- At its historic Borgo Panigale headquarters, Ducati presented the “Manuale del Made in Italy secondo Ducati” during a press conference attended by Minister Adolfo Urso and CEO Claudio Domenicali
- The celebration plan for the Company’s 100th anniversary was also unveiled, including a podcast created with Chora Media, a docu-film produced by Minerva Pictures and a collaboration with artist Ugo Nespolo
- World Ducati Week will be the highlight of the celebrations: from July 3 to 5, an edition destined to make history, featuring the Lenovo Race of Champions with the Ducati champions as the most anticipated sporting event
Borgo Panigale, 17 April 2026 – In the place where everything takes shape – Borgo Panigale – Ducati enters the heart of its Centenary celebrations with a press conference held today, Friday 17 April, at its Auditorium.
A symbolic moment, attended by the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Senator Adolfo Urso, the President of the Emilia-Romagna Region Michele De Pascale, and Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali, dedicated to the presentation of the “Manuale del Made in Italy secondo Ducati” (The Made in Italy Handbook according to Ducati) curated by Rampello & Partners in collaboration with Ducati.
A unique document that codifies the combination of design culture, industrial excellence and the unmatched Italian “know-how” that has always distinguished the Italian motorcycle manufacturer: the essence of Made in Italy according to Ducati, born in Borgo Panigale, in the heart of Motor Valley, and spread around the world. A dynamic balance between concept, technique, form and relationships, science and beauty, expressed through the ability to innovate, meticulous attention to quality and detail, technological excellence, refined design and a deep connection with both territory and community.
The “Manuale del Made in Italy secondo Ducati ” is endorsed by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, the Leonardo Commitee, and Altagamma Foundation.
If the Manual illustrates the method, the Superleggera V4 Centenario Tricolore – unveiled in a world premiere by Minister Urso and Claudio Domenicali – represents its most authentic synthesis. The Superleggera V4 Centenario Tricolore is the ultimate expression of Ducati technology applied to a road-legal motorcycle, the first in the world to feature a braking system with carbon-ceramic discs and a fork with carbon-fibre sleeves derived from MotoGP, capable of reaching a maximum power output of 228 horsepower.
Produced in only 100 units, the Superleggera V4 Centenario Tricolore stands out for its exclusive livery inspired by the 750 F1, winner of the Battle of the Twins at the Daytona International Speedway in 1986 with Marco Lucchinelli, the last “classic” two-valve racing model and one of the most iconic and rare Ducatis of the 1980s. A stylistic choice that expresses the ongoing dialogue between history and innovation, recalling past glories and reinterpreting them in a contemporary way.
Theory and practice thus come together in a unique narrative: the Manual as the expression of the method, the motorcycle as its concrete application. Two complementary dimensions that encapsulate 100 years of innovation and project Ducati toward the future.
Sen. Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy: “Vision, expertise, and future are the guiding principles that have accompanied Ducati’s first 100 years, an authentic symbol of Made in Italy capable of combining technological innovation and industrial excellence. A remarkable journey, the result of a leadership built over time and oriented toward continuous development. The Superleggera V4 Centenario Tricolore – unveiled today in a world premiere and produced in just 100 units – represents its highest expression, embodying the most advanced evolution of the brand’s technology. In this same perspective fits the ‘Manuale del Made in Italy secondo Ducati’ presented by the brand: an identity-driven document that conveys an integrated vision in which innovation, quality, design, and technology coexist in balance with strong local roots. A journey that confirms the strength of an iconic brand and its ability to unite expertise and identity, and above all to generate the emotions that only Italian products can deliver.”
“We were born in Borgo Panigale and from here we continue to design, develop and produce motorcycles that bring a clear vision of Made in Italy to the world. The Manual and the new Superleggera V4 Centenario Tricolore represent two complementary dimensions of this journey: the method and its tangible expression. Together they illustrate our ability to innovate, our uncompromising technological research, attention to detail, as well as our design culture and deep connection with the territory and our community” said Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati. “What lies ahead is a year full of important moments, with ambitious and stimulating projects designed to tell the Ducati story through languages that go beyond the product and expand its imagination, creating unique experiences such as World Ducati Week, which will represent the pinnacle of this important anniversary. I would like to thank Minister Urso and President De Pascale for being here today. Their presence confirms Ducati’s value within an Italian system capable of competing successfully on a global level.”
Michele De Pascale, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, along with Vice President for Economic Development Vincenzo Colla and Regional Councillor for Sport and Tourism Roberta Frisoni, stated: “Celebrating Ducati’s hundred years means paying tribute to one of the highest expressions of Emilia-Romagna’s ‘know-how,’ a heritage made of creativity, technological expertise, industrial capability and passion. This Centenary is a shared celebration, a festivity that begins in Borgo Panigale and reaches across the world. As the Region, we proudly join this collective celebration, aware that Ducati’s success is also the success of an entire territorial system based on widespread skills, the ability to evolve industrial and social relations over time and a development model that brings together industry, knowledge and work. Looking ahead, we are confident that Ducati will continue to be a laboratory of ideas, a place where courage pushes beyond limits and passion never settles, helping to write new chapters of excellence for Emilia-Romagna and for Italy.”
Emilia-Romagna Region has always been the setting of the World Ducati Week, the great Ducati gathering and the heart of the entire celebratory journey: from July 3 to 5, enthusiasts from all over the world will meet at the Misano Circuit to celebrate 100 years of history and experience firsthand the emotions that have made the motorcycle manufacturer unique in the world of two wheels (tickets available here).
A historic and unrepeatable event, brought to life through product premieres, night entertainment, expert talks with Ducati specialists, opportunities to meet past and present riders and the parade, the iconic and colourful snake of Ducati motorcycles that, at every edition, winds through the roads of the Romagna Riviera.
The weekend will reach its peak with the Lenovo Race of Champions, always one of the most anticipated moments of the three-day event. An occasion that once again confirms the strong bond between Ducati and Lenovo, Title and Technology Partner of the Ducati Lenovo Team in MotoGP and main sponsor of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati in Superbike World Championship.
This edition will debut with a brand-new format: free practice sessions and qualifying on Saturday, followed by the official race on Sunday at 12:00. On track will be all Ducati MotoGP riders – Marc Márquez and Francesco Bagnaia of the Ducati Lenovo Team, together with Michele Pirro, Ducati MotoGP Test Rider, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, Álex Márquez and Fermín Aldeguer of the BK8 Gresini Racing Team – together with the Superbike stars, Nicolò Bulega and Iker Lecuona of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team, as well as riders from the leading international championships, for a truly world-class starting grid.
The Borgo Panigale-based company has thus entered the heart of the celebrations of a year that pays tribute to its history while, at the same time, reaffirming a clear vision: to continue to be an ambassador of Made in Italy excellence worldwide, drawing on a century-long history built on sporting success, technological excellence, and iconic, unmistakable design.
Celebration plan
As part of a year-long celebration throughout 2026, the first collective moment will be #WeRideAsOne, the global day organized by Ducati Official Clubs and official dealerships, which on 9 May will bring Ducatisti worldwide together in a single, shared experience.
#WeRideAsOne will serve as a prelude to World Ducati Week, which, in addition to the Lenovo Race of Champions, will also host one of the race weekends of the V4 Elite Cup, dedicated to amateur riders owning the Ducati Panigale V4 and, above all, the V2 Future Champ Academy, the racing project designed to discover and develop young talent and prepare them for the competitions of tomorrow. The weekend, the third round of the V2 Future Champ Academy will feature free practice, qualifying, and race. Both initiatives are promoted and organized by Garage 51 in collaboration with Michele Pirro (Ducati MotoGP Test Rider) and Ducati.
The celebration plan will also involve the Expedition Masters programme, dedicated to travel enthusiasts, which for the Centenary proposes – among the others – a special itinerary inspired by the 19th-century Grand Tour, reinterpreted in a contemporary way. An experience along some of Italy’s most scenic roads, to be enjoyed on the new Multistrada V2, V4, and Rally models.
Celebrations will also involve the Borgo Panigale headquarters, with a new exhibition route at the Ducati Museum, which will temporarily close after World Ducati Week and reopen in autumn with an even more engaging narrative of the company’s history and evolution.
Numerous collaborations with external partners will enrich the Centenary with diverse content and storytelling formats. Among these are a podcast produced by Chora Media and narrated by Bolognese writer Enrico Brizzi, and a docu-film produced by Minerva Pictures, directed by Alex Infascelli and narrated by internationally renowned actor Stefano Accorsi – also from Bologna and a great motorsport enthusiast.
The initiatives also extend into the world of art, thanks to a collaboration with Ugo Nespolo, a leading international figure in contemporary Italian art, involved in a series of creative projects inspired by this important anniversary, as well as the publication of a celebratory book retracing the most significant moments of these hundred years of history.
Completing this mosaic of projects, Ducati further enhances its presence within the setting of EICMA (November 5–8 in Milan), with an exhibition dedicated to the Centenary, hosted within the world’s most important trade fair for the sector – long a key reference point and a meeting opportunity for the international two-wheel community.
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