Francesco Bagnaia won the Ducati Race of Champions on Sunday, July 5, 2026 [3], at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Italy [1].
The event served as a high-profile showcase for the brand's new Panigale V4 motorcycle. By bringing together its top professional riders for a competitive sprint, Ducati aimed to celebrate World Ducati Week and demonstrate the capabilities of its latest machinery [1, 2].
The all-star field included several of the brand's most prominent riders, including Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Luca Di Giannantonio, and Francesco Morbidelli [1]. The competition highlighted the internal rivalry among Ducati's elite talent as they transitioned to the specialized Panigale V4 race machines [2].
Marc Marquez experienced a challenging start to the weekend. During the qualifying session for the Race of Champions, Marquez qualified 12th [4]. This placement put him well behind the front runners heading into the main event.
Bagnaia eventually secured the victory, cementing his status as the top performer of the exhibition [5]. The race provided a rare opportunity for fans at World Ducati Week to see MotoGP stars compete on a production-based platform rather than their standard Grand Prix prototypes [1].
“Francesco Bagnaia won the Ducati Race of Champions”
This event functions as both a marketing exercise and a talent benchmark. By pitting world-class riders like Bagnaia and Marquez against one another on the new Panigale V4, Ducati validates the performance of its consumer-facing technology through the lens of professional competition. Bagnaia's victory reinforces his current dominance within the Ducati ecosystem.
