Ducati Desmosedici GP26 in high-res – Team Launch

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MotoGP 2026

Ducati Lenovo Team

Ducati has unveiled its 2026 MotoGP line-up and Desmosedici GP at Madonna di Campiglio, marking the official start of a season that carries both historical significance and strategic importance for the Borgo Panigale manufacturer.

Luigi Dall’Igna – Ducati Corse General Manager

“This season, in terms of value and hopefully also the show on track, is unlike any of the previous ones. We will celebrate Ducati’s centenary and, at the same time, it will be a year of transition, considering the radical change in the regulations in 2027. Racing has always been part of Borgo Panigale’s DNA, and we hope to honour this extremely important milestone by showcasing the technology of our bikes and setting new records. We are proud to wear the Rosso Centenario and the white stripes on the fairings of the new Desmosedici GP bikes to fight, as Ducati, for the seventh manufacturers’ title in a row and the sixth riders’ title in our roll of honor. These are ambitious goals and it’s difficult to think of more. I have little to add also speaking about Marc and Pecco: they are two Champions, different but both Champions. Marc has proven himself to be a champion capable of overcoming all adversity to find peace, victory, and speed. Pecco struggled, but he never gave up and put his talent to the test, demonstrating that he can return to being a true protagonist. Thanks to all our partners and Madonna di Campiglio, which welcomes us to its truly evocative setting for the presentation of the Ducati Lenovo Team. With the entire team, we are ready to face 2026 with maximum commitment and motivation”.

While this event represents the formal launch of the GP26, it is widely understood within the paddock that the machine revealed in Italy is unlikely to be the one that lines up unchanged on the grid for the season opener in Thailand on March 1. With official testing still to come at Sepang and Buriram, Ducati is expected to trial a range of updates that could see the Desmosedici evolve noticeably before the first race.

Márquez title masks a difficult end of ’25 and start to ’26

Marc Márquez enters 2026 as reigning MotoGP World Champion, having delivered one of the most remarkable comeback seasons of his career, but the 32-year-old has to complete another comeback in 2026 after a collision with Bezzecchi at Mandalika sidelined the Spaniard for the remainder of the year. The damage and subsequent surgery mean Márquez is unlikely to be anywhere near full strength for the early pre-season tests, particularly during the physically demanding Sepang outing early next month.

Reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Márquez begins his 2026 campaign recovering from serious injuries

That context is significant as Ducati works through the early phases of GP26 development. Márquez’s feedback remains invaluable, but his immediate priority will be regaining full confidence and fitness rather than pushing experimental setups to their limits.

Marc Márquez

“2025 was a key moment in my life and career. A challenge against all odds, to prove to myself first that I could win again. I don’t pay much attention to numbers and records, but 2026 represents an additional challenge. Reaffirming my position will be even more difficult, but we have the ability to make the most of the Desmosedici GP package, which is the most competitive and reliable. Regaining my riding confidence after the injury is the first goal, then putting on a show on the track with the Ducati Lenovo Team, whose colours I will try to honor to the best of my ability again this year. In the first training sessions on the bike, the sensations were more than positive, but Malaysia will be the first real test of the season”.

GP25 lessons shaping GP26 philosophy

Despite Ducati’s continued success, the GP25 proved to be a divisive package, and many within the MotoGP paddock believed the GP24 was ultimately the faster, more balanced and rider-friendly machine.

Several Ducati riders privately suggested the GP25 offered peak performance gains but lacked the predictability of its predecessor, especially on corner entry and under tyre load. Márquez’s ability to compensate masked those shortcomings; however, Pecco Bagnaia had a much tougher time of it and seemed somewhat lost.

Francesco Bagnaia

“I’m leaving behind a challenging year, but one that has taught me so much and has further strengthened my desire to return to the track as soon as possible with the new Desmosedici GP. It was important to go all the way, never giving up, to face every situation and to learn from every experience. The 2026 season will have a special significance: a new opportunity to demonstrate our full potential in the year of Ducati’s centenary celebrations and with a truly impressive livery. I count the hours until the first test: I’m really happy to be reunited with the entire Ducati Lenovo Team and to get back to work to be among the protagonists and have fun”.

