DUCATI’S 450 MX BIKE WINS ITALIAN MX TITLE

An all-new Italian dirt bike wins the Italian Motocross Championship in the hands of an Italian rider. No, when it comes to how the debut season played out for Ducati’s all-new Desmo450 MX machine, the proud Italian manufacturer couldn’t have scripted things any better.

Here’s a takeout from the PR released by the Ducati Corse Off-Road team as they reflect on the historic achievement and reveal plans for Ducati’s impending 250cc MX model…

The Desmo450 MX wins Ducati’s first motocross title on its debut. After an exciting season that began with a debut victory, Alessandro Lupino, official Ducati Corse Off-Road rider, won the Italian MX1 Motocross Championship at the last round, held at Arco di Trento – a success that confirms the soundness of the project, created to develop a complete range of Ducati motorcycles and engines for specialist off-road racing. The Ducati Desmo450 MX can be ordered at selected dealerships starting from early 2025, with delivery scheduled starting from June.

On Italy’s Pietramurata track, Lupino only needed a fourth place in the first heat to secure the 2024 Italian title, which allowed the rider from Viterbo to secure his ninth domestic crown. The Ducati rider then finished the second race in third place, a result that also earned him third place Overall for the day.

Alessandro Lupino: “At the first race in Mantua, I didn’t know what to expect from this season, because the Desmo450 MX was a completely new bike. During the season, however, we made great improvements. Everyone worked so hard and I was able to see the seriousness and commitment with which Ducati approached this new project. From my side as a rider, I gave 100 percent and I also learned a new job; that of test rider. We brought home the Italian title in the year of our debut and that was far from the obvious outcome. The credit goes to the whole team, both on the track and in the company, because they really did a great job. The thing that pleased me most is seeing the passion that everyone puts into it; a passion that ensures that the work always turns out well. I want to congratulate everyone: in Ducati, I found a family and this year has been special for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart”.

Now that the Italian MX Championship is over, the development of Borgo Panigale’s motocross bike will continue throughout the winter with the first tests by Jeremy Seewer, official Ducati rider for 2025 MXGP (who will be supported by a second rider), and subsequently the first tests of the 250cc model will also begin with Lupino and Antonio Cairoli. The bike for the MX2 class will debut in Italy’s 2025 domestic series with the same approach used for the 450: develop the bike in the races that will then go into production in 2026.