Centenary Red for Ducati’s 100th anniversary, Marquez and Bagnaia ready to shine

A century of history and two aces to dominate once again. Ducati Lenovo lifts the veil on the new MotoGP season.

A special livery for Ducati’s 100th anniversary (a brand that has been part of the Audi group for years, but founded in Bologna in 1926), to shine with reigning champion Marc Marquez and with Pecco Bagnaia. "Champions on Track", the presentation held in Madonna di Campiglio that kicks off the 2026 MotoGP World Championship, celebrates an important birthday, but the challenge is also renewed to be protagonists with both riders, as always relying behind the scenes on the work of test rider Michele Pirro and the entire technical staff. Here is the Desmosedici Rosso Centenario.

A century of history rich in key moments, as Claudio Domenicali highlighted at the start of the event. An important milestone to celebrate with a new special livery, without forgetting the renewed motivation—from the riders to all the mechanics and engineers—to achieve the utmost. Domenicali also shared his best wishes for Audi, the group Ducati is part of, which this year will enter the Formula 1 World Championship.

"It’s getting better," said Marc Marquez, updating on his physical condition. "Thailand is the main target," he added. The Spaniard starts again as reigning champion after a historic season. "I have a great passion for competition, and a year like 2025 gives me even more motivation," he emphasized. "It gave me the strength to work hard during this long rehabilitation, with the thought of tasting victory again."

On the other side of the garage, a clear turnaround is expected after a year to forget: Pecco Bagnaia worked hard over the winter and, as he himself admitted, reflected on last season. "Last year was tough for me and the team, but with the work done over the winter we can improve." A disastrous 2025 to move on from, aiming to be far more of a protagonist in this new MotoGP season.

The focus is on the present, but inevitably also on the future. "We have two parallel projects; at the end of the year everything will change," Gigi Dall’Igna reminded. He highlighted the introduction of the ride height device on the current bike, which will be removed at the end of the 2026 season due to the new regulations. But one step at a time—for now, the priority is to perform well in this championship. "We all love winning; it’s part of our DNA," Dall’Igna stressed.

What will change specifically on the new Desmosedici? "We’ve worked on the front end and the frame to reduce vibrations, a frequent issue last year," explained technical director Davide Barana. "Beyond stability, we also have the latest and most sophisticated update of the ride height device. We’ve worked on the engine and there will be a new aerodynamic package." Continuous updates to be ever more competitive and continue to set the standard in MotoGP. That’s the goal, in response to rivals who are getting ever closer.