Cairoli tipped to join Ducati motocross team

Nine-time world champion Tony Cairoli has parted ways with Red Bull KTM and could join Ducati as a development rider, with the Italian firm looking to establish itself in the competitive motocross segment.

While Ducati is yet to confirm its intentions to build a dirt bike range, it is widely expected that the Italian firm will enter a 450cc motocross machine in major competitions from 2024 onwards.

Ducati has been slowly upskilling in recent years, adding more off-road ability to its Multistrada V4 range, releasing the DesertX and DesertX Rally adventure tourers, participating in various off-road events like Erzbergrodeo, and undertaking marketing stunts like the Un-Finkeable short film project.

The motocross segment has attracted increasing interest from non-traditional parties in recent years, with Triumph set to release a 250cc motocross machine in the coming months, and enduro brand Beta also ramping up its motocross program.

By adding Cairoli to the development team, Ducati would be primed to make a strong assault on the MXGP World Championship in the coming years.

According to an article on German website, Speed Week, Ducati already has a rolling 450cc motocross bike that it will enter in the 2024 Italian Motocross Championship. It will also compete at select MXGP World Championship rounds before a full entry in 2025. The 250cc development is a little further down the track, with an MX2 entry planned for 2026.

The article also says that Ducati plans to enter AMA Supercross in 2026, however homologation rules require that 400 units be built. Put simply, Ducati will need a production bike before it enters the US.

It is unclear if Ducati will stop at just motocross, but it would make sense for the Italian brand to try its hand at enduro and rally racing too. Ducati has past experience in the Dakar Rally through its relationship to Cagiva, while its recent DesertX Rally model takes inspiration from the famous stage race.

A partnership between Carioli and Ducati would be fitting with the nine-time champion proudly flying the Italian flag throughout his career. The Sicilian rider leaves KTM after an incredible 14 years in which he won six MXGP world championships, adding to a pair of MX2 titles and an MX1 title that he won with Yamaha.  

Following his retirement in 2021, Cairoli has acted as team manager for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team. A KTM statement simply said that he “has now decided to take his post-racing career in a different direction.” It appears that direction may just lead him to Bolonga.