner direct from Ducati
Part of the Historic Collection since Nov 2019
-
2005 would be the year in which the Ducati MotoGP team would begin to come of age and the motorcycle you see here was crucial to that happening.
Despite a win in Barcelona during the team’s inaugural 2003 season, 2004 was a largely barren year for Ducati. But 2005 saw the tide begin to turn and Ducati start to flourish as serious Championship contenders against Japanese veterans Honda & Yamaha.
The motorcycle presented here played a vital role in Ducati’s 2005 effort and, as Loris Capirossi’s qualifying bike at Round 12 in Japan, scored a convincing pole position at the Motegi circuit – some five tenths quicker than both John Hopkins’ Suzuki and Marco Melandri’s Honda.
Capriossi would go on to win in Japan, scoring only the second victory for the Italian team, using a second bike at his disposal for race duty on Sunday.
One week later the same two bikes travelled with their jubilant rider for Round 13 in Malaysia. For this GP the two bikes swapped jobs; the Japan race winner (Chassis LC1) was dispatched for qualifying, where it landed pole, and this bike (Chassis LC2) was promoted to run in the race.
Optimising his pole, Capirossi led from the lights and left the drama behind him. Commanding the race, the No.65 bike remained unchallenged until the halfway point. On the verge of seven World Championships, and having started seventh on the grid, Valentino Rossi was on a full assault and the two Italians spent lap after lap trading the lead.
But it was Capirossi aboard this very motorcycle who emerged triumphant in Sepang, beating Rossi as he secured enough points to win the championship.
With little time to rest on any laurels, it was off to Qatar for the third and final back-to-back race in Asia. For this, the 14th round of the season, the two motorcycles reversed roles once more and our Ducati ended its career in style with yet another pole position.
With its races run this GP5 was acquired by a British private collector, whose passion for Ducati has granted him a unique relationship with the equally passionate Italians and has the honour of being able to own the Factory race bikes at the end of the season.
It was from this collector, who we have known very well for many years, that we were fortunate enough to secure the bike for our own collection.