The Second Set of MotoGP Livery Launches Did Not Disappoint
Our livery launch coverage continued with the second batch of 2026 livery launches from the MotoGP paddock, which included the Ducati Lenovo Team, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team, and the Trackhouse MotoGP Team. Not to be outdone by last week’s reveals, these teams offered up their own eye-catching contenders – both bikes and riders. With preseason testing around a month away, we take a look at what each team showcased.
Ducati Lenovo Team
After a commanding 2025 campaign, winning the Teams’ Championship, Constructors’ Championship, and the Riders’ Championship with Marc Marquez, Ducati enters 2026 with the expectation of winning it all again. Add to that the additional burden that Ducati Motor Holding CEO Claudio Domenicali also emphasized: this is Ducati’s centenary, founded in 1926.
Ducati presented an excited, optimistic stance in the face of these challenges and looked to their legacy and history for inspiration in developing their 2026 Desmosedici GP challenger. Ducati opted for a new matte Rosso Centenario red base, accented by a double-stripe design in white from the front fairing to the main body.
“Work hard, play hard” was the motto Domenicali gave his team, and we only have to look at the riders to see they took the “work hard” aspect to heart. With nine world titles between the two, it would be hard to argue with Domenicali’s belief in the riders. Marc Marquez had this to say after his career-defining 2025 season, while looking forward to the upcoming season:
“Regaining my riding confidence after the injury is the first goal, then putting on a show on the track with the Ducati Lenovo Team, whose colors I will try to honor to the best of my ability again this year.”
Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia also echoed the team’s motto with his statements.
“I’m leaving behind a challenging year, but one that has taught me so much and has further strengthened my desire to return to the track as soon as possible with the new Desmosedici GP. It was important to go all the way, never giving up, to face every situation and to learn from every experience.”
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team
Going for a darker, glossier finish for the 2026 entry, with the blue accents in slightly different places than in their 2025 version, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team looks fast. There were also additional sponsor placements, including DP World, their official logistics partner, which will host a special event on 26 January in Dubai. Yet, among all the new aspects so far, the unseen changes for the team were the talk of their 2026 launch.
Hoping to improve on their 6th-place finish in the 2025 Teams’ Championship, the Monster Energy Yamaha team committed fully to a switch to V4-powered machines. General Manager and President Takahiro Sumi offered his views on the ongoing developments planned for Yamaha:
“Last year’s parallel development of three platforms gave us the foundation for this year, so we can now focus on growing the 2026 M1 powered by the new V4 engine while continuing to work on the 2027 prototype.”
Riding the momentum and energy, Fabio Quartararo almost vibrated with excitement.
“It’s exciting to start this new chapter. The V4 engine is a big change, and I can’t wait to feel how it will develop on track. I think also the fans and the media are very curious. I’ve been training hard all winter, so I’m ready to give it my all.”
Alex Rins may have been a bit more controlled, but his words carried the same excitement and hope.
“Kicking off the season with the team presentation here in Jakarta, I feel super motivated. I want to carry this energy that I got from today’s launch with the fans into the 2026 season. The new bike gives us more development opportunities, and that’s highly motivating too. There will be a lot of work ahead of us, but I can’t wait.”
Trackhouse MotoGP Team
Many were loving the slightly unexpected dual-livery reveal for the American MotoGP team Trackhouse. While the #25 Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26 received slight updates, most notably the black wide “stripe” running from front to back, the #75 received a sponsor-specific update for the opener in Thailand. Per the team, the Gulf livery will be flown on the #75 for five rounds in the 2026 season.
Team Principal Davide Brivio expressed optimism about the 2026 season. Looking to improve on their 7th-place finish in 2025, Davide had this to say:
“The goal is to improve what we have done last year. Raul finished inside the top 10 but just in 10th place so, first of all, we should get both riders in the top 10 and be able to hopefully score some podiums. We have to be ready, we have to be there and when the opportunity comes, just take it.”
Looking inward at what he hopes to focus on this season, the team’s leading point scorer from 2025, Raul Fernandez, shared his thoughts as well.
“We are going to look great on track. Anyway, the important thing is that the bike can be fast on track and for this year, I think we have to be really focused on ourselves and not think too much about the results. The results are the consequences of the work we are doing. We have to be focused on what we can control and need to improve each day to be competitive.”
Starting his sophomore season, Ai Ogura appeared a bit more stoic. Ogura wanted to focus on improving his skills, most notably his qualifying results. He had this to say:
“I actually like both our designs and can’t wait to go out on track with them both! For 2026, I think I can be a bit more confident on the bike. After I experienced my rookie season in MotoGP everything is hopefully a bit more under control this year. We’ll see how it goes but the first test is going to be very important as, for sure, one of the big targets this season will be the grid positions. Last season we could be competitive during the race but the grid position has usually not been the best and we really need to work on that, especially during the test days.”
More Still to Come
The second batch of 2026 MotoGP livery launches has finished. With six teams revealing their entries, we now have just five teams left. On 27 January, both the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and the Red Bull KTM Tech3 teams will unveil their bikes. We will then be treated to the BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP reveal on 31 January. That leaves just two teams slotted for early February launches. On 1 February, Honda LCR and on 2 February, Honda HRC Castrol will share what they are bringing into 2026.
With the upcoming 2027 regulation changes, all of the team’s launches thus far have demonstrated their commitment to the 2026 season. If nothing else, it is safe to say the 2026 MotoGP season will be eye-catching.
Feature image credit – Everything Trackside