Ducati makes history at Suzuka: the first non-Japanese manufacturer to claim the national Superbike title

• Ryo Mizuno, riding the Panigale V4 R for the SDG Ducati Team Kagayama, has been crowned champion of the All Japan Road Race Championship with 8 victories in 10 races
• Ducati is the first non-Japanese manufacturer in history to win the title in the top category of this national road racing championship
• From Superbike to Supersport, the Japanese title adds to Ducati's remarkable 2026 season, marked by success in world, continental and national championships across Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States

Japan/Bologna, 28 October 2026 - Ducati has written a new chapter in motorcycle racing history by winning - for the first time - the All Japan Road Race Championship, the premier motorcycle national road racing in Japan, also known as the Japanese SBK Championship.

This achievement was secured by Ryo Mizuno who, riding the Panigale V4 R of the SDG Ducati Team Kagayama, became the Champion in the JSB1000 class. This triumph marks a historic milestone for Ducati: never before had a non-Japanese motorcycle manufacturer won the title in the premier class of Japan's national championship.

The title was clinched on Saturday 24 October, at the Suzuka Circuit, where Mizuno's victory in Race 1 of the final round mathematically secured him the championship with one race to spare. The Japanese rider dominated the season from the very first rounds, winning 8 of the 10 races on the calendar.

The success in Japan adds to the impressive on-track record of the Panigale V4 R, which has enjoyed an extraordinarily successful season in international Superbike racing. In Asia, Hafizh Syahrin won the Asia Superbike title for the second consecutive year, while Harrison Voight claimed the Australian Superbike Championship, ahead of three other Ducati riders. In Europe, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer also triumphed in major national championships, winning the British Superbike (BSB) title with Kyle Ryde and the German EuroMoto Superbike Championship with Lukas Tulovic. These successes add to the season's most important and prestigious achievement: the Superbike World Championship, claimed just a month ago by Nicolò Bulega and his Panigale V4 R in the premier class of production-based motorcycle racing, with 32 wins and four second-place finishes in 36 races.

The historic milestone achieved by Mizuno and Ducati in Japan was also celebrated by the Borgo Panigale manufacturer's Japanese dealer network, which played an important role throughout the season. Ducati Hamamatsu, Ducati Sapporo and Ducati Kyoto supported Team Kagayama as sponsors, while Ducati Osaka East helped bring the championship's key events to life through dedicated display areas and initiatives designed to engage fans, including Meet & Greet events.

For Ducati, production-derived motorcycle racing represents a cornerstone of its motorsport activities, in both Superbike and Supersport. In the latter category, 2026 also brought significant success in the United States, with a fourth consecutive victory at the Daytona 200 with Josh Herrin and the MotoAmerica Supersport title claimed by Darryn Binder. Adding to these achievements in Europe was Luke Stapleford's victory in the British Supersport Championship.