The new Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team
On October 24th, Ducati made a significant announcement regarding its foray into the motocross domain, unveiling a forthcoming lineup of models slated for release in the coming years. Subsequently, Ducati Corse Off-Road, the division overseeing racing endeavours involving off-road motorcycles, officially introduced two prototypes earmarked for deployment by Antonio Cairoli and Alessandro Lupino in the 2024 season. This unveiling took place at the Campioni in Pista event held in Madonna di Campiglio.
The newly christened Desmo450 MX, showcased the racing livery it will don for competitions this year, notably in the Italian Motocross Pro – Prestige MX1 Championship. The Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team, under the management of Corrado and Marco Maddii, is steering the campaign. The primary objective for this inaugural racing season revolves around gathering valuable data and insights from the competitive arena to contribute to the development of the Desmo450 MX, slated for production in the latter half of 2025.
Alessandro Lupino is set to spearhead participation in all rounds of the Italian Championship, concurrently engaging in an intensive testing program. Joining him in this endeavor is Antonio Cairoli. The much-anticipated race debut of the Ducati Desmo450 MX is scheduled for March 16 and 17 in Mantua, marking the commencement of the Italian Motocross Pro Prestige MX1 Championship.
Claudio Domenicali (CEO of Ducati Motor Holding) said, “It is a great pleasure to inaugurate another Ducati racing season in Madonna di Campiglio, a location that perfectly expresses the values of ‘Made in Italy,’ of which we are proud ambassadors and which last year represented the starting point of an unforgettable season. The path that has led us to be the best in the world in racing is undoubtedly made up of the hard daily work of these years, but also of our ability to work as a team and have fun while putting our maximum effort into what we do.
One of the strong elements of our brand is the ability to create a system, and today we demonstrate this by jointly presenting the official teams for the 2024 racing season: the Ducati Lenovo Team, the Aruba.it – Racing Ducati Team, and the novelty represented by the Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team. Seeing the three bikes next to each other was a great emotion for me because, although different from each other, they are part of a single project. This belonging is underlined by the basic colour of the liveries, Ducati Red, the same for all, and also by a completely new graphic sign that recalls the curve present in the Ducati logo, inspired by the most exciting part of riding a motorbike: the bend.
At the same time, these bikes are also an expression of the path that Ducati has taken in recent years, investing in its future. The entry into motocross is, in fact, the clear example that our will to improve and our desire to win have no limits. In these two days, we will have the opportunity to give ourselves the right energy for a season that promises to be full of challenges, in which we will try to confirm our leadership in the main track racing world championships and demonstrate our capabilities in a new terrain such as specialist off-road. Challenges have always encouraged us to bring out the best, and we feel absolutely ready.”
