100 years of Ducati and a record-breaking World Ducati Week

On Saturday evening, hundreds of drones lit up the sky above Misano with a choreographed display of iconic images from Ducati’s history. The ‘Lenovo Race of Champions’ once again provided a unique spectacle, with Ducati’s greatest champions competing against one another. Nicolò Bulega secured victory ahead of Alberto Surra and Lorenzo Baldassarri.

Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati, said: “The anniversary edition of World Ducati Week has exceeded all expectations. The extraordinary number of visitors makes it the biggest and most international WDW ever.”

Word Ducati Week in Misano: Das Epizentrum des Ducati-Universums

Foto: Ducati

Ducati celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer with an unprecedented event that brought together enthusiasts, champions, legends and motorbikes. For three days, the Misano World Circuit was the beating heart of the global Ducati community.

Anstehen für den 18 km langen Corso nach Riccione

Foto: Ducati

A total of 118,036 participants from 94 countries and five continents travelled to the event to celebrate under the motto ‘Live the Legend – Celebrate 100 Years Together’. Legends and current riders, representing a total of 37 world championship titles, came together on the racetrack.

Race of Champions: Showrennen mit allen aktuellen Spitzenfahrern der Marke

Foto: Ducati

Domenicali particularly highlighted the traditional parade on Friday: an 18 km-long red procession of Ducati motorbikes stretched from the racetrack to Samsara Beach in Riccione. Whilst the front of the procession had already arrived, the last motorbikes were only just leaving the track. The subsequent drone and video show recounted the milestones of the century.

Selbst der Himmel grüsste die Ducatisti

Foto: Ducati

The fourth edition of the Lenovo Race of Champions was a highlight of the international motorcycling calendar. Riders from the MotoGP, Superbike and Supersport World Championships, as well as national championships, competed against one another on identical Panigale V4 Tricolore bikes. Pole-setter Nicolò Bulega celebrated a start-to-finish victory.

Saturday evening was all about the global Ducati family, represented, amongst others, by the 275 official Ducati Clubs (D.O.C.) from around the world. Against an emotional backdrop, legends such as Casey Stoner, Troy Bayliss, Carl Fogarty and Loris Capirossi appeared alongside current stars such as Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez – in the same year that Ducati turns 100, the 100th MotoGP victory.

In the Ducati World, fans were able to experience the model range up close, including collector’s items such as the Superleggera V4 Centenario. In addition, the new Desmo 450 SM made its world debut in the Supermotard segment. The ‘100 Years, 100 Stories, One Legend’ exhibition was on display in the Heritage Village. The Heritage Contest was won by a 1999 Ducati 996 SPS Factory Replica.

WDW 2026 also set new standards digitally: “FantaWDW” recorded over 220,000 sessions, the website generated more than 2 million page views, and there were 21 million impressions on social media. The livestream of the Race of Champions was watched by 700,000 people worldwide.

The event also made a social contribution: a portion of the proceeds from helmet and leather clothing storage in the paddock went to the anti-violence centre “CHIAMA chiAMA”, which campaigns against gender-based violence.