Which rider gave Ducati its first MotoGP race win at the 2003 Catalan Grand Prix?

Loris Capirossi gave Ducati its first MotoGP race win at the 2003 Catalan Grand Prix.

The race took place on 15 June 2003 at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona. Capirossi started from second on the grid and led Ducati to a landmark victory in only its sixth MotoGP race of the modern era. He finished 3.075 seconds ahead of Valentino Rossi’s Honda, with Sete Gibernau taking third.

The result was especially significant because Ducati had only just returned to premier-class Grand Prix racing. Its Desmosedici GP3 was fast in a straight line and competitive immediately, while Capirossi’s experience helped convert that performance into the company’s first victory.

This race is often confused with Ducati’s first MotoGP podium, which came earlier in 2003 at the Japanese Grand Prix. Capirossi’s Catalan victory was the first win, not the first podium, and teammate Troy Bayliss finished tenth in the race.