Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati’s debut test with their 850cc bike at Misano this Monday may have provided a hint that the new engines under the 2027 MotoGP regulations require a compromise.
The Bologna Bullets became the latest constructor to put their 850cc bike on a track, as test rider Michele Pirro shook their concept down at the home of the San Marino Grand Prix. He is also expected to continue staging a shakedown of their 2027 Desmosedici on Tuesday.
Only Aprilia have yet to run their 850cc bike on a circuit now that Ducati have started testing their concept. KTM were the first MotoGP team to track test their 850cc bike last December, while Yamaha and Honda have since begun track testing their challengers for the 2027 rules.
MotoGP will introduce a major regulatory overhaul next season, with the reduction in engine capacity from 1,000cc to 850cc the biggest change. The premier class is also set to ban ride height devices and implement extra aero restrictions, which Pirro sampled in Monday’s test.
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Ducati’s smaller top wing on their 2027 MotoGP bike hints at them sacrificing downforce
Italian website GPOne has published images from Ducati’s maiden test with their 850cc bike at Misano. It also adds that Ducati World Superbike rider Nicolo Bulega is expected to begin his role as a MotoGP test rider for the Borgo Panigale brand in the summer, likely from June.
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Additionally, MotoMatters notes based on GPOne’s images that Ducati’s front aero concept on their 850cc bike is ‘quite different’ from what KTM and Honda have revealed, particularly the upper element. Ducati have developed a ‘much smaller’ top wing than their rivals have.
Ducati have favoured a single wing with end plates, compared to the two-tiered box design on their current Desmosedici GP26. It is an ‘interesting’ decision, as it suggests that Ducati expect a lot less horsepower and torque from their 850cc engine compared to the 1,000cc.
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The Bologna Bullets’ wing hints at them sacrificing the anti-wheelie ability of their 2027 bike at low speeds to prioritise being able to achieve a higher top speed, at least at this phase of their development path. Ducati might yet look to generate more downforce at a later stage.
Pirro and Bulega’s efforts developing Ducati’s 850cc bike this year may yet also have greater significance in the team’s future plans. It is said that Marc Marquez has yet to agree to sign a new contract for 2027 with Ducati owing to his concerns entering the new regulatory cycle.
It is thought that Marquez is reluctant to accept Ducati’s two-year contract offer, as he does not want to lock himself down through 2028 only to struggle at the start of the new 850cc regulations. So, Marquez is pushing Ducati for a 1+1-year contract that offers more control.
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