Ducati’s dominance in the 2026 SBK World Championship: It’s the people who make the difference

Ducati has produced an outstanding motorbike in the current Panigale V4R. Of a possible 72 podium places, only seven did not go to Ducati. The result: by the eighth round of the 2026 Superbike World Championship season, Ducati is already uncatchable in the manufacturers’ championship.

The same is effectively already true in the riders’ championship as well. For even in the unlikely event that high-flyer Nicolò Bulega were to suffer a mishap, two other Ducati riders – Iker Lecuona and Yari Montella – would step into the role of favourites. The first non-Ducati rider, Bimota ace Alex Lowes, sitting fourth in the World Championship 309 points behind, no longer even has a mathematical chance of winning the World Championship title!

Meanwhile, the competition is wondering what the secret behind the Reds’ success is. “I am very proud and grateful to all my colleagues at the factory, at Aruba and Ducati Corse, and to everyone else involved in this project with their passion and dedication,” said technical coordinator Marco Zambenedetti during a small press briefing. “The secret to our success is these people – from Claudio [Domenicali] through to the riders and right down to the very last link in the chain.”

Superbike regulations’ balance system had no effect on Ducati

Amazing: Ducati was held back on several occasions by the balance system’s reduction in fuel flow, yet its dominance actually grew even stronger in the second half of the season! “Despite the changes to the regulations and under all circumstances, our team was able to focus on delivering perfect work, analysing the data, making decisions and devising plans to put together the best package,” explained the Ducati manager.