SBK, Ducati attacks rival manufacturers (except BMW): "They do nothing to improve"

Zambenedetti spoke clearly about Ducati’s situation in WorldSBK, also firing a jab at rival manufacturers.

The new Panigale V4 R is an absolutely successful project with still a bit of room for improvement. The results from the opening rounds of the 2026 Superbike season show that Ducati has done a great job putting a highly competitive bike on track with different riders. Nicolò Bulega is dominating, but Iker Lecuona and the other Ducati riders are also achieving good finishes.

The Bologna-based company can be proud of its work, even though starting from this round at Most there will be a new 0.5 kg/h cut in the fuel flow for the Panigale V4 R on the grid.

Marco Zambenedetti spoke to journalists at the Most Autodrome and took stock of the situation, confirming great satisfaction with the results achieved so far with the new Panigale: "At the start of the season I said we would need a few races to understand the bike’s real potential and today I can say we’re happy: the bike is good. It’s still a new project and so there are several details to sort out, but we are satisfied. Our private teams are improving as well. Of course, having the factory team’s data helps them, but they also have excellent riders."

Ducati’s technical coordinator also explained where there is room for improvement: "Due to the bad weather encountered during testing, we didn’t explore the bike much in terms of setup. And we didn’t explore some chassis parts we had prepared either. I hope next week we can work on it." Next week there is a test at Misano (May 20–21) and it will be an opportunity to work and make further progress; the competition will have to respond.

Zambenedetti was also asked about the new fuel flow reduction introduced to try to limit Ducati’s performance, and he took the opportunity to throw a few barbs at rival manufacturers: "There’s a huge effect on power delivery. It’s easy to win against others, when the others do nothing to improve. Except for BMW, I don’t see anything from the other manufacturers. I’m disappointed. I expect much more than this from them. Maybe they’ve decided not to improve their bikes, their way of working, and their riders so they can complain about those who are doing a good job, like us."

Bulega and Lecuona have been finishing 1–2 for several races and there isn’t much spectacle on track. More battles and more brands involved would be needed to make Superbike more interesting for fans, TV, and sponsors. The Ducati executive expressed himself on the matter as follows: "We are concerned about this, because we are here to promote our product and if there isn’t enough following in the championship, in the end investments are not rewarded. As Ducati, it’s difficult to say what should be done. We are open to discussing with the other manufacturers what they might need to address their weak points and to having flexibility in the rules. But the concept must be that they have to work; they cannot get performance for free. It wouldn’t be respectful to those who are working, like us and like BMW."

In 2027 Michelin will replace Pirelli as the sole tire supplier for WorldSBK. Zambenedetti explained what the testing plan is at the moment: "There will be a test organized by Michelin at Aragon after the race weekend. I can’t say how many riders will take part, but the factory teams should be there. We look forward to trying the tires. The next test will be at Jerez, after the final round. I don’t know if in between we’ll manage to do something with Michelin; I hope so, because during the winter it’s always difficult to find the right weather conditions."