Ducati Set For MXGP Debut With Cairoli
Cycle News Staff | August 8, 2024
Ducati is set to make their MXGP racing debut at the Dutch GP on August 17th and 18th in Arnhem, Netherlands, with Tony Cairoli at the controls of the all-new Desmo450 MX. The nine-time world champion is essentially a wild-card entry for the MXGP round as the Ducati team will return their focus to the Italian Championship in September after the Dutch GP. Their goal is said to be racing the full MXGP series in 2025 and likely the USA come 2026.
Ducati is set for their MXGP debut with Tony Cairoli at the Dutch GP on August 17th. Photos: Ducati
“Today, mark an historical moment for MXGP as we welcome the coming of a prestigious manufacturer, Ducati, which is marking a new step in the development of this great sport,” said Infront Moto Racing CEO, David Luongo. “Thanks to the work we have been doing for decades, we are elevating the popularity of MXGP worldwide. This is the best platform to develop prototype motorcycles for the market and we wish them years of great success in our sport. This new addition will continue to elevate the competition in the future with the other official manufacturers and we cannot wait to witness this arrival.
Ducati is currently doing real-world race testing in the Italian National Championship.
It’s also a great pleasure to have Antonio Cairoli, a true legend of our sport, to be back in Arnhem. I’m sure that many fans will be present to witness his comeback which will be a great moment of sport. I want to thank Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali, General Manager Ducati Corse Off-Road Division Paulo Ciabatti and Ducati Corse Factory MX Team Manager Marco Maddii for this exciting new project, and I welcome all Ducati to MXGP!”
Ducati’s new Desmo450 MX.
Via Ducati – Ducati is preparing for a historic debut in the MXGP World Championship with Tony Cairoli. The nine-time world champion will compete in the Netherlands on the Desmo450 MX, the motorcycle that will take part in next year’s MXGP World Championship and go into production, marking the company’s entry into the off-road segment. The Dutch Grand Prix, to be held on August 17th and 18th on the Arnhem track, is an important step in developing the future Desmo450 MX with the goal of participating in the entire championship in 2025 and will be the company’s first round in the World MXGP.
The prototype’s development program will continue on August 31st and September 1st at Castiglione del Lago in the fifth round of the Italian Championship. Alessandro Lupino currently leads the general classification with two rounds to go after the results obtained in the last round of the Italian MX Championship at Ponte a Egola. In the Tuscan race, Cairoli, on his return to competition, won the first heat. Alessandro Lupino won overall and took the lead in the championship, thus confirming early competitiveness withÍ the Desmo450 MX.
