The 2023 season marked an utterly dominant year for Ducati in MotoGP, as the manufacturer scored a record 17 of 20 grand prix victories on its way to the constructors’ title.
Having ended Ducati’s 15-year championship drought in 2022, Bagnaia became its first back-to-back riders’ title after beating Pramac’s Jorge Martin after the battle between them went down to the final race of the season.
At its launch event in Italy, Ducati revealed a similar colour scheme to last year – though the number plates are now red.
The factory Ducati team line-up remains unchanged for 2024, with Bagnaia once again joined by Enea Bastianini.
Bastianini’s first season with the works Ducati team was heavily plagued by injury, with the Italian’s seat coming under threat later in the season.
Had Martin won the championship, a clause in his contract would have been activated that would have seen him promoted directly to the factory team in place of Bastianini.
Despite his woes, Bastianini did manage one grand prix victory in 2023, dominating the Malaysian GP to add to Ducati’s tally of 17 for the season.
Ducati has undergone an internal reshuffle over the winter, with former sporting director Paolo Ciabatti moving aside to helm the Italian marque’s off-road programme in 2024.
His position as sporting director of Ducati Corse in MotoGP has been taken by Mauro Grassilli, who previously served as its sporting, marketing and communications director.
The factory Ducati squad is the second team so far in 2024 to have unveiled the livery it will race with for the coming season.
On Saturday, Gresini Racing pulled the covers off of its colours for 2024, which will mark the first for Marc Marquez as a Ducati rider after electing to leave Honda at the end of a miserable 2023 season.
Ducati will once again field eight bikes this season across the factory squad, Pramac Racing, Gresini and the VR46 squad.
The Italian brand will also face the new season with several new restrictions owing to the concession rules that have been brought in for the year.
As a result, Ducati will not be allowed any wildcard entries in 2024; will have only 170 test tyres; testing restricted to private outings at just three GP circuits; a maximum of eight engines per rider and a freeze on engine development, as well as being permitted to just one aerodynamic fairing update.
Ducati agreed to accept the concession restrictions in order to help the struggling Japanese manufacturers improve, though were not happy that the new framework also allowed direct rivals Aprilia and KTM some benefits.