Magic in Misano | World Ducati Week draws record crowds as fans get thrilled by Race of Champions

Record crowds of 94,000 Ducati fans joined together from 86 countries to celebrate the brand at this year’s biennial World Ducati Week, held at the Misano World Circuit in Italy from July 26–28.  

Headlining was Saturday’s 10-lap Lenovo Race of Champions, in which 15 of the firm’s top racing stars from the worlds of MotoGP, World Superbike and British Superbike each mounted an identical 2025 Panigale V4S in standard trim. The bike had been unveiled just two days earlier – meaning that riders had little to no experience of the all-new machine. 

Racers including Pecco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Jorge Martin, and Franco Morbidelli came from MotoGP to face off against World Superbikes’ Alvaro Bautista and his teammate Nicolo Bulega. Britain’s Glenn Irwin got the dream call-up to take his place alongside them.  

After grabbing the lead within the first lap, Bagnaia was able to maintain his advantage for the duration of the race, ultimately claiming the chequered flag by more than a second over the remainder of the field.  

Despite contending with intense 32-degree heat, the Ducati factory rider achieved a fastest lap pace of 1:35.431, five seconds outside the outright track record set by Jorge Martin aboard a fully fledged MotoGP bike in 2023.  

Second place went to WSBK rider Andrea Iannone, who had managed a 1m35.051s lap in Friday’s practice sessions. Iannone held off Italian factory rider Bulega in an intense battle for second before Bulega dramatically crashed out of the race on the final corner following contact with Marc Marquez, leaving the Spaniard free to claim third.  

Marquez had seemed set for fourth, falling to 2.5s behind Bulega, but a strong last lap push saw him chip away at Bulega’s pace until just 0.2s divided the two as the race neared its end. British Superbike racer Glen Irwin was also present and placed fourteenth. 

Bagnaia said: “It was fantastic to be here, then after the chequered flag to look at the grandstand and see it full of people, it was incredible; there were no seats free at all. It’s one of the first times I could hear people cheering, even with my helmet on.”    

Away from the Race, WDW attendees were treated to a host of activities including test rides aboard the Italian marque’s full range, as well as the chance to take their own bikes on circuit.  

They also had the chance to get behind the wheel of a Lamborghini (a sister company of Ducati) for a half-hour driving experience, head off-road on a mini-DRE adventure and for those brave enough, take to the circuit via a high-speed pillion lap aboard a Ducati MotoE bike.  

Guests were also treated to an exhibition celebrating 30 years of the 916, as well as the chance to grab an up-close look at Ducati’s Desmo450 MX motocross racer.  

During Friday’s Lap of Honour, all riders involved at the event, including Ducati legends Carl Fogarty, Troy Bayliss, Carlos Checa and Regis Laconi took to the circuit to the applause of the crowds.  

Friday evening saw thousands of Ducatisti paint the Riviera Romagnola red in a one-kilometre-long ribbon of bikes to the ‘Land of Joy’ beach party, honouring a decade of the Scrambler brand.  

Among the thousands who flooded to the event, approximately 400 had made the trip from the UK. MCN caught up with Mark Houlpin, who rode over on his Multistrada.  

“It’s my second time at World Ducati Week,” Houlpin said. “This year I’m here with the Cheshire branch of the Ducati owners club.  

“It’s like a big family. I’ll definitely be back in 2026 for the 100-year anniversary event.”