Launch spec unlikely to be final race spec

Although the GP26 has now been publicly presented, it is common practice for Ducati to introduce incremental aerodynamic, chassis, and electronic updates during pre-season testing. Sepang will serve as the first major evaluation point, with Buriram expected to refine race-specific configurations ahead of the Thai Grand Prix.

As a result, the Desmosedici that appears at the season opener is likely to differ in both detail and behaviour from the version shown this week at Madonna di Campiglio.

Ducati Desmosedici GP26 MotoGP bike in Rosso Centenario livery.

Ride-height focus continues ahead of 2027 ban

One area attracting particular attention is ride-height control. While active ride-height devices are set to be banned from 2027, anecdotal paddock feedback suggests Ducati has made significant off-season progress in static and semi-passive lowering strategies. Ducati appears intent on maximising the advantage in 2026.

Early talk points to machines running at lower levels than ever during acceleration and braking, improving stability and drive while remaining within current regulations. If confirmed on track, this could represent one of Ducati’s last major opportunities to exploit ride-height performance before the regulatory reset.

Centenary season framed by future change

The Rosso Centenario livery celebrates Ducati’s 100-year history, but the centenary season is also a bridge to a very different MotoGP era. With 850 cc engines and Pirelli tyres arriving in 2027, 2026 represents Ducati’s final opportunity to refine its current concept before a clean-sheet reset.

Rather than a victory lap, the season shapes up as a strategic consolidation exercise, aimed at avoiding the missteps of the GP25 while ensuring Ducati enters the new regulation cycle from a position of strength.

Early tests will set the tone

The first real answers will come during Sepang testing in early February, followed by the final pre-season outing at Buriram. For Ducati, the focus will be less on outright lap times and more on long-run consistency, tyre behaviour and rider confidence before locking in the GP26 design ahead of the March 1 season opener in Thailand.

Ducati Desmosedici GP26 Images

Ducati Desmosedici GP26 in Rosso Centenario livery.

Luigi Dall'Igna - Ducati Corse General Manager

Claudio Domenicali – CEO Ducati Motor Holding

“We couldn’t present the Ducati Lenovo Team any other way than here, in the spectacular setting of Madonna di Campiglio, where we return for the fourth year in a row and at a particularly significant moment for Ducati: our Centenary. We enter 2026 with sporting results that speak for themselves and a team that, over time, has demonstrated extraordinary work ethic and consistency: four consecutive Riders’ titles and six Manufacturers’ titles are the result of a precise path, not isolated incidents. The Ducati Lenovo Team today represents the most advanced synthesis of the Ducati method, combining technical expertise, solid organisation, and constant ambition. With Marc and Pecco, we have two extraordinary Champions, driven by extremely strong motivation and objectives, ready to seek new confirmations and important answers. Alongside them is the Desmosedici GP, a bike born from continuous evolution and targeted technical choices, which represents the pinnacle of our technological vision and which, in this special year, we have made even more iconic by dressing it in a red that recalls our history. It is with this combination of people, riders, and bikes that we face the future upcoming season, with the determination to continue to be competitive and achieve new sporting successes”.

2026 MotoGP Dates

Date	Event	Circuit
01/03	THA	Chang International Circuit
22/03	BRA*	Autodromo Internacional Ayrton Senna
29/03	USA	Circuit of the Americas
12/04	QAT	Lusail International Circuit
26/04	ESP**	Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto
10/05	FRA	Le Mans
17/05	CAT	Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
31/05	ITA	Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello
07/06	HUN	Balaton Park Circuit
21/06	CZE	Automotodrom Brno
28/06	NED	TT Circuit Assen
12/07	GER	Sachsenring
09/08	GBR	Silverstone Circuit
30/08	ARA	MotorLand Aragon
13/09	SMR	Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
20/09	AUT	Red Bull Ring-Spielberg
04/10	JPN	Mobility Resort Motegi
11/10	INA	Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit
25/10	AUS	Phillip Island
01/11	MAS	Petronas Sepang International Circuit
11/15	POR	Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
22/11	VAL	Circuit Ricardo Tormo