Paris: MotoGP world championship runner-up Francesco Bagnaia has signed a two-year contract extension with Ducati until the end of 2024, the team announced on Monday. The Turin native moved up from the Italian manufacturer’s satellite team Pramac last year and enjoyed a breakthrough season, finishing with victories in four of the last six races. However, his crash in October, while leading the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, cost him a chance of snatching the title from Fabio Quartararo of Yamaha. Bagnaia joined Pramac in 2019 after winning the 2018 Moto2 title. After finishing 16th in the riders’ standings in 2020, he was promoted to the factory team. At 24, he has emerged as the most serious rival to the star of the younger generation of riders, Frenchman Quartararo, who is 22. Bagnaia is a graduate of the VR46 Academy, a group of riders created by the now-retired Valentino Rossi. The MotoGP season starts on March 6 in Qatar.