Ducati is treating its move into off-road racing as a long-term project rather than a rush towards an immediate factory assault. Paolo Ciabatti, general manager of Ducati Corse Off-Road, places motocross and enduro at the centre of the strategy while making clear that Dakar is not part of the company’s plans. The next significant step is the 450 Enduro’s entry in the Assoluti d’Italia, where it can gain genuine race experience before Ducati attempts to fight for victories at the highest level, with 2028 as the target.

Ciabatti’s appointment brings roughly 25 years of motorcycle-racing experience to the new operation. He began in Superbike on the promoter and organiser side before moving to Ducati MotoGP, where he worked from 2013 to 2023. He describes a sporting director’s work as much broader than the result on the circuit: it covers riders and managers, relationships with teams, the promoter and the federation, along with the commercial partnerships and sponsors required to operate a competitive programme. In his view, that experience can be transferred from MotoGP to a different environment such as motocross.

The lower media profile of off-road racing does not make the task simple. Ducati is entering an area it previously knew only in part, and the company has no substantial production history in motocross. Ciabatti points to only sporadic activity during the 1970s. Less public pressure than in MotoGP gives the organisation more room to manage problems and develop calmly, but the technical and sporting demands remain considerable.

Stoner’s return as a test rider

Ciabatti’s account of rider management naturally brings the discussion back to his MotoGP years. Ducati brought Casey Stoner back as a test rider, and the Australian rode the 2016 motorcycle at the end of 2015. At Sepang, Ciabatti says, Stoner needed only three laps to become the fastest rider. The collaboration eventually ended for a number of reasons that Ciabatti did not detail, but Stoner’s input contributed to the development of the Ducati that later became a winning machine.

Ciabatti regards Stoner as one of the greatest talents in motorcycle-racing history. That assessment is not based only on the 2007 title. The Ducati he rode that year used the engine as part of the load-bearing structure, with a small front section of frame and the swingarm and shock attached to the engine. Loris Capirossi was the only other rider to win a race on that Ducati, taking victory in Japan.

Stoner’s ability also extended to more conventional machinery. Ducati’s 2015-2016 motorcycle used a perimeter frame, and he remained extremely quick on it. He had demonstrated the same adaptability with Honda. For Ciabatti, this capacity to perform with different chassis philosophies is what makes Stoner such an exceptional case. He was not simply a rider suited to one unusual Ducati; he could adapt to motorcycles built around very different technical concepts.

Febvre leads the motocross effort as enduro builds

Ducati has announced Romain Febvre as a central figure in its motocross programme. The Frenchman won in 2025 and finished second in 2026 behind Jeffrey Herlings. Ciabatti considers Febvre the rider who challenged Herlings most consistently, during a season in which Herlings raced without injuries and maintained his characteristic intensity. At 34, Febvre brings experience with different manufacturers, speed and a combative approach. Ducati sees him as the right choice for the next two years, while the motorcycle is still being developed and needs demanding, immediate feedback from a fast rider.

Enduro will provide the next development stage for the 450 Enduro. Ducati has an agreement with a team for the following year’s Assoluti d’Italia, with two riders. The plan also allows for selected wildcard appearances in EnduroGP when appropriate, plus possible entries in important events outside the championship. The purpose is not simply to promote the motorcycle. Racing will produce data, expose areas requiring improvement and allow Ducati to demonstrate the project’s capability against established rivals.

Ciabatti explains that a top rider is unlikely to commit to a new programme before seeing the motorcycle compete. Production of the 450 Enduro began at the start of summer, so the Assoluti d’Italia campaign is intended as an intermediate stage covering development, performance measurement and credibility. The series also attracts riders with world EnduroGP experience. Ducati wants to reach the point where it can approach top-level riders and target victory in 2028.

Dakar is a different matter and remains outside the factory plan. The motorcycle linked with Ducati and shown at EICMA is a private project by Tiziano Internò. That distinction matters: a motorcycle appearing at an exhibition or on social media is not, by itself, an announcement that Ducati will enter a race.

Marquez, Acosta and Ducati’s MotoGP memories

Ciabatti also defends Ducati’s decision to choose Marc Marquez. He considers the Spaniard one of the greatest talents in motorcycle racing despite the accident and the limitations that followed it. Winning last year and returning to a high level after a subdued start strengthened, in Ciabatti’s view, the case that the decision was correct. He also believes Marquez and Pedro Acosta could form the strongest pairing in the 2027 championship. He expresses sympathy for Francesco Bagnaia after a difficult season but does not attempt to explain it, since he is now working in a different area.

Looking back at Ducati’s MotoGP progress, Ciabatti highlights Andrea Iannone’s victory in Austria in 2016, Andrea Dovizioso’s wins, Jorge Lorenzo’s victories and Francesco Bagnaia’s 2022 world title. He recalls Dovizioso finishing second in 2017, 2018 and 2019, with Ducati repeatedly meeting one final obstacle before securing the championship. He gives special status to Valencia in 2006. Troy Bayliss was called in to replace Sete Gibernau without testing the motorcycle or Bridgestone tyres. He nevertheless qualified second and led the race until the final lap.

Off-road has already given Ducati two significant results. Ciabatti says the Desmo450 won a world title in flat track and another world title in supermoto during the year. He credits both teams with doing much of the work through their own efforts. The next task is harder: transferring that base into motocross and enduro through a measured programme that takes Ducati from simply appearing at races to fighting for a major victory.