Ducati sticks with Campioni In Pista for 2026 MotoGP launch
Madonna di Campiglio will again host Ducati’s MotoGP launch, as the brand unveils its 2026 Desmosedici GP and its pilots, Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia.
Ducati will once again head for the mountains to kick off its MotoGP campaign, confirming Madonna di Campiglio as the venue for the official launch of the 2026 Ducati Lenovo Team.
The three-day ‘Campioni In Pista’ event will run from January 18–20, with the covers coming off Ducati’s new Desmosedici GP machines on January 19 at 11 am. It continues a format Ducati has stuck with since 2023: snow, skis, sponsors and a carefully choreographed first look at the bikes that matter.
Both of Ducati’s star riders will be present. Marc Márquez arrives as the reigning MotoGP world champion, while Francesco Bagnaia continues his role as the team’s senior figure and double title winner. They’ll be joined by the full senior management line-up, including Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali, Corse boss Luigi Dall’Igna, team manager Davide Tardozzi and the rest of the decision-makers who shape Ducati’s MotoGP operation.
The riders taking on the challenge in 2026 are no surprise. Marc Marquez was mercurial last season, scooping eleven Grand Prix wins and more from the Sprint races. As Ducati’s former golden boy, Pecco Bagnaia, endured one of his toughest seasons to date, Marquez effectively carried Ducati to the team and manufacturer titles single-handedly.
The 2026 season also carries extra weight for the Italian brand, marking Ducati’s centenary year. While the Desmosedici GP has been the class benchmark in recent seasons, this launch will be about reinforcing continuity rather than tearing up the script. Same venue, same event, same message: Ducati is confident enough to stick with what’s working.
Madonna di Campiglio has become something of a winter base for Ducati, helped by its long-standing partnership with Audi and the predictable mix of Alpine scenery and controlled access. From a PR point of view, it’s tidy and familiar, and Ducati clearly sees no reason to move the show elsewhere.
Sporting director Mauro Grassilli underlined that relationship, pointing to the long-standing ties between Ducati Corse and the region, and confirming that the focus of the event will again be a mix of motorsport, partners and informal interaction rather than any major technical revelations.
He said:
"Madonna di Campiglio is a wonderful location - not only for its natural beauty, but also for its ski venues - with which Ducati Corse has built a deep friendship over the years. I'm pleased to confirm that, in 2026, the Ducati Lenovo Team season presentation, together with Marc, Pecco, Claudio, Gigi, and all our partners, will be held again in the Dolomites with a three-day event dedicated to motorsports, the local area, and friendliness".
Don’t expect deep dives into aero packages or engine changes just yet. For now, Ducati is doing what dominant teams tend to do: keep things stable, keep the spotlight on its riders, and let the rest of the paddock guess what’s changed under the fairings.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!