Ducati teases significant 2026 MotoGP bike update that could help Pecco Bagnaia

Ducati’s technical bosses Gigi Dall’Igna and Davide Barana have teased a significant update to ride height device on its 2026 MotoGP bike during its launch event.

The reigning champion revealed its new livery on Monday morning at the Madonna di Campiglio, which features a return of Ducati’s iconic racing stripes.

Ducati dominated the 2025 season, with Marc Marquez scoring 11 grands prix wins on his way to a seventh world title, while the factory team achieved 13 victories overall.

Pecco Bagnaia struggled, with the double world champion only contributing two victories to that total as he slumped to a career-worst fifth in the standings in factory Ducati colours.

The Italian struggled to find consistency on the GP25, particularly with his front-end feeling on the bike, which meant he couldn’t utilise his famed braking ability.

2026 Ducati update could be fix to Bagnaia’s woes

Ducati turned the GP25 upside down across the season to make Bagnaia more comfortable, which included reverting to 2024-spec parts.

However, Ducati remained cagey on what it did to Bagnaia’s bike, though Gigi Dall’Igna did eventually point to the new ride height device as being the root cause of his ride’s issues.

On Monday, during its launch, Dall’Igna and technical director Davide Barana hinted at a significant upgrade coming to the ride height device for the 2026 season.

Davide Barana said: “The MotoGP bike is a very complex system.

“We have worked on multiple fronts to improve it. Certainly, we want to improve chassis performance by reducing vibration, because it was quite a frequent complaint last year.

“And also enhancing the bike’s stability, especially in high-speed circuits like Assen or Phillip Island.

“We will bring, I’m proud to say, the very last and most sophisticated version of our ride height device before the ban next year.

Dall’Igna added: “I think the ride height device is something special.

“It’s something we have to dismiss at the end of the year because of the rules. We change it every year, because it’s so important for the performance. So, it’s a really clever part.”

Ducati was the first to pioneer ride height device technology, first introducing it in 2018, before advancing development to have it on both the front and the rear of the bike, as well as being usable while on a lap.

Front ride height devices, for use at race starts, were outlawed in 2024, while the rear versions will be scrapped for the 2027 regulations change.

Bagnaia was very complimentary of the 2026 bike he tested last November in Valencia, noting on Monday at the launch that he felt it was the best Desmosedici he’d ridden since 2022.