Long-standing Ducati MotoGP Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti will depart the outfit ahead of the 2024 season to head up the Italian brand’s new off-road racing operation.
Ducati announced on Thursday that Ciabatti, who has acted as sporting director within its premier class outfit since 2013, will build up its newly-created off-road racing department with a view of the marque entering the top-level MXGP World Championship and AMA Supercross series’ within the next few years.
The manufacturer’s push to build up its off-road portfolio will also be bolstered by several consumer models, which will be released in the near future.
Ciabatti will be replaced by Mauro Grassilli, who currently acts as Ducati Corse’s head of sponsorships and marketing. He will take over running of Ducati’s MotoGP and World Superbike programmes for 2024, while Ciabatti will retain control of its national superbike and supersport exploits until at least the end of next season.
While not entering any high-level motocross series next season, Ducati will run a 450cc prototype machine in several national off-road events next season as the first step of its development plan for its future world-level ambitions.
Experienced MXGP rider Alessandro Lupino will campaign the prototype bike and will be helped with development duties by two-time MXGP world champion Antonio Cairoli, who retired from full-time completion at the end of the 2021 term.
Ciabatti, along with Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi D’alligna and Ducati MotoGP Team Principal Davide Tardozzi, has played an instrumental role in turning around its premier class fortunes. Ducati has gone from a brand that could barely reach the rostrum to a MotoGP powerhouse that steamrollered the competition in 2023 to win 17 of the 20 races contested.
This domination resulted in a lock-out of the rider’s championship podium, Francesco Bagnaia securing a second successive title, as well as its fourth straight constructors crown.
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