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DUCATI KICKS OFF THE 2026 RACING SEASON WITH TWO HOMAGE LIVERIES AT VALENCIA MOTOGP TESTING

Published: 2025-11-18 16:15:25 Last Updated: 2025-11-20 16:28:03

Ducati is kicking off its 2026 season by diving straight into its own racing legacy, rolling out two special liveries at the Valencia MotoGP tests as a tribute to the brand’s upcoming centenary. Francesco Bagnaia’s Desmosedici GP channels the iconic 750 Imola Desmo that Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari turned into legend at the 1972 Imola 200 Miles, while Nicolò Bulega’s bike reflects the 750 Supersport Desmo colours of Franco Uncini’s 1975 championship-winning machine. It’s a full-throttle salute to Ducati’s most formative racing chapters, and it arrives after a season where the Borgo Panigale squad once again proved untouchable. In MotoGP alone, Ducati rewrote the script: Marc Márquez stormed to the world title with five races still in hand, Álex Márquez locked down second for a factory-customer one-two, and Bagnaia closed the year in the top five - cementing a run of four consecutive riders’ titles with three different champions. Add the sixth straight Constructors’ crown, the Teams’ title, and full Ducati-powered lockouts from Gresini and VR46, and 2025 ends with Ducati sitting firmly at the top of the motorcycling universe.

Beyond the red-hot fireworks of MotoGP, Ducati’s broader 2025 campaign was a masterclass in engineering depth. The Desmosedici GP spent the entire season on the podium despite zero technical concessions, proving the maturity of Ducati’s all-Italian performance DNA. In WorldSBK, the Panigale V4 R earned Ducati its 21st Manufacturers’ Title from 38 championships and its fourth in a row, bowing out in style before a brand-new generation takes over in 2026. The latest Panigale V4 dominated production-based series too, winning in Italy’s CIV, Germany’s IDM, and even scoring the Daytona 200 with the Panigale V2. Ducati’s off-road programme kept its momentum building, with MXGP podiums from Jeremy Seewer, a strong MX2 campaign with the Desmo250 MX, and the brand’s first official Motocross of Nations appearance—setting the stage for a massive 2026 AMA Supercross debut. It all leads into Ducati’s 100th birthday and World Ducati Week 2026, where a century of Italian speed, engineering swagger, and racing heritage will be celebrated the only way Ducati knows how: loudly, proudly, and flat-out.

Take a look at the YouTube video that shows some testing at Jerez. Sure, it's not the bikes we're talking about, but it's still cool. We're keeping an eye out for footage of these new liveries at the Valencia testing: Bulega Rides Ducati Desmosedici GP25 MotoGP for The First Time at Jerez Test #motogptest #bulega | News on Track

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