Ducati to Race 2024 Engine Until End of 1000cc MotoGP Era

Ducati’s Strategic Move: Keeping the Same Engine Base for Years

Ducati has made a bold decision to continue using the same engine base that has been dominating MotoGP since 2024. This move is set to extend the life of the engine until the introduction of new technical regulations in 2027. The strategy highlights the manufacturer’s confidence in the performance and reliability of its current power unit, which has already proven itself in competition.

When Marc Marquez joined the official Ducati garage at the Valencia test in November 2024, he was comparing the GP24 and GP25 prototypes. He quickly realized that the difference between these bikes and the GP23 he had raced with Gresini the same year was significant. However, neither Marquez nor his teammate Francesco Bagnaia gave a clear preference between the 2024 championship-winning bike and the newer model.

The official statement from Ducati said, “Both riders agree in their comments.” This aligns with the manufacturer’s claim that the engine was almost the same. Despite this, the performance gap between the models was evident, especially in the 2024 season where the GP24s dominated the championship.

Dominance of the GP24 in 2024

In its first year, the GP24 proved to be a game-changer. Francesco Bagnaia won 11 of the 20 grand prix races and added five more wins in sprint races. Jorge Martin secured the world championship, with three Sunday wins and seven on Saturday. Enea Bastianini also contributed to the dominance by winning two race victories and two additional wins in sprints.

Marc Marquez, riding the GP23 with Gresini, and Maverick Vinales, with Aprilia, were the only other riders to win a grand prix in 2024. This shows how strong the GP24 was compared to its predecessors.

The Evolution of the Desmosedici Engine

The step from the 2023 engine to the 2024 one was a major leap for the Desmosedici, a result of the work of Borgo Panigale’s chief engineer, Gigi Dall’Igna. Although there were some ambiguous statements about the engines during the time, Ducati clarified that it has been working around the same base power unit since then.

After the announcement in May 2024 that MotoGP would introduce new technical regulations from 2027, Ducati saw no need to build a new engine from scratch for 2025. The engine freeze for 2026, except for Yamaha, further supported this decision.

Engine Similarity and External Components

According to a spokesperson for the Italian manufacturer, “This year’s engine is more than 90% identical to last year’s and two years ago.” The remaining 10% corresponds to external, surrounding parts not subject to the engine freeze. “The engines are almost the same; they carry the same parts. The only changes from one year to another refer to the material of some elements, seeking greater reliability,” the spokesperson added.

Riders Remain Tight-Lipped About Engine Specifications

At the first pre-season test in Valencia last November, Alex Marquez tested what was theoretically the latest-spec Desmosedici, the same one Marc Marquez and Bagnaia had in their garage. However, the Gresini rider did not reveal which engine he had been riding with. “I felt good with this ‘different’ bike,” he said, adding that he didn’t want to give it a name, whether it is GP25, GP26, or whatever.

After the Sepang test, Alex Marquez continued discussing aerodynamics tests and setup. “In pre-season there are many things to test,” he said, mentioning that Gigi Dall’Igna came more to the box, and he was the first to mount the new aerodynamics.

On the last day of the Sepang test, after a sprint simulation in which he was the fastest, Marquez again emphasized aerodynamic matters, without mentioning the engine. “I still have not decided on the aerodynamics, but I felt more comfortable with last year’s. The potential is similar; everything depends on the characteristics of each track,” he said.

Neither Marc Marquez nor Bagnaia spoke about the engine during the Sepang tests either; they limited themselves to commenting on the tests of the new aerodynamics and, in Bagnaia’s case, the good feelings he did not find last year.

Protecting Bagnaia and Business Interests

Despite Ducati’s recent admission that it has kept the same engine in its MotoGP prototype since 2024, it is surprising that throughout last season, the Italian manufacturer did not settle the rumors and speculation about whether the 2025 engine that Marquez and Bagnaia were using was worse than Alex Marquez’s 2024 unit.

Sources indicated that Ducati’s priority was always to ensure Pecco Bagnaia could recover his best level, which included maintaining a calm environment around him. Making public that Bagnaia and Alex Marquez were racing an almost identical bike would have affected the Italian even further.

Additionally, the commercial aspect plays a crucial role. Ducati sells bikes to satellite teams, charging a lower price for the previous year’s model and double that for the latest specification. Hence, the GP nomenclature and the year of the bikes acquire value when it comes to Ducati charging Gresini and VR46 for the supply of latest-spec bikes for Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio respectively.

The official position is that this year, all Ducati riders will carry an almost identical engine with the 2024 base. From there, it will be the manufacturer who decides which aerodynamics, chassis, and swingarm each rider carries depending on whether it is a GP25 or a GP26.