Ducati MX between mud and glory: struggles in the World Championship, European celebration with Mancini

Ducati not shining at the start of this Motocross season. Struggling in the World Championship, but there’s joy in the European series.

Let’s say this 2026 hasn’t started on the right foot for Ducati. In Switzerland too, their riders had a tough time in the Motocross World Championship, bringing home a top 10 with Calvin Vlaanderen, but the joy comes from the European series, held in parallel on the Frauenfeld track (or rather, in the mud, given the rain that certainly didn’t help). Simone Mancini, Beddini Racing rider, clinched 2nd overall, a historic first podium for the Desmo250 MX, right where the Borgo Panigale brand scored its first podium with the 450 last year. A satisfaction in this less-than-ideal start to the championship, and not only because of the prolonged absences of Bonacorsi in MXGP and Zanchi in MX2... Let’s recap how it went.

A solid motivational boost likely came from his excellent MX2 world debut standing in for the injured Zanchi. What’s certain is that Simone Mancini performed well in the second round of the EMX250 European Championship in Switzerland: 4th in Saturday’s first moto, then he improved again in Sunday’s second race. Great jump out of the gate, with the Desmo250 MX in the top five at the first corner. Mancini settled into 4th, but as the rain intensified, making the track trickier, he struggled to find a good pace and began losing positions. He was 7th at mid-race, until he managed to set a much better rhythm in the second half and claw back ground on his rivals.

The comeback allowed him to cross the line in 3rd, and the combined results put him 2nd on the day, as well as 9th in the championship. A vital confidence boost for Ducati! “It was a beautiful weekend!” an enthusiastic Simone Mancini said, for whom this podium means a great deal. “After two difficult years for me, I’ve bounced back and this lifts my spirits. From free practice I felt comfortable with the track, I took pole in qualifying and had a good Race 1. The second moto was great too, especially in the final laps, with all those overtakes that took me to the podium. I’m satisfied and I want to thank all of Ducati and the Beddini team, the mechanics and everyone close to me—now it’s time to focus on Riola.”

A historic circuit that has hosted Motocross World Championship Grands Prix since 1981, with a particularly hard, stony base, made slick and heavy by the rain that fell from late Saturday afternoon through the night and into Sunday’s first motos. That was the backdrop for the third round of 2026, the same situation for everyone, with all the related issues also affecting the two remaining riders of the Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team. The home crowd’s main focus was Jeremy Seewer, who ended up with 12th in Race 1 and 16th in Race 2, which translated into P15 on the day and 17th in the championship.

On the other side was Calvin Vlaanderen, who put the Desmo450 MX in the top 10 at this Swiss GP: 13th in Saturday’s qualifying race, not brilliant off the line in Race 1, but he managed to climb back to 10th at the flag, while in Race 2 he logged an 8th place. Combined, that meant 9th overall for the GP, allowing him to hold the same position in the championship. Now we look ahead to the next two rounds in Riola Sardo and Pietramurata, home events for the tricolor brand, with hopes of achieving something more.