Ducati has dominated MotoGP for so long that it might as well be called 'DucatiGP'. The Bolognian brand has won the last six Constructors' Championships consecutively, and the last four in World Superbike (WSBK). We'll have to wait and see how the Desmo450 MX does next year in AMA SX and MX, but early reports are that it's a rocket.
And now we could see the brand dominate the most legendary race ever: The Isle of Man TT (IoM TT).
Michael Dunlop is unquestionably the greatest rider to ever tackle the mountain course. The 33-time TT winner added four trophies to his tally this year, taking both the Supersport races on the Ducati Panigale V2 and both Supertwin races. That put a Ducati at the top of a TT podium for the first time in 30 years. But the main race, the Superbike class, remained out of reach as Dunlop finished second in both races aboard a PBM Ducati V4R.
Now, Ducati has a new Panigale V4R unit, and it is absolutely rapid. Although Dunlop famously keeps his motorcycle choice fairly close to his chest, if he chooses the new machinery, we might see a Ducati on the highest podium in road racing.
It wouldn't be a shocker if the 36-year-old jumped on the latest V4R, especially considering his Supersport success on the V2. But Dunlop and Ducati have a history of, well, not teaming up. Back in 2020, Dunlop was supposed to ride a Ducati in the Superbike class, but Covid-19 put a stop to the TT. Then, in 2022, it looked as though Dunlop was going to ride the V4 RR, but due to a lack of testing, he rode a bike he's all too familiar with—Suzuki's GSXR-1000R—and finished second in the Superbike class.
If Ducati and Dunlop team up in the Supersport and Superbike classes, and win both, what challenges are left for the Italian manufacturer?
