Back to the future:
Ducati's Yellow
in Racing

Ducati's history is strongly linked to the world of the racetrack. And along with the history there are also some definite and distinctive elements that help make Ducati unique in the world. Among these, color is one of the essential ones. Red has always had a very strong connection with everything that happens daily in Borgo Panigale, but perhaps not everyone knows that in 1972, to celebrate a historic victory at the 200 Miglia di Imola, Ducati proposed a single-seat twin-cylinder sports bike with a yellow non-desmodromic engine: the 750 Sport. 

The first yellow Ducati to take to the track was in 1974: the Ducati 750 SS Desmo ridden by Franco Uncini, rider of the unofficial team managed by Bruno Spaggiari, won the Italian series-derivative championship.

For the first time since winning the 1972 Imola 200 Miglia, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer raced production bikes, kicking off what, over the years would become its commitment to Superbike championships. 

About twenty years pass before we see the yellow color back in vogue at Ducati, with the birth of the 748, a "junior" version of the 916.

The 1990s were the period when Ducati Yellow met its peak popularity, with its use in the world of racing later extending to production motorcycles. In yellow are dressed famous superbikes such as the 916, 996, 749, 999 and 1199 Panigale, but also several generations of Monster and the ST2 and ST4 models.

More than two decades after its last appearance, Ducati Yellow returns to the track with the special liveries created by Aldo Drudi for the official WorldSBK (Team Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) and MotoGP (Ducati Lenovo Team) Teams at the Misano Grand Prix of their respective World Championships.

The project was created in collaboration with the Centro Stile Ducati, directed by Andrea Ferraresi, to be presented in one of the symbolic places for Ducatisti around the world. In fact, the Misano circuit is the theater where thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts gather every two years for World Ducati Week.

From a chromatic point of view, the livery of the Panigale V4 R of Team Aruba.it Racing is designed starting from the original graphic base, as if to emphasize its timeless character.

Ducati Yellow becomes the dominant color of the bike and is crossed with blocks and lines in black, gray and white to give the original color a modern identity. A celebration of energy, enthusiasm and boldness, it is an expression of Ducatista pride and a tribute to its unrepeatable sporting history, in the year it races as World Champion in the two most important motorcycle championships.

"Color is an essential ingredient for brand recognition and is also a fundamental element for all Ducatistas. Ducati is Red, but Yellow also belongs to us and at the same time it counts on an important tradition in Italian motorsport." Said Andrea Ferraresi, Director of Strategy and Centro Stile Ducati. "This color reflects important aspects of our identity, such as energy, enthusiasm and boldness. The special livery expresses the pride of being Ducatisti and is really a nice tribute to our sporting history in the year we race as World Champions in the two most important motorcycle championships."