Image: Supplied.

The striking new Ducati ‘Desmo450 MX’ factory motocross prototype has been formally uncovered at the team’s presentation in Madonna di Campiglio during the Campioni in Pista event.

It will be the base that Antonio Cairoli continues to develop in 2024, while Alessandro Lupino will contest the Italian championship – set to debut at Mantua on 16-17 March – within the Ducati Corse R&D program.

“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,” said Ducati Motor Holding CEO Claudio Domenicali.

“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 color 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.

Image: Supplied.

“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.”

Data from this year’s Italian series will contribute to the development of the Desmo450 MX that will go into production in the second half of 2025. Ducati is expected to contest the MXGP World Championship from 2025, followed by a full-scale entry into the American championships as soon as 2026.

Image: Supplied.