Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team’s Panigale V4R unveiled at Madonna di Campiglio alongside the Ducati Lenovo Team’s Desmosedici GP

The 2024 WorldSBK season has officially kicked off for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team who unveiled the new liveries of the Panigale V4R together with those of the Desmosedici GP machines of the Ducati Lenovo Team of MotoGP.

For the second year in a row, the Palacampiglio in Madonna di Campiglio (location linked to Audi by a strong and active partnership that has lasted for 11 years) set the stage for a presentation that will undoubtedly go down in history. In fact, three reigning World Champions were the protagonists of the traditional unveiling: Francesco Bagnaia, of the Ducati Lenovo MotoGP team, and the two Aruba.it Racing – Ducati riders Alvaro Bautista and Nicolò Bulega , who triumphed in the 2023 season in World Superbike and World Supersport respectively. Together with them, of course, also Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) to form an exceptional quartet.

The ceremony was followed with high enthusiasm by authorities, sponsors, and guests in attendance, as well as by many Ducati fans and enthusiasts – via live coverage on Sky Sport MotoGP and streaming available on www.arubaracing.it and on the team’s social networks – then, riders and team representatives will be in Piazza Sissi in the afternoon to receive the warm embrace of the many fans who have come to Madonna di Campiglio to meet their favorites.

But the celebration time for Alvaro Bautista and Nicolò Bulega is already over. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team will in fact move as early as tomorrow afternoon to Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) where the first private tests of 2024 will be staged on 24 and 25 January, to be followed by two more days of on-track action at Portimao (Portugal) on 29 and 30 January.
 
The first round of the 2024 WorldSBK season is set for the weekend of 23-25 February at Philip Island (Australia) and will be preceded by two days of official testing at the iconic Australian track on 19 and 20 February.

 
Stefano Cecconi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team Principal)

“The 2024 season will certainly be interesting.  We will face important challenges due to the new regulations and the new scenario of our competitors, and this will be an additional stimulus for us. I have no doubt, though, that the team will keep working with the same determination to try and achieve great results again. We will rely on the best line-up a team can field: two reigning world champions. On the one hand, Alvaro, who certainly needs no introduction, and on the other Nicolò, who has repaid immediately the trust we gave him. We’ll also have the extraordinary support of Ducati on our side and that’s why we start this season with all the credentials to be protagonists again”.

Claudio Domenicali (CEO Ducati Motor Holding)

“It is a great pleasure to inaugurate another Ducati racing season in Madonna di Campiglio, a location that perfectly expresses the values of “Made in Italy” of which we are proud ambassadors and which last year represented the starting point of an unforgettable season. The path that has led us to be the best in the world in racing is undoubtedly made up of the hard daily work of these years, but also of our ability to work as a team and have fun while putting our maximum effort into what we do. One of the strong elements of our brand is the ability to create a system and today we demonstrate this by jointly presenting the official teams for the 2024 racing season: the Ducati Lenovo Team, the Aruba.it – Racing Ducati Team and the novelty represented by the Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team. Seeing the three bikes next to each other was a great emotion for me because, although different from each other, they are part of a single project. This belonging is underlined by the basic color of the liveries, Ducati Red, the same for all, and also by a completely new graphic sign that recalls the curve present in the Ducati logo, inspired by the most exciting part of riding a motorbike: the bend. At the same time, these bikes are also an expression of the path that Ducati has taken in recent years, investing in its future. The entry into motocross is in fact a clear example that our will to improve and our desire to win have no limits. In these two days we will have the opportunity to give ourselves the right energy for a season that promises to be full of challenges, in which we will try to confirm our leadership in the main track racing world championships and demonstrate our capabilities in a new terrain such as specialist off-road. Challenges have always encouraged us to bring out the best and we feel absolutely ready”
 

Luigi Dall’Igna (General Manager Ducati Corse) 

“Last year, we celebrated Alvaro Bautista and the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, who successfully brought back the World Superbike Riders’ World Title to Borgo Panigale, completing an extraordinary Triple Crown by also securing the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ World Titles. It would have been difficult to imagine a better performance, but the 2023 WorldSBK season surpassed our expectations, writing a new chapter in Ducati’s history. Alvaro Bautista retained his Superbike World Champion title, and Nicolò Bulega, aboard the Panigale V2, became Supersport World Champion, marking a historic first Riders’ World Title for Ducati in this category. Adding to the significance of these victories are the Manufacturers’ Titles in both categories, accomplishments that fill us with pride. As we approach the new Superbike season, we do so with the best possible lineup, featuring two World Champions riding the Ducati Panigale V4 R machines. For sure, the 2024 season is full of challenges; the competition is increasingly fierce, and there are new hurdles to overcome. However, these challenges motivate and push us to do better. We are eager to see Alvaro and Nicolò hit the track in their new colours this year, starting with the upcoming tests at Jerez and Portimão in the next few days”.
 

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #1)

“It is a big satisfaction to be back in a beautiful place like Madonna di Campiglio to present the bikes with which we will face a 2024 championship that will be extremely challenging, with so many changes both in terms of technical regulations and in terms of competitors. We will immediately have to work hard to adapt to the new rules, but I believe that in any case, it will be a very enjoyable season. The goal is to reach our maximum potential as soon as possible so that we can then have fun in every round. There will also be changes in the garage with a new team-mate: Nicolò is young, strong, and has already proven to be fast. I would also like to welcome the new sponsors who will accompany me aboard a really beautiful bike. The hope is that we can all do a great job together and for that, I want to wish the guys in my team the best of luck”.
 

Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11)

“I am very happy to have had the privilege of taking part in this ceremony. I remember very well when as a child I used to follow the Ducati team presentation in Madonna di Campiglio: being now among the protagonists of this event fills me with pride.  I thank the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team for believing in me and giving me the chance to ride this Panigale V4R that I find beautiful. Let me make a joke: usually, when a bike is beautiful it must also go fast. That’s why we have high expectations for this season. I’m sure we can do well. The package we have is excellent, I’m very excited and I’ll try to give my best right from the start”